Social History — 1785-1786
Document, petition
The scroll is part of a group of over 100 documents, contained within a leather covered wooden casket, referring to Anglo-Indian financial and mercantile interaction in the late 18th century. Written mainly in South Asian Farsi (Persian), employing the adapted Arabic script the official and private papers, in 5 rolls with additional papers, record often detailed accounts of the internal transactions of the Arakat (Arcot) State and its dealings with the British East India Company. It is likely the papers was returned to the UK on an Eastindiaman by a Company writer stationed in East India in the 1780s.
The papers reveal how the East India Company's sphere of influence extended from London through to the Indian subcontinent with allies such as Mohamed Ali Khan Walajan (1717-1795), the Nawab of Arakat (Arcot), who controlled important strategic trade routes in Southern India. Arcot, the capital of Carnatic is also associated with Clive of India who captured it in 1751.
- Category:
- Social History
- Object ID:
- 2008.94/2
- Object name:
- document, petition
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- 1785-1786
- Material:
paper, linen
- Measurements/duration:
- W 138 mm, DM 60 mm (rolled) (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 60%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
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