Page 80 - SST Class 07
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Towns, Traders and
Craftsmen
Medieval Indian cities were built and developed period particularly under Akbar a trend towards
by a number of rulers who ruled over the country scientific and secular thinking also developed.
in medieval era. Every city narrates one or the There were a number of scholars in Akbar’s court
other aspect of Indian history. Over the time, the besides the navratnas who also contributed to
cities have undergone major transformations and emergence of urban centres. In the early medi-
many of them have acquired new identity. eval period we have already seen the rise of
Despite of this, a number of cultural and material Rajput clans some of whom had also established
relics are still scattered throughout these cities, their own towns. The founding of towns contin-
which are the witnesses of the events and lifestyle ued during the Sultanate and Mughal periods.
of medieval era. One of the travellers during this period says that
DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE specialisation in many areas was highly marked
at places like Gujarat and in the south. In the
Islam as a religious faith gave a great importance
to equality among the Muslim believers belong- maritime regions along the Malabar and
ing to all classes of society. With spread of Islam, Coromandel coasts the village economy had
trade became an essential source of earning seen great expansion on account of development
livelihoods particularly among the migrant of transportation lines especially boats. Gujarat
population. It also enabled the rulers to impose had specialised in cotton weaving. The cotton
would reach Bengal through the sea route within
high taxes. On these accounts it failed to make
days. The trade transactions were thus responsi-
an impact on the large sections of Indian popula-
ble for emergence of trading and commercial
tion who were spiritually inclined towards
communities as well as towns in these two
Hinduism or even Buddhism. Although caste
system among the Hindus had become very regions.
rigid, they were not socially inferior in their land MERCANTILE COMMUNITIES
of birth. Islam did not offer them anything new During the early medieval period, the Cholas in
that could have helped them to seek spiritual south India relied on trading associations called
salvation. This was particularly the case with guilds for promoting trade, developing conve-
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and niences and facilities for traders as well as for
Bengal. In these geographic regions, there had mutual benefit. The guilds played an important
also developed regional kingdoms. There devel- part in the Chola territory especially in develop-
oped a number of urban centres which served as ing irrigation and waterworks. During the later
courts of the regional sultans, as trade or pilgrim- period trade and commerce developed on sound
age centres. Both Gujarat and Bengal being lines. The Islamic rulers helped in emergence of
located near the seas and having developed trading towns such as Surat, Calicut, Delhi and
import-export trade since ancient times, many other cities but also in emergence of many
new urban centres emerged. During Mughal mercantile classes. Some of the Islamic
Social Science-7 80
