Content area
Full Text
(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)
Hajj performance is one of the religious obligations for a well off Muslim. With the passage of time Hajj traffic in India gained significance. The term Hajj traffic may apply to special business organisation on the occasion of Hajj pilgrimage. The present paper aims to bring out the major aspects that lay at the basis of its operation.
As a matter of faith and to win reward in the next world, during the Mughul period (1526-1705) the members of royal families, aristocracy as well as the common Muslims in India used to make generous donations for organizing Hajj traffic. They also sent alms to Makkah to be distributed among needy people. Gifts and grants as well were made to the custodians of Ka'bah and other religious places. In this manner a fairly good amount of money was thus sent from India to Makkah. But in the course of the same pilgrimage trips immense treasure also found its way into India. In a single consignment in 1616 on their return voyage the pilgrim ships of Surat brought treasure worth £2,000,000; most of it in gold and silver.1 Edward Terry finds himself "incompetent" to give an accurate estimate of the flow of silver into India from Europe 'by other means' (i.e. Hajj traffic). But he says that silver is like streams and India is a sea. According to him all the silver of Europe comes to India as all the streams fall into the sea.2
During the Mughul period the royal ships, ordinarily used for trading purposes, were employed for Hajj traffic during the Hajj season. These ships were of greater tonnage and wider decks. Thus the Queen Mother's ship Rahimi of 1500 burthen sailing from Surat to Jeddah (waylaid by the English on 23 April 1612) carried cargo consisting of "India commodities" and had on board 1500 passengers.3 Similarly there were ships owned by the Mughul princes and princesses who also made earnings by participating in trade and commerce. On the occasion of Hajj these ships were directed to Surat-Red Sea line to carry Hajj pilgrims. There were, for instance, ships owned by emperor Jahangir and prince Khurram carrying on this activity.4 The expenses on Hajj pilgrims and donations and...