Write the history of Surat and about the declination of Surat
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Answer:
The History of Surat dates back hundreds of years.The city was founded in the late medieval period, and gradually became an important port in the Mughal Empire. The Maratha rulers defeated the Mughals during the Battle of Surat. Later, the Dutch ruled the area and the city became known as Dutch Suratte.The port of Surat declined by the end of the eighteenth century on account of the growing power of European companies in trade with India. They secured many concessions from local courts as well as the monopoly rights to trade. This led to a decline of the old ports of Surat and Hoogly from where local merchants had operated. Exports slowed and local banks here went bankrupt
Surat was founded by Gopi, who named the area Surajpur or Suryapur.[3] In the 12th and 15th centuries, Surat was plundered by Muslims.[3] In 1512, and again in 1530, Surat was ravaged by the Portuguese Empire. In 1514, the Portuguese traveler Duarte Barbosa described Surat as an important seaport, frequented by many ships from Malabar and various parts of the world. By 1520, the name of the city had become Surat.[3]
In 1573, Surat was conquered by the Mughals.[3] It was the most prosperous port in the Mughal empire, used for travel to the Hajj pilgrimage.[4] Despite being a rich city, Surat looked like a typical "grubby" trader's town with mud-and-bamboo tenements and crooked streets, although along the riverfront there were a few mansions and warehouses belonging to local merchant princes and the establishments of Turkish, Armenian, English, French and Dutch traders. There were also hospitals for cows, horses, flies and insects run by religious Jains, which puzzled travelers.[4] Some streets were narrow while others were of sufficient width. In the evening, especially near the Bazaar (marketplace), the streets became crowded with people and merchants (including Banyan merchants) selling their goods. Surat was a populous city during the Mughal era but also had a large transient population: during the monsoon season, when ships could come and go from the ports without danger, the city's population would swell.[4] In 1612, England established its first Indian trading factory in Surat.[3] The city was sacked twice by the Maratha king Shivaji, with the first sacking occurring in 1664.[3][5] Shivaji's raids scared trade away and caused ruin to the city.[4]