A cache of 17th-century documents unearthed in London archives has shed new light on the early global trade links between Mughal India and Britain. The reports, penned by merchants and diplomats stationed in the court of Emperor Jahangir, detail a flourishing commercial relationship that predates the British East India Company's later dominance.
Dated between 1615 and 1625, the dispatches describe the import of Indian textiles, spices, and indigo to British ports, and the export of English wool, metals, and firearms to the subcontinent. The accounts, written by emissaries such as Sir Thomas Roe, suggest that Mughal authorities actively encouraged trade, viewing it as a source of revenue and diplomatic leverage.
Professor Faridah Zaman of the University of Cambridge, who authenticated the documents, remarked: 'This correspondence challenges the notion of British India as a one-sided colonial extraction. It reveals a period of mutual economic interdependence, where the Mughal Empire was a formidable commercial partner on equal terms.'
The documents also highlight the sophistication of Mughal administrative practices. Officials maintained meticulous records of duties, shipping tolls, and prices in multiple currencies. 'These were not primitive barter systems,' said Dr. Zaman. 'They reflect a highly monetised and regulated commercial environment.'
Historians have long acknowledged the East India Company's role in establishing British influence in India, but these reports push the timeline of significant trade relations back by several decades. They also reveal the agency of Indian merchants and nobles who shaped trade terms to their advantage.
The discovery has sparked interest in re-evaluating early modern economic history. 'We tend to view globalisation as a recent phenomenon,' noted Dr. Zaman. 'But these documents show that the world was interconnected through trade centuries before the steamship and the telegraph.'
The reports are now being digitised and will be available to researchers online later this year. They offer a rare glimpse into a formative period of Anglo-Indian relations, before the balance of power tilted decisively in Britain's favour.
