Chapter III Trade Development in Adil Shahi Sultanate 1489-1686
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Chapter III Trade Development in Adil Shahi Sultanate 1489-1686 This chapter traces out the three phases of trade development of the Adil Shahi Sultanate, in keeping with the three main stages of the trade and commerce during the period under study. An attempt has been made here to highlight the political expansion, trade related events and activities, and the development of trade and commerce during three main phases of Sultanate for the period, 1489 -1686. On the basis of the trade development during the three phases an attempt has been made here to analyse the trade pattern of the kingdom. A few maps have been included with this chapter as well. 1. Establishment and Consolidation of Sultanate (1489-1558) This period saw the establishment of the Sultanate. As mentioned earlier, shortly after the establishment of the kingdom, Goa was captured by the Portuguese. This section therefore traces the consolidation of the kingdom under Sultan Yusuf Adil Shah, Sultan Ismail Adil Shah, Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah I and attempts to focus on the state of trade and commerce during this phase of consolidation of the kingdom. 1.1 Territory at the Establishment When Yusuf ‘Adil Shah declared his independence he had only the province of Bijapur conferred upon him as a jagir. It included the tract known as Raichur Doab with its fort of Mudgal. In the north the territory of Bijapur extended up to the river Bhima beyond which was the jagir of Khwajah Jahan Deccani, which included Parenda and Solapur. Towards the north-west lay the newly founded kingdom of 125 Ahmednagar and in the north-east lay the jagir of Dastur Dinar which included all the territory from the river Bhima to Bidar and the towns of Belgaum, Gulbarga, Anantgir, Aland, Ganjauti and Kaljan. West of the Bijapur kingdom lay the territory of Bahadur Gilani, this included Goa, Dabhol, Chaul, Kalhar, Panhala, Kolhapur, Salvala, Nilgawan and Mirch. In the south was the kingdom of Vijaynagar and in the east was Bidar, the seat of the depleted Bahmani kingdom. Map 5 shows the successor state of the Bahamani kingdom and their neighbor. It also shows the territory under the particular kingdom during the first half of the sixteenth century. The disputed territory between the Ahmednagar and Bijapur was the Solapur, while Raichur was the bone of contention between the Bijapur and the Vijaynagar Empire. 126 127 1.2 Territorial Expansion of the Sultanate 1.2.1 Possession of Goa and Dabhol in 1498242 By the partition treaty which was concluded in 1498 between Nizam Shah, Qutb Shah and ‘Adil Shah, Yusuf was left free to annex the territories of Dastur Dinar and ‘Ain al-Mulk. ‘Ain-al-Mulk accepted the vassalage of Yusuf ‘Adil Shah while Dastur Dinar put up a stout resistance. He was, however, subsequently killed in action in 1504 and his territory was annexed to Bijapur. The boundaries of Bijapur kingdom thereafter stretched between the Arabian Sea in the west and Bidar in the east. On the west coast Goa, one of the most important ports of India in those days, and Dabhol, second only to Goa in importance in the Deccan, came into Yusuf’s possession in 1498. This meant a considerable income from customs revenue, and what was perhaps more important in those days of incessant warfare, a continuous import of horses into the kingdom unhindered by any other authority.243 a. Goa Goa came into the possession of the Adil Shahi in the year 1498 and it was conquered by the Portuguese in 1510 A.D. Since it was with the Adil Shahi Sultanate for a very short period, it is difficult to assess its benefit to the sultanate. But, it was certainly great loss to the Sultanate as it was very important from trade point of view. “It was more favourably situated than Calicut or Cochin so far as the trade of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf was concerned, and it was for this reason that Albuquerque desired to possess it.”244 The detailed information about the trade carried out from Goa given by Barbosa is enough to understand the degree of loss it caused to the 242 Firishta, John Briggs translation, op. cit., Vol III, pp.14-15. 243 H.K., Sherwani and P.M. Joshi, Medieval Deccan, op.cit. Vol.I, p. 297. 244 Ibid. p.303. 128 Sultanate. This information also provides an idea about the nature of trade in Goa during Adil Shahi sultanate. “Duties on the fruits and produce of the land yield the King our lord yearly twenty thousand cruzados, in addition to the port dues. In this port of Goa there is great trade in many kinds of goods, from the whole of Malabar, Chaul, Dabul and the great kingdom of Cambaia, which are consumed on the mainlands and from the kingdom of Ormus come every year many ships laden with horses, and great number of dealers from the great kingdom of Narsyngua and from Daquem come hither to buy them. They pay for them at the rate of two to three hundreds cruzados a piece, as the case may be, and take them away to sell them to the kings and lords of their lands, and by this means one and all they make great gains, and the King our Lord as well, who receives a duty of forty cruzados on each horse. The Ormus merchants take hence in their ships cargoes of rice (great store) sugar, iron pepper, ginger and other spices of diverse kinds, and drugs, which they carry thither: and in all their dealings they are by the order of the King our Lord treated with greater mildness than by the Moorish kings.”245 Even though Goa became Portuguese possession, but useful for Bijapur and contributed in the trade and commerce of Adil Shahi Sultanate. 245 Barbosa, op.cit. Vol. I, p. 178. 129 b. Dabhol Barbosa also gives as detailed a description of the port of Dabhol, which he said was “a great town of Moors and Heathen, preparing to the kingdom of Daquem, named Dabul.” He said that the harbour was good, and many ships “of the Moors from divers lands, to wit, from Meca, Adem and Ormus (which bring hither many horses) and from Cambaya, Dio and Malbar,” came regularly. Trade from the port inland included ‘copper, quicksilver and vermilion dye’, while cotton cloth and grain were sent out from the port. Not surprisingly, the customs duties collected at the port were very large. When the Portuguese landed here, the locals “defended them and fought very stoutly.” However, the Portuguese succeeded in capturing the port, and “wrought great destruction therein, wrecking and burning everything, and many ships as well, which were moored in the river. Those who escaped the slaughter afterwards returned to rebuild the city, which is now peopled and as prosperous as before, and wealthy. They work as much mischief as they can to our people.”246 Map 6 shows the territorial possession of the Adil Shahi Sultanate in the year 1525. 1.2.2 Possession of Solapur and Kalyani During the reign of Isma‘il ‘Adil Shah, Goa was finally lost to the Portuguese. But Kamal Khan, the regent, was able to reduce the fort of Solapur with five and half districts dependent on it. In 1547 Ibrahim ‘Adil Shah I, got from ‘Ali Barid Shah the fort of Kalyani as price of his help against Nizam Shah. 246 Ibid. pp.164-166. 130 131 1.3 Establishment of Various Bazaars in the Bijapur City As per the need of a capital city various Bazaars were established in Bijapur during the period. • Yusuf Adil Shah: Markovi Bazar, Thana Bazar, Nagthana Bazar, Dahan Khan Bazar, Markur Bazar, Murad Khan Bazar, Palah Bazar, Mubarak Bazar, and Shahpeth (old ) Bazar. • Ismaeel Adil Shah: Kamal Khan Bazar, Naka Bazar, and Bare-Khudavand Bazar. • Ibrahim Adil Shah I:Jagtate Bazar, Rao Bazar, Sher Karkhana Bazar, Rangeen Masjid Bazar, Fateh Zaman Bazar, Karanzah Bazar, Safa Bazar and Shikar Khan Bazar. The names of Bazaars indicate that during this phase of consolidation of kingdom the nobles during the reign of Yusuf Adil Shah, Ismaeel Adil Shah, and Ibrahim Adil Shah, played crucial role in the development of market in the capital of the kingdom. In such market places food-grains and other goods were transported by village baniyas from local markets or qasbas. During this period Yusuf Adil Shah improved agriculture in Konkan area and the means of revenue collection. Barbosa reported that the flourishing agriculture gave bumper crops and his kingdom there was a prosperous inland trade.247 1.4 Territorial Loss to the Sultanate This period of establishment and consolidation of the Adil Shahi kingdom also saw the loss of Goa in 1510 and districts of Salsette and Bardesh around 1548 to the Portuguese. Ibrahim Adil Shah by the treaty signed with the Portuguese on 22 247 Kolhapur District Gazetteer, Maharashtra State Gazetteers, 1960, op. cit., p.384. 132 August 1548, confirmed the Portuguese possession on the two districts.248 The loss of this places badly affected on the trade and commerce of the Sultanate. 2. Impact of Cultural Syncretism on Trade (1558-1627) This period has long been seen as the height of the Bijapur Sultanate, in political, economic and cultural terms. During this period, the Sultanate began to expand southwards, a movement that was completed in the next phase. This section traces the nature of the trade and commerce against the background of the physical growth of the kingdom under Sultan Ali I Adil Shah and cultural syncretism under Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II.