The Mughal State And Commerce In The Middle Ages

In the Mughal era, India's economy was fairly advanced. At the municipal, regional, and interregional levels, trade increased, and trade ties with other nations were upheld. Commercial ties were kept up by using land routes. The Portuguese, British, Dutch, and French trading enterprises, among others, increased trade on the Indian subcontinent after they arrived. New commercial ventures including lending money, brokerage, insurance, and other similar industries proliferated around this time as well. 

 

•    During the Mughal era, trade had substantially increased.

 

•    Every hamlet held frequent markets in neighboring towns where locals could sell and buy items.

 

•    Local trading was also carried out at regular marketplaces that took place on set days of the week.

 

•    These neighborhood marketplaces offered goods such food grain, salt, wooden and iron tools, coarse cotton clothing, and so on.

 

•    The development of rural grain markets led to the growth of a small hamlet. These markets were interconnected with the bigger commercial hubs in the area.

 

•    These markets offered goods from various regions in addition to their own.

 

•    The development of towns and the growth of the handicraft industry were both spurred by the nobility's need for various luxury goods. 

 

•    The Indian commercial classes were quite organized and professional.

 

•    While some specialized in long-distance, inter-regional trade, others were masters in local retail trade.

 

•    The former was referred to as Seth, Bohra, or Modi, and the latter was known as Beoparis or Banik.

 

•    The Baniks had their own agents who assisted them in purchasing food and cash crops in the towns and villages.

 

•    A distinctive group of traders with a reputation for moving heavy loads of cargo was known as the Banjaras.

 

•    When travelling long distances, the Banjaras would frequently draw tens of thousands of oxen that were hauling food, beans, ghee, salt, and other supplies.

 

•    The pricier goods, like as fabrics, silks, etc., were shipped in carts or on mules and camels.

 

•    It was less expensive to carry bulk goods through rivers using boats.

 

•    Compared to that time, the growth of coastal trade and boat traffic on waterways was stronger.

 

•    Bengal shipped magnificent muslin and silk, which together with sugar and rice made up the majority of its exports at the period, as well as a wide range of textile goods.

 

•    The Coromandel Coast had developed into a center for textile production.

 

•    Gujarat acted as the point of entry for foreign goods.

 

•    The two primary trading centers for the export of silk (patola) and high-end textiles to north India were Burhanpur and Agra.

 

•    It brought in food grains, silk, and pepper from Bengal as well as Malabar.

 

•    North India exported food and indigo in addition to purchasing luxury commodities.

 

•    Lahore was another important center for the production of crafts. It also served as a center for the export of luxury items from Kashmir, including as shawls and carpets.

 

•    The commodities from Sindh and Punjab were shipped over the Indus River.

 

•    Along with Kabul, Qandahar, and other neighboring cities, it had close trading relations to Delhi, Agra, and other nearby cities.

 

•    From the middle of the 16th century to the middle of the 18th century, India's international trade gradually increased.

 

•    This came about as a result of the trading activities of the various European visitors to India at the time.

 

•    India and the western countries have been trading partners since the dawn of time.

 

•    Beginning in the seventh century AD, the Arabs, who controlled the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, assumed charge of her maritime traffic.

 

•    They served as the outlet for the shrewd merchants of Genoa and Venice to purchase goods from India.

 

•    By conducting direct trade with India, the Portuguese sought to break the Arab and Venetian monopoly on trade with that country.

 

•    The geographic discoveries made in the latter quarter of the 15th century had a profound and long-lasting impact on trade.

 

•    The civilized world was greatly impacted by Vasco da Gama's discovery of a new all-sea route connecting Europe and India via the Cape of Good Hope.

 

•    More European groups arrived in India after the Portuguese arrived, and before long, they controlled the country's maritime and coastal trade.

 

•    In contrast to earlier foreign traders, the European traders who came to India at this time had the support of their respective governments on the political and military levels.

 

•    They strove to establish and protect maritime trade based on their stronger naval force since they were acting as representatives of their various nations rather than as lone traders.

 

•    Their first aims were commercial, but they eventually turned to territorial ambitions.

 

•    Cheap, adequate transportation was provided to meet commercial demands.

 

•    Despite the concerns of some European tourists, the roads were adequately safe and insurance could cover them.

 

•    The transport options with Sarais on the main routes were at the time on par with those in Europe.

 

•    The Mughals paid particular attention to Sarais and highways, which enabled communication.

 

•    Products had to pay one tax at the point of entry into the empire.

 

•    Despite being considered unlawful, some of the local rajas continued to collect road cesses, or Rahdari.

 

•    The standing army and a sizable section of the administrative employees were paid their wages throughout the Mughal Empire in cash.

 

•    Under the Zabti system, the land revenue was evaluated and required to be paid in cash.

 

•    Despite the fact that the peasant has the option of using alternative assessment methods like crop sharing.

 

•    Approximately 20% of the rural output was commercialized, according to estimates.

 

•    The edict of Jahangir contains a section that states that "if someone should die, whether unbeliever or Musalman, his property and effects should be left for his heirs and no one should interfere with them."

 

•    If he does not leave any successors, they will appoint independent guardians and inspectors to manage the estate.

 

•    In order for the estate's value to be utilized for legitimate uses like building mosques and saris, mending broken bridges and digging ponds and wells.

 

•    However, local authorities could abuse their power to victimize business owners. 

 

India had long-standing commercial ties with foreign nations. The pattern of trade and commerce evolved during the course of the time. During the Mughal era, trade between India and other foreign nations was prospering. The arrival of the Europeans was an important factor. Before the Portuguese took over, Muslims dominated India's trade, which was later abandoned. Gujarat, Goa, Calicut, Cochin, Quilon, and other significant ports were some of the ones that assisted India in expanding its borders.