Question

" Surat was very important trading centre in the medieval period! Explain.​

Answer 1

Answer:

It was because the ports of Surat. So it made the trade for all easy.

Answer 2

The city of Surat was cosmopolitan as people of all castes and creeds lived there. During the Mughal period, Surat, Cambay (present day Khambhat) and later Ahmedabad carried out trade with the west.

It was also called the gate to Mecca as the pilgrim ships set sail from here.

In the 17th century, the Protuguese, the Dutch and the English set up their factories and warehouses in Surat. Textile industry of Surat has been famous for its Zari Work (intricate art of weaving threads of fine gold and silver) and has a market in West asia, Africe and Europe.

Architecture of the city included magnificent buildings, many rest houses, pleasure parks, huge banking houses (set up by Kathiawad seths or Mahajans). The 'hundis' (financial instrument developed in the medieval times for use in trade and credit transactions) of Surat were honoured in markets of Cairo in Egypt, Basra in Iraq, and Antwerp in Belgium.