A pass or permit issued by the Indian government during British colonial rule, exempting merchants or goods from customs duties.
From Persian 'dastak' or Hindi 'dustak', originally meaning a stamp or permit. The word entered English during the colonial period (17th-18th centuries) when British traders encountered the Indian tax system.
Dustucks reveal the hidden history of empire—British merchants used these permits to bypass local taxes, which was actually one of the competitive advantages that helped Britain dominate Indian trade.
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