Golden Age Of India
India was famous for its magnificent riches right from ancient India. The country was quiet prosperous from 12th to 16th century in spite of various invasions. The country and its towns saw considerable growth in trade as a result of political and economic policies formed by the Muslim rulers.
The economy flourished during the Sultanate Period from early 13th to early 16th century. The sound currency system based on the copper dirham and silver tanka established the economy of the period. The industry and trading centres were Lahore, Delhi, Bombay, Ahmadabad, Jaunpur and Sonargaon.
A stable centre and the uniform provincial government during the two hundred years of Muslim rule further urbanized India. This was a peaceful age during which trade and industry flourished. The growing foreign trade developed the towns as well as the villages. The main areas of trade and industry during the Muslim rule in the north were Lahore, Delhi, Agra, Thatta, Multan and Srinagar. Surat, Bombay, Ujjain, Ahmadabad and Pattan were the main cities in western India. The most important cities of the east were Dacca, Hoogli, Chittagong, Patna and Murshidabad.
Textiles were the chief item of export during those days. Gujarat exported textiles to South East Asian and Arab countries. The demand of Patola, a silk dyed in natural colours, was high in South East Asian countries. Bengal was a significant trade centre for cotton and silk goods. Dhaka muslin was known for its superiority. Sirbund, a cloth used for tying turbans was highly popular in Europe. Collared and printed cloth manufactured in Kerala was also a rage. Golconda, Polecat and Shaliat were other important textile trading centers of South. The Indian textiles from all these regions were highly appreciated for its quality, fineness, designs and colours in the foreign market.
Harwood furniture with inlay work was a very popular thing. Furniture with expensive carvings and inlays motivated by the Mughal styles were modelled on the European styles. The Deccan, Gujarat and Sindh were the main production centers. The Carpets of the mughal Era were also exported. The carpets had meticulously woven designs which were inspired from the Great Mughals. Carpet weaving was an important profession during the medieval period. Precious stones and ornaments were produced in south India. Pulicat, Calicut and Vijaynagar were the main cutting and polishing centers of these stones. Indian arts and crafts were unmatched for their beauty and were in demand in the world.
The domestic trade also flourished due to the organized system of the government. Delhi was the major trade center during the medieval period. Superior quality of rice and sugar from Kanauj, betel leaves from Madhya Pradesh and wheat from Punjab were traded in Delhi markets. Well maintained roads linking various part of the country boosted the domestic trade. Travelling was safe as the merchants travelled with armed groups to eliminate the fear of bandits. Vijaynagar traded in diamonds with other southern cities.
River routes also helped in trade between different parts of the country. Boats on river Indus and river Ganges carried goods to various regions. Some wealthy merchants even owned big boats.
Trade in different parts of the country was dominated by different communities. Punjabis and Multanis dominated the businesses in north while Bhats handled trade in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Khorasanis, foreign traders from central Asia, handled trading activities through out India. Sultan Alauddin Khilji use to strictly monitor trading markets in the 14th century. Traders violating the rules were badly punished.
India’s exports were comparatively high as compared to its imports. India use to import horses, textile like satin and raw silk, porcelain, and glassware from different parts of the world. Foreign luxurious goods like wines, perfumes, precious stones, corals, scented oils velvets and dry fruits were highly popular among the kings and nobility. Both the foreigners and the Indian merchants handled foreign trade of India. Money foreign traders even settled in the coastal areas of India. Annually around 3000 ships visited the port of Khambat. This was the magnitude of India’s foreign trade during the medieval era.
The city of Vijayanagar dealt mainly in precious stones. Almost everybody in the town irrespective of the class they belonged to had vast amounts of gold, silver, diamonds and material wealth. Other merchant communities around India were equally prosperous and led luxurious lives. The foreign traders were astonished to see the remarkable wealth of this nation.
