Hâjî Zâhid Beg

Hâjî Zâhid Beg was one of the greatest merchants of 17th century Surat, India. He owned several ships plying between Surat and Cambay, and to other ports in Asia. He used part of his wealth to constructed several mosques and sarais in Surat.

Hâjî Zâhid was a trader of high repute and a vast network of operation. He is frequently mentioned in correspondence of the English East India Company (EIC) officials. His ships did not only play around India, but were on trading missions in Red Sea and the Persian Gulf ports, as well as in South-East Asian ports. In fact his operations were of such a scale that EIC officials in their letter of 31 July 1645 from Basra informed the factors at Surat of the glutting of markets at Isfahan, owing to the arrival of two of Häji Zâhid's junks with various commodities of Agra, Gujerat, and the Deccan.

Hâjî Zâhid’s position was particularly favorable in the Kingdom of Achin. He seems to have earned the favor of the King of Achin since his ships and cargo that he carried to Achin enjoyed exemption from port-duty while Zâhid and other merchants accompanying him were given all kinds of facilities and liberties to trade with any port of Achin. Haji Zahid also served as a shahbandar of Surat, a harbormaster controlling the port and custom house, from 1629 to 1669.