Q. Consider the following statements about the Mughal Firman issued to the British in 1717 by Farrukhsiyar:
  1. East India Company was entitled to trade in Bengal without paying the normal customs duty
  2. It provided immunity from duty for goods belonging to the servants of the East India Company
  3. The East India Company issued Dastaks authorising its agents to trade customs-free within the province of Bengal
Which of the above statements is / are correct?

Answer: Only 1 and 3
Notes: In the Mughal Firman, East India Company was granted the right to trade in Bengal without regular customs duty and issued Dastaks to its agents for customs-free trade within Bengal province. However, it did not protect the company's servants' goods from duty, a subject of confusion and abuse. This misconduct led to conflicts between the company and the nawab. Therefore, statements 1 and 3 are correct and the second statement is incorrect.
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