Overseas Trade
Realm 87: The Great Ports, Textile Galleons, and the Silver Sink
WORLD M — MEDIEVAL ECONOMY
MICRO-REALM 01
Surat (Bandar-i-Mubarak)
- The 'Blessed Port' of the Mughals.
- Replaced Cambay as premier port.
- Departure point for Hajj pilgrims.
- Global cosmopolitan merchant hub.
MICRO-REALM 02
Masulipatnam
- Golconda's main port on Coromandel.
- Famous for Kalamkari (painted/dyed textiles).
- Massive exports to Southeast Asia.
- Highly sought by Dutch & English.
MICRO-REALM 03
Hooghly & Bengal
- The principal port of Bengal.
- Exported fine muslins, raw silk.
- Saltpeter (for gunpowder) monopoly.
- Surpassed Surat in 18th century.
MICRO-REALM 04
Textile Exports
- India clothed the Indian Ocean world.
- Calicoes and Chintz revolutionized European fashion.
- "The workshop of the world" (Parthasarathi).
- Engine of India's export economy.
MICRO-REALM 05
Spice & Pepper
- Malabar coast: The pepper capital.
- Initial lure for European voyagers.
- Spices traded for Indian textiles in SE Asia.
- Highly lucrative bulk trade.
MICRO-REALM 06
The Silver Influx
- Europeans had little India wanted to buy.
- Paid for goods with New World (Spanish) silver.
- India became the "sink of precious metals".
- Fueled Mughal monetization & coinage.
MICRO-REALM 07
Indian Ocean Dominance
- Robust indigenous merchant shipping.
- Owned massive fleets (Mulla Abdul Ghafur).
- Trade dictated by Monsoon winds.
- Europeans controlled seas, locals controlled supply.
MICRO-REALM 08
European Entry
- Portuguese Cartaz (pass) system.
- Dutch VOC and English EIC establish 'Factories'.
- Armed trading posts on the coast.
- Initially supplicants to the Mughals.
MICRO-REALM 09
Arab & Persian Merchants
- Historical trading partners.
- Red Sea and Persian Gulf routes.
- Traded horses/dates for textiles.
- Deep cultural and economic ties.
MICRO-REALM 10
Balance of Trade
- Heavily skewed in India's favor.
- Massive exports, minimal imports.
- Generated enormous imperial wealth.
- Set the stage for later colonial extraction.