    thomas pitt (5 july 1653 â 28 april 1726), born at blandford forum, dorset, to john pitt, rector of blandford st. mary, and sarah jay, was a british merchant involved in trade with india. he at first came into conflict with the british east india company, however this was settled and the company appointed him governor of fort st. george, madras. he is known as "diamond" pitt for his purchase of and profit from an extraordinary diamond. he was the grandfather and great-grandfather of the prime ministers william pitt the elder and william pitt the younger. ==in the mughal empire==  in 1674, pitt went to india with the british east india company, however he soon began trading for himself as an 'interloper' in defiance of the east india company's legal monopoly on indian trade. upon his return to england he was fined Â£400 for his actions, although by that time pitt was already very wealthy and could easily afford the fine. he then proceeded to buy the manor of stratford and its surrounding borough old sarum. with that acquisition he gained a seat in the house of commons, as that was a rotten borough. it was a purchase that would have a significant effect on british history, as the seat would pass to pitt's rather influential descendants. pitt returned to india, and eventually was hired by the british east india company. in august 1698, one john pitt arrived at madras as the president of the british east india company and was entrusted to negotiate an end to the child's war with the mughal emperor aurangzeb. soon in august 1699 he had been appointed as the governor of fort st. george, in the year 1702 when the fort itself was besieged by daud khan of the carnatic the mughal empire's local subedar (lieutenant),http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=yqgt5syepi8c&pg=pa11&dq=thomas+pitt+attacked+by+mughal&hl=en&sa=x&ei=l-4bt7-mnyezhqe-5ddpaq&ved=0cfaq6aewbg#v=onepage&q=daud%20khan%20of%20the%20
1653_births 1726_deaths British_MPs_1710a13 British_MPs_1713a15 British_MPs_1715a22 British_MPs_1722a27 English_MPs_1689a90 English_MPs_1690a95 English_businesspeople Governors_of_Madras Members_of_the_Parliament_of_Great_Britain_for_English_constituencies People_associated_with_the_British_East_India_Company People_from_Blandford_Forum People_from_Swallowfield People_of_British_India Pitt_family Presidents_of_Madras