Private Trade of the English Merchants and the Decline of Bengal's Economy 1690-1765 Book

Contents: Preface. 1. Foundation of the English Company’s Trade in Bengal and the Private Merchants. 2. Surman Embassy : a boon for private English merchants. 3. Growth of company’s trade and the private English Merchants. 4. Pre-Plassey private trade-an evasion of Nawabs authority. 5. 1757-63 : years of mounting private trade. 6. Grant of Diwani and the liquidation of Bengal’s economy by Private Trade. Conclusion. Appendices. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

The present research work entitled Private Trade of the English Merchants and Decline of Bengals Economy, 1690-1765, i.e. from the English settlement in Calcutta up to the grant of diwani, is an attempt to narrate the gradual decline of Bengal economy by the entry of private English merchants. It is also an attempt to narrate the private trade of the Company’s officials, free-merchants, as well as interlopers, who had carried on this illegal trade in different marts of Bengal, without any licence of trade. Thus on the very outset, it should be borne in mind that the present research work does not narrate the east India Company’s trade in Bengal.