What was the importance of Surat as a port city of trade and craft in the medieval period?
Answers
Surat, in Gujarat, is situated on the bank of River Tapti. It was an important port and trading town during the medieval period.
Surat was a commercial town. According to Duarte Barbosa, ships from many countries docked at Surat.
During the reign of the Mughals, Surat became a very important commercial city, famous for all types of textiles, particularly cotton textiles. Fine cotton with ‘Zari’ borders were produced by the craftsmen. These were exported to the markets in West Asia and Europe.
The English set up a trading post in Surat in 1612. They were followed by the Dutch and the French
The location of Surat also helped it to prosper. Ships carrying Haj pilgrims to Mecca set sail from here.
Realizing its importance, the Portuguese merchants tried to control trade in Surat.
Surat enjoyed great prosperity between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Shivaji plundered it twice, in 1664 and 1670.
With the decline of the Mughal Empire and the rise of Bombay (now Mumbai) as a major port and administrative centre, Surat declined in importance. Today Surat is a major centre of diamond trade.
Answer:
Surat during the Medieval period flourished because it trading connections with foreign trade. Surat became a port city with wealth and prosperity because of its trade relation (export/import) with foreign countries well as for its domestic manufactures of cloth and other materials. European traders collected luxury items and sold in Europe markets.