WI: Peter the Great accepts the petition of Anbu Ran Mulin

Anbu Ran Mulin was an Indian merchant who lived in the city of Astrakhan, Russia, in the early 18th century. He was head of one of the largest Indian trading companies there -- Indians held great influence in the southeastern Russian economy prior to the British takeover of the subcontinent -- and in all likelihood one of the richest, if not the richest, man in Astrakhan.

In 1723, he petitioned Peter the Great to allow his company to trade not just in Astrakhan, but in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the city of Arkhangelsk on the Arctic Ocean, and to allow his company to expand its enterprises and access the markets of countries adjacent to Russia, such as Poland, Germany, and China.

This petition was rejected, and then the collapse of the Mughal and Safavid empires dealt a death blow to the Indian economic dominance of Central Asia and the lower Volga.

What if Peter had accepted?
 
Anbu Ran Mulin was an Indian merchant who lived in the city of Astrakhan, Russia, in the early 18th century. He was head of one of the largest Indian trading companies there -- Indians held great influence in the southeastern Russian economy prior to the British takeover of the subcontinent -- and in all likelihood one of the richest, if not the richest, man in Astrakhan.

In 1723, he petitioned Peter the Great to allow his company to trade not just in Astrakhan, but in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the city of Arkhangelsk on the Arctic Ocean, and to allow his company to expand its enterprises and access the markets of countries adjacent to Russia, such as Poland, Germany, and China.

This petition was rejected, and then the collapse of the Mughal and Safavid empires dealt a death blow to the Indian economic dominance of Central Asia and the lower Volga.

What if Peter had accepted?
Could this have averted Mughal decline and the Afghan revolt? If not then it may do little more than hasten Russian economic and political penetration of the region.
 
Why though? It's not Russia coming into India, it's India coming into Russia (and Germany, and China).
Do you think the merchants won't buy anything while travelling through Russia and Eastern Europe? Surely There would be a market for Russian knick knacks just as any other foreign knick knack, especially should Indian goods become less readily available due to the dynastic collapses of the 18th Century. The ethnicity of the merchants doesn't really matter if their business becomes increasingly dependant on the rights granted to them by the Tsar, meaning St. Petersburg will have great influence over the Merchants of Central Asia.
 
I suspect any Russian connection with India to intensify the Great Game as Britain extended its direct and indirect holdings in the area.
 
Romani numbers:

1 -- Yek

2 -- Duj

3 -- Trin

4 -- Shtar

5 -- Panzh

Punjabi numbers:

1 -- Ikka

2 -- Dō

3 -- Tinn

4 -- Cār

5 -- Pañj

So yeah, somebody astute enough could probably make the link.

Russian number:

Odin
Dva
Tri
Chetiri
Pyat

Notice they the ALSO are quite similar to the Romani numbers. In particular, Romani "four" is closer to Russian "four" than Punjabi "four"....
 
Just one last bump, ok? Then I'll let this die.

Normally I'd chide you, but on some select days, there are so many original posts that an older post can fall off the page in 3 hours. That's not nearly enough time for would-be intered people to log in and see this one if they know anything about it. And I bet 25% of people don't know how to change the page.
 
Frederick the great would found useful for doing business, other might react as religious racist as the standard
But throughout the Early Modern era, non-Europeans (other than Mediterranean Muslims, who, especially Turks, were often viewed as somewhat European anyways) came to Europe only on European ships, by European assent. The Indians, by contrast, would be coming of their own accord -- I think that, alone, ought to make a big cultural impact.
 
But throughout the Early Modern era, non-Europeans (other than Mediterranean Muslims, who, especially Turks, were often viewed as somewhat European anyways) came to Europe only on European ships, by European assent. The Indians, by contrast, would be coming of their own accord -- I think that, alone, ought to make a big cultural impact.

I think it bears to be said that Russia allowed Bukharan merchants to operate as a privileged group in various Siberian cities. At various other times though not nearly as prominently, Armenians, Tatars and Kalmycks could do the same. So in terms of impact on Russia (other than maybe more Indian themes in folklore and more taste for Indian goods), the cultural impact on Russia proper would likely be low. We're used to having merchants come to us, not only from more advanced economies but also even from countries that don't produce the same kind of proto-industrial goods.

Up until Russia secured access to the Baltic, of course, the problem was that the neighbours blocked Russian merchants, diplomats and so on; so there isn't a question of any Indian merchant going out of Russia through Poland or Livonia or Sweden, they simply wouldn't allow that. But Peter changed that. For 18th c. Europe, having an Indian merchant with a Russian trade patent, that is genuinely interesting. I hesitate to estimate the magnitude of impact. It might make it into European folklore or change the opinion of trading through Russia.

Of course if it's crazy successful or something, Russia might be more interested in getting a firm foothold in Persia much earlier to secure the overland Indian trade, and that has potential knock-ons.
 
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