'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎536r] (1073/1386)

II
Bengal has a larger trade than any other province with Europe, America, and
Australia, though Bombay stands but little behind as respects European trade ;
and Bombay has the largest trade with African and Asiatic countries.
The increase during the year in the trade with the United Kingdom amounted
to a little under 38 millions of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. , or, say, nearly four per cent. The
increase in the trade with the other countries mentioned amounted to nearly sixty
millions of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. , or nearly eight per cent.
In the twenty years which have elapsed since 1871 the total trade of India
has increased by about 77 per cent, but the trade with England has increased
by only 56 per cent, and, as will be seen from the table of percentages given
below, the proportion which trade with England bears to the whole trade is
slowly declining. From a proportion of about 63 per cent of the whole in 1870
it fell to about 56} per cent in 1880, the opening of the Suez Canal having caused
a diversion of trade which formerly went through England. Five years later the
proportion was about 55 J per cent, and now it is about 54 per cent. England,
however, still has more than half the whole Indian trade and her Colonies have a
substantial proportion of the remainder. If England’s share of the trade is
declining, the decline is very slow, and the actual augmentation of the trade,
though not relatively so large as that with other countries, will be regarded as
very satisfactory when it is borne in mind that the trade with England today
is as large as was the whole trade of India with the world twenty years ago.
The subjoined table shews for each country the proportion per cent which the
trade with it bears to the whole trade of India. The countries are placed in
order of importance of last year’s trade.
—
1885-86.
1886-87.
1887-88.
1888-89.
1889-90.
I.
United Kingdom
5561
5488
548i
5489
53’94
2.
' China—Hong-Kong
874
886
855
795
751
)China —Treaty Ports
335
2’22
224
2’64
236
3-
France .
487
5’38
4’85
537
483
4-
Straits Settlements .
3’54
3’65
3’82
378
3′92
5-
Belgium .
2’63
2'44
2’07
290
3’44
6.
United States
2'95
3 21
3’41
311
3’
7-
Italy
2'99
3’67
3’19
2’34
2’53
8.
Egypt
2’34
1-89
2’10
2-07
2'2
9-
Austria
1'75
216
2 13
2'21
2'
10.
Ceylon
r9r
r‘94
1′95
178
196
11.
Germany .
0’347
059
0’73
0’98
177
12.
Mauritius .
i’35
1′64
1′60
1'41
i’57
13-
Persia
1-38
i’35
1-31
1'36
1-46
14.
Australia .
1’03
0-72
1’28
1'07
ri7
15.
Arabia
1‘I
1-24
I'll
105
1’12
16.
Zanzibar, Mozam
bique, and other
ports on the East
Coast of Africa.
068
o'So
•
1-09
0’86
0-83
17.
Japan
0’196
0-27
0-44
0’59
0-68
18.
Aden . .
0616
061
071
068
063
i9-
Turkey in Asia
O’5°4
0-52
056
0'59
0-62