Studies in Trade and Urbanisation in Western India (An Old and Rare Book)

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The Department of History of the M S University of Baroda, Baroda hosted the seminar on Trade and Urbanization in Western India from the Sixteenth to the Nineteenth Century in October 1980 when scholars from various universities presented their papers. These covered a wide range of subjects deal- ing with the problems of urbanization in Western India in terms of its relation with trade both from conceptual and other angles. Indeed, the coverage, the range and the treatment of subject was so wide that the work of classification and categorisation was rendered difficult. Again there were so many good papers that selection for this monograph too was made hard if not impossible. Finally, with a view to cover as many aspects of the theme and regions that only a few could be chosen.

We are grateful to all the participants of the seminar for their scholarly contribution. We are also grateful to the University Grants Commission whose Special Assistance grant made publication of this study possible We are also grateful to the authorities of the M. S. University and the University Press, but for whose help and interest this study would not have seen light of the day. We are also thankful to Dr. K. S. Mathew and Dr (Mrs.) Gita Bajpai for preparing the press copy of this study. Ms. Annapoorna helped us in preparing the index and we are thankful to her.

For the purpose of understanding the process of transition from the pre- modern to modern society and economy, particularly in Western India it becomes incumbent upon us to grasp the pattern of trade and going with it hand in hand the design of urbanisation. They shaped each other in a significant way but in turn got delineated by or conditioned to geo-political fracas of the time The three centuries from the 16th to the 19th thus ushered in quite a new landscape in number of ways.

The trading mercantile societies had activated all the ports along the coast. The commercial hegemony of Gujarat had effectively countered the political domination of Vijaynagar in Malabar. The "panos de Cambaya" were seen overwhelming the markets of India, Africa and the Malaya world, by their sheer competence in business. Their most powerful competitors were the Mapillas in close business ties with the Nayars. The Portuguese saw the cities of Calicut, Kollam, Cannanore and Cochin on the Spice or Rice routes thriving with commercial activities. This trade though hindered by the Portuguese continued even in the 16th century.

Up on the western coast, the port cities prominently figuring were Thana, Bassein, Dahanu, Surat, Rander, Cambay, Bhavnagar, Ghogha, Diu, Nangrol and Patan. Here too the Gujaratis held the most important position in all types of oceanic trade and the region of Gujarat was not only highly commercialised centre on the Indian sub-continent but intensely urbanised region as well. The complex structure of internal and external trade, expanding continuously, brought about a new class of people in these urban centres to cater for their needs. There was a slow but unending trek of people from the rural hinterlad in search of work to these cities and towns. The growth of the city of Cambay or Surat for that matter illustrates this phenomena pretty clearly. The characteristic features of such cities were briefly their suburban expanse, cosmopolitan character, many lofty houses, palaces, forts and gates built of stone and mortar, hospital for animals showing Jain influence, ship building activity, clear distinction between the rich and the poor sectors of the town, slow geomorphological changes taking place over a period both at Cambay and Surat thus paving for future trouble, and cities coming more and more under pressure of political robbery. In the 18th century, for example, Gujarat was treated more as a source of wealth to be tapped rather than a domain to be administered. The Mughal subedars too were none better. With increasing political instability, the fortunes of a city became closely linked up with other cities on which it depended for trade.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages