The embassy of Sir Thomas Roe
and Mughal Emperors
Slice of history
By Pramod Sangar

INDIA has been visited by a stream of European travellers, particularly the English, who came in quest of better trade prospects during the 16th and the 17th century. Letters written by the early English travellers aroused a desire to trade with India. The English East India Company was thus formed to reap the advantages from trade as Indian goods were widely known in the world markets for their variety and moderate prices. The early English travellers like Fitch, Leeds, Stephens and Newberry were among the pioneers and the ‘trend-setters’. They were essentially adventurers who came in with that spirit and later Milden Hall and Hawkins followed them.

But out of all travellers, who visited India in the 17th century, Sir Thomas Roe enjoys an eminent position due to his successful stints in India. He was the first official ambassador of the English King James I, sent for safeguarding company’s interests and to exploring further trade potential in India. He has left a detailed record of his manifold activities, and the numerous difficulties encountered by him, in what is known as the Journal of Sir Thomas Roe. It forms an important source of history of Jahangir’s reign.

The growing intrigues against the East India Company by the Portuguese, in the wake of their declining commercial and economic influence, prompted the company’s directors to urge King James I to send Thomas Roe as a special plenipotentiary to Jahangir’s court. He was especially selected by a committee chaired by the governor of the company on September 7, 1614 and the letter strongly recommend the name of Sir Thomas Roe "a gentleman well known into them, all to be of a pregnant understanding well ‘spoken, learned, industrious and of a calmy personage."

He had an impressive family and educational history and had a vast experience of sea voyages. He was honoured with Knighthood in 1605.

He was a man of captivating presence and dignified bearing, suave and courteous in manner. Yet he was firm and even imperious when needed.

Roe left England on January 24, 1615 and reached Swally Marine, at a little distance from Surat on September 24 and was greeted with a salute of 48 guns. The fleet was decorated with ensigns, flags, pedants and streamers. He remained in India from 1615 to 1619. The real object of his mission was to conclude a commercial treaty with the Mughal ruler, Jahangir — an exceedingly difficult task owing to the intrigues of the rival parties and the misgivings of the imperial court. Though he failed to secure a commercial treaty, yet he was able to obtain a few favourable terms for his nation.

Thomas Roe succeeded in getting two farmans by 1618, "one of the King and the other of Prince Khurram, confirming the English trade as well as exemption from Indian tolls". By this time, the English had established four factories at Ahme-dabad, Ber-hampur, Agra and Surat. More-over, they were looked up to by the Mughals to keep open the path of pilgrimage to the holy cities of Islam.

Another turning point for the English was the victory achieved by Thomas Best at Surat against the Portuguese. It shattered the myth of Portuguese naval supremacy. This considerably helped the English in coming closer to the Mughal authorities. At the time of his arrival the English factors were, as he said in a desperate case — "threatened by the Portuguese, plundered by the local officials and in the imminent danger of expulsion". In fact, only the dread of guns of the fleet and the fear of retaliation upon native traders had caused the Mughal authorities to hesitate in taking vigorous measure towards that end.

Roe, was initially opposed not by any other nation or group of people but by his own people as he wrote in his letter to Thomas Smythe, expressing his resentment "my employment is nothing but vexation and trouble, little honor and less profit". But Roe, by his tact, intelligence and firmness alike in dealing with the natives and the unruly English factors and by his excellent advice on the subject of re-organising the company’s factories had truly revealed the qualities of a sound administrator.

It is to be remembered that Portugual was the first European country to establish its dominance due to its naval supremacy over Asia, particularly the Indian seas. Before the advent of the other European powers, they were the sole monopolists of Indian trade. They provided a world market for Indian goods on a scale unknown before. They dominated the Indian seas and succeeded in capturing a sufficient number of fortresses at Diu, Daman, Chaul, Surat, Dahul, Goa, Mangalore, Canore, Calicut, Cochin and Quilon , mostly on the Malabar coast. All European, Asian or non-Portuguese ships passing through the Portuguese strongholds were forced to take cartaz or passes.

Even the Mughal Emperor Akbar obtained one cartaz from the Viceroy of Goa.

Thomas Roe’s arrival made a lot of difference to the English factors in India. He fought hard against difficult circumstances and, in the long run, succeeded in, partially, gaining his object. Noorjahan’s clique was enjoying immense power at that time and it was impossible to secure anything without the active assistance of Asaf Khan (brother of Noorjahan), the chief minister of Jahangir and Prince Khurram, the future Shahjahan. Roe, by giving handsome presents (which was the custom), secured an interview with Prince Khurram. Through Asaf Khan’s intercession, the prince promised to get him not only a farman for Bengal but a general command and grant of free privileges in all the Mughal dominions. Khurram further assured Roe the take over of the port of Surat in near future. But the Portuguese vehemently opposed this move and persuaded the Emperor (through whom it was to be ratified) to reject the treaty with them. It was with great effort that Roe was able to secure a farman in favour of the English, though the treaty was altogether rejected. The grant of this farman is a landmark in the history of the relations of the English with India. His countrymen at Surat did not appreciate his diplomatic service and made light of his great work but what they failed to realise was though Thomas Roe could not achieve what he desired, he enhanced the prestige of the English in India and won respect for them at the Mughal court.

Roe’s journal gives an interesting picture of the court and is a faithful character-sketch of all prominent members of the royal family. Roe also refers to Jahangir’s insatiable appetite for gifts and European novelties. Jahangir’s artistic interests inspired his artists to draw upon European paintings for inspiration and many copies of the miniature portrait by the famous Issac Oliver which James I of England presented to the Emperor through the ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe. He, in fact, has showered high praise on Indian painters and held them in high esteem for not only copying the European paintings but painting better at times. Roe also dwelt at length on the misery of the peasantry, the insecurity of public highways and the general inefficiency and spinelessness of the local administrators. Corruption was prevalent and the highest officers of state were not above reproach.

He describes Jahangir as a cheerful and amicable man, free entirely from pride and conceit. Roe was invited to the court more than once and he was warmly received and offered drinks on many occasions. He also accompanied the Emperor to Ajmer, Mandu and Berhampur.

Roe was once urgently called to the court by Emperor Jahangir one night. There he witnessed interesting scenes of drunkenness and revelry. When the Emperor became dead-drunk, the lights were put out and the drunken courtiers would go away to their homes.

He has also given a graphic picture of Prince Parvez and his court ceremonies at Berhampur. Roe calls him only a figurehead while Khurram enjoyed immense powers. Roe’s embassy has always been regarded as a landmark of the history of relations of the English with India. In 1619, he boarded the ship ‘Anne’ and reached England in August.

Don’t buy outright, get your property financed

Real estate
By Vasu

EVEN with a further 10 per cent projected slump in property prices across major cities, owning a flat is perhaps the only viable real estate option for the middle classes. Arranging for finance is a heavy burden, which needs acute financial acumen and sometimes even a lifetime of debt servicing.

A loan is a necessity for the purchase of a flat or a small house by the large salaried class population, and while several alternatives, including banks, both private and public sector, housing finance institutions and corporations exist, one of the attractive options is afforded by the loan schemes offered by the Life Insurance Corporation to either finance up to 90 per cent of the house cost or supplement the other easy-term loans available to most employees, whether government or private.

The loans offered by the employees (except in the case of liberal multinational corporations) generally do not complete the kitty for making an outright purchase of the house or flat, feels Prem Narain, an income tax lawyer.

With an upper loan limit of Rs 50 lakh, the entire house or flat can be financed through a single lender, he says. Up to 90 per cent of the total cost of a flat can be met with such a loan but the property should only be purchased from specified private builders, authorised development authorities of cities or states. Even where cash is available (usually of the darker variety), it is better to finance a property than go in for outright purchase, says Sunil Kumar Nijhawan, an investment consultant. Taking loans from an organisation like the LIC, which does not approach courts, has several multiple benefits, including risk cover, he says. On survival, the policy also yields bonus, besides the income tax rebate provided. Several types of loans can be availed, including house loan, construction loan and renovation loan. The loans, however, carry an age limit and have to be repaid before the borrower turns 70 years of age. In case of death of the borrower the loan amount is adjusted against the insurance. For sanctioning a loan the corporation evaluates the price of the property and the income of the borrower per month. In case of self-owned property, the property can be mortgaged to get a loan for further value addition, provided the applicant has an insurance policy.

The loan repayment also needs to be guaranteed by two tax paying persons. The loan processing, however, requires immense paperwork, says a borrower of the corporation, conceding that once the requisite papers were complete, it took only a couple of days to get the cheque. Another requirement is that of a character certificates from the employers.

A Rs 11 lakh flat, if entirely financed by the corporation, would require around Rs 1 lakh down payment by the owner followed by the LIC extending the remaining 90 percent of the cost. For availing this loan of Rs 10 lakh, normally a policy of around Rs 4 lakh is required. If the policy is for 25 years then the premium works out to be approximately Rs 13,000, which has to be paid for 15 years. After 15 years one does not have to pay any money.

The interest component works out to be approximately Rs 1.49 lakh every year at the rate of 16.5 per cent. Thus the monthly instalment works out to around Rs 12,000 paid over a 15-year period.

At the end of the 25-year policy period, the loan amount is deducted and the balance repaid to the customer, which works out to be around Rs 3 lakh in this case, assuming that the policy amount normally triples.

For giving a facelift to your property, renovation loans are available up to an upper limit of Rs 2 lakh and a base of Rs 50,000. In cases of repair, the property need not be mortgaged, and even a policy is not required. This scheme has been recently extended for boring of tubewells, says Nijhawan. In India mortgage norms are tough and private finance companies extend loans by mortgaging house, bank accounts and salaries, he says.

Today in the tight money market situation private loans are available at rates ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 per cent monthly interest which works out to be 30 to 36 per cent interest per annum.

In a market, which has been barely surviving on genuine buyers, the scene is flooded with flat builders offering discounts on down payments, says Manish, a realtor. However, this discount is nothing but a portion of the interest component which is returned to the buyer for advancing the payment terms.

With the prices of flats at a plateau and flats available in plenty promising the most exotic combination of amenities, the time is ripe for young double income couples to purchase a few policies and perhaps a home of their own as an add-on bonus.