Abdul Ghafur

Known as the “Merchant Prince” of the Mughal Empire, Abdul Ghafur was one of the wealthiest traders engaged in lucrative international trade owning a fleet of 17 ships.

The Mughal Empire was one of the richest empires in the world at the time, and Surat in Gujarad was the leading commercial port in the Empire. Various lucrative commodities such as silk, cottons, textiles, and spices passed through Surat on their way to India, the Near and Far East, and Europe.

Ghafur who came from a modest Muslim family, eventually emerged as the leading merchant in this international trade. In order to defend his ships and merchandise against the pirate attacks in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, he organized convoys and invented a method of compensation for his lost merchandise. His business flourished, and by 1700 he owned 17 merchant ships that could load more than five thousand tons of goods and traded in range from Indian Ocean to Arabia, as far as the China Sea, Malay and Sumatra. Thus, by the scope of his business activities Ghafur was a rival of the largest trading companies at the time. The records of the Dutch East India Company witnesses that Ghafur in business dealings with Europeans was inclined to outmaneuver them whenever it was possible.

Due to his prominence, he was awarded with the title Umdat-ut-tujjar (most eminent merchant) by the Mughal court. He used his influence at the court to advance his business interests, and interests of his coreligionists. His ships were, for example, exempted from many of the custom duties on exports of goods.

He died in 1718 at the age of 96. His immense fortune of eighty five lakhs of silver rupees (around $600 million), vast property holdings, and the established business inherited his son Mulla Abdul Hai.