Economic Conditions in the Regional Kingdoms
Medieval History › Regional Kingdoms · Topic 3.10
The regional kingdoms of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries drew wealth from ports, crafts and farming: Gujarat's seaports and textiles, the Bahmani ports of Goa, Chaul and Dabhol that handled horse imports, Bengal's trade with China through Chittagong, and Kashmir's shawls and paper. The Portuguese arrival in 1498 changed the sea trade without ending the Asian networks.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Regional Kingdoms
At a Glance
- Richest province Gujarat, with seaports and handicrafts
- Key ports Cambay, Chaul, Dabhol, Goa, Chittagong
- Key import Horses from Iran and Iraq
- Craft centres Kashmir, Sonargaon, Gujarat
- New factor Portuguese from 1498
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Regional Kingdoms
Where Does It Fit?
This is the tenth topic of the category on regional kingdoms. The previous topic described their society and culture, and this topic covers their economy. The next topic covers their military organisation. Previous topic: Social and Cultural Conditions in the Regional Kingdoms.
Why Was Gujarat So Rich?
In short: the economic conditions of the regional kingdoms rested on control of ports, trade routes and crafts, with Gujarat the richest of them.
On account of its handicrafts, flourishing seaports and rich soil, Gujarat was one of the richest provinces of the Delhi Sultanate and stayed so as a kingdom. During the long and peaceful reign of Mahmud Begarha, trade and commerce prospered, and he built caravan-sarais and inns, and roads were safe for merchants. Saurashtra had fertile tracts and ports but was infested with robbers and sea pirates that he tried to put down. Cambay and, later, Surat were great centres of trade. Gujarati and Arab traders also dominated the textile trade and obtained spices from Southeast Asia, gold and horses from West Asia, and silk and porcelain from China.
What Were the Economic Features of Each Kingdom?
| Kingdom | Economic features |
|---|---|
| Gujarat | Seaports, textiles, safe roads and sarais; central to Indian Ocean trade |
| Bahmani | Chaul and Dabhol attracted ships from the Persian Gulf and Red Sea; Mahmud Gawan took Goa and Dabhol, which expanded trade with Iran and Iraq; land measured and fixed revenue; khalisa tracts for the sultan |
| Bengal | Revival of China contacts made Chittagong a port for trade with China and re-export; Sonargaon famed for raw silk and fine cotton |
| Kashmir | Zainul Abidin sent men to Samarqand to learn paper-making and bookbinding; crafts of stone-cutting, bottle-making, gold-beating, shawl-making, muskets and fireworks; dams, canals and bridges |
| Malwa | Commanded trunk routes between Gujarat and north India and between north and south India |
| Mewar | Kumbha dug lakes and reservoirs for irrigation |
Why Did the Horse Trade Matter?
Good horses were not bred in India and had to be imported. Goa in the Konkan, an outlet for the region’s products, was also the entry for horses from Iran and Iraq, and the Arabs controlled the trade and charged high prices. A strong cavalry therefore depended on control of ports such as Goa and Dabhol, which is why Bahmani, Bijapur and Vijayanagara fought over them. The Portuguese made horses a royal monopoly, and Bijapur kept peace with them for as long as Vijayanagara threatened it, because the Portuguese controlled the horse trade.
How Did the Portuguese Change the Sea Trade?
Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut in 1498, with Gujarati pilots on board, and the Portuguese treated the eastern trade as a royal monopoly. They declared pepper, arms and war horses a monopoly, required permits for other goods, tried to route all ships through Goa for customs, and claimed a right to search ships. Albuquerque took Goa from Bijapur in 1510 and the Portuguese blockaded Bijapur’s ports of Danda-Rajouri and Dabhol, which paralysed its sea trade. They could not police the Indian Ocean, and Gujarati and Arab traders kept the textile trade. Overland trade through the Mughal and Safavid empires and a new Gujarati route from Achin in Sumatra to Egypt via Lakshadweep and the Red Sea kept pepper reaching the Levant by the end of the sixteenth century.
Goa did not eclipse Cambay and later Surat, but the Malabar trade and Bengal’s sea trade suffered, and the Portuguese preyed on the latter from Chittagong. They opened trade with Japan, from which copper and silver came, and with the Philippines, and they brought crops such as potato, tobacco, maize and groundnut from America.
How Should the Evidence Be Weighed?
As an analytical point, regional kingdoms gained from the end of Delhi’s control over trade, since they could keep tolls and promote ports and crafts themselves. At the same time, their rivalries over ports and the Tungabhadra doab drained revenues, and the arrival of the Portuguese showed that none of them built a navy to match the new threat. Krishna Deva Raya, for example, did not give much attention to the navy, and the Gujarat-Ottoman alliance in the sixteenth century failed to dislodge the Portuguese from Diu.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Trade and power Explains wars over ports and the Tungabhadra doab
- Portuguese Link to the arrival of Europeans
- Crafts Kashmir and Bengal specialities are exam favourites
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the military organisation of the regional kingdoms. Next topic: Military Organisation in the Regional Kingdoms.
Key People and Terms
- Cambay Great Gujarat port
- Chittagong Bengal port for China trade
- Goa Port for horse imports, taken by Albuquerque in 1510
- Khalisa Land for the sultan’s expenses
- Caravan-sarai Inn for merchants
- Achin Sumatran port on a Gujarati route to Egypt
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Vasco da Gama at Calicut: 1498; Goa taken: 1510.
- Chaul and Dabhol were Bahmani ports.
- Zainul Abidin learned paper-making from Samarqand.
- Portuguese made pepper, arms and horses a monopoly.
- Horses came from Iran and Iraq through Goa.
Do Not Confuse With
- Goa and Diu Bijapur’s port taken in 1510 versus the Gujarat fort ceded in the 1530s
- Cambay and Surat Older and later Gujarat ports
- Bahmani ports and Vijayanagara ports Chaul and Dabhol versus the western coast ports
Memory Hook
Cambay trades, Goa lands horses, Chittagong sails to China, Kashmir weaves shawls, Portuguese claim monopolies.
Mains Angle
Questions on the economy ask how trade shaped politics. These points add depth.
- Ports Why states fought over Goa, Dabhol and Cambay
- Crafts Specialities of Kashmir and Bengal
- Portuguese Limited impact on Asian trade networks
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Examine the importance of ports and the horse trade in the politics of the regional kingdoms of the Deccan and Gujarat.”
How to Answer
- Ports Goa, Dabhol, Cambay.
- Horses Import dependence and cavalry.
- Portuguese Monopoly and blockade.
- Impact Limits of European control.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were ports important for the Bahmani kingdom?
The Bahmani ports of Chaul and Dabhol attracted ships from the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, and Goa brought horses from Iran and Iraq. Mahmud Gawan's conquest of Dabhol and Goa expanded Bahmani overseas trade and hurt Vijayanagara.
What was Chittagong's role in Bengal's economy?
Chittagong became a flourishing port for trade with China and for the re-export of Chinese goods after Azam Shah revived contacts with China. The Bengal sultans fought to keep and expand control of the port and of Arakan.
What did Zainul Abidin do for Kashmir's economy?
Zainul Abidin sent two persons to Samarqand to learn paper-making and book-binding, encouraged shawl-making and crafts such as stone polishing and gold-beating, and built dams, canals and bridges. Musket-making and fireworks also developed in his time.
How did the Portuguese try to control the sea trade?
The Portuguese declared pepper, arms and war horses a royal monopoly, required permits for other goods, tried to make ships pass Goa for customs, and claimed the right to search ships. They could not police the vast Indian Ocean fully.
Did the Portuguese dominate Asian trade?
Not fully. Gujarati and Arab traders kept the textile trade, overland routes through the Mughal and Safavid empires and a new route from Achin to Egypt kept pepper flowing, and Goa did not eclipse Cambay and Surat.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Albuquerque captured Goa from Bijapur in 1510.
It became the principal Portuguese centre.
2 The Portuguese declared pepper, arms and war horses a royal monopoly.
Other goods needed permits.
3 Chaul and Dabhol were ports of the Bahmani kingdom.
They attracted ships from the Persian Gulf.
4 Indian horses were bred in large numbers and exported.
Good horses were imported from Iran and Iraq.
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