Economy – 2

Trade Commerce Manufacture

Bengal enjoyed prosperity through trade, commerce and
manufactures from time immemorial. The multitude of rivers
afforded easy communication for internal trade, and Bengal’s
location on the Bay of Bengal offered it the opportunity of
participating in the sea-borne trade and commerce, the
tradition of which seems to have been built from as early as
the second millennium B C.
 Internal and External Trade
• Internal trade in
various agricultural
products and
manufactures was
carried out through
village markets and
urban centers.
 Overseas Trades
• External trade was
carried out from earliest
days in agricultural
products like rice and
other grain as well as
manufactured products.
Tejpata and fragrant oil
were exported to Rome
and other European
countries.
• Export trade of textiles
particularly Muslin
featured prominently.
 OVERSEAS TRADE
• Betel leaf and nut, aloe – wood,
rhinoceros’ oil were exported.
• Import of horses from the Central Asia
• Cowries
 Medium of Exchange
• In the beginning Barter
system prevailed.
• Then came the minted
coins.
• The coins were
introduced in Bengal in
the third century B C.
• Gold, silver, bronze and
copper coins were
introduced.
 Trade during Muslim period
• Trade and commerce –
both internal and external
– increased
phenomenally as well as
exports of manufactured
goods.
• Coming of the Europeans
in Bengal from the 17th
century added a new
dimension to Bengal’s
trade and commerce.
• Bengal had a favorable
balance of trade.
 Special note on Muslin
• The most famous article
of trade of Bengal was
the Muslin
• A brand name of Bengal
textile, especially of
Dhaka origin.
• The origin of the name is
obscure; derived from
Mosul, an old trade
centre in Iraq.
• Or Musulipattam in South
India
• Probably originated from
 Region of Muslin Production
• Muslin was
manufactured in the
city of Dhaka and in
some surrounding
stations
• Local weavers
manufactured it with
locally produced
cotton and attained
world-wide fame as
the Dhaka Muslin.
 Development of Muslin
• From remote past merchants
exported muslin to distant
countries as Rome and China.
• Dhaka muslin became so
famous that it attracted foreign
and transmarine buyers after
the establishment of the
Mughal capital at Dhaka.
• The Muslin industry of Dhaka
received the patronage from
the Mughal Emperors and the
Mughal nobility.
 Patronage
• A huge quantity of the
finest sort of Muslin was
procured for the use of
the Mughal Emperors,
provincial governors,
nobles and high officials.
• The finest sort of Muslin
was made of Phuti cotton
which was grown in
certain localities on the
banks of the Brahmaputra
and her branches.
 Manufactures
• The family of weavers carried out all works
connected with the manufactures. Sometimes
more than one family joined together in the
manufactures of Muslin.
• The productions of Dhaka weavers consisted of
fabrics of varying quality, ranging from the finest
texture used by the highly aristocratic people like
the emperors down to the coarse thick wrapper
used by the poor people.
 Various types of Muslin
• Muslins were designated by names
denoting either fineness or
transparency of texture, or the place of
manufacture.
• All over Dhaka district muslin was
manufacture but areas became very
famous – Dhaka, Sonargaon,
Dhamrai, Teetbady, Junglebari, and
Bajitpur.
• These places manufactured fine
quality cloth, because they were
situated near the places where cotton
suitable for manufacturing Muslins was
produced. These were also places
where the headquarters of ruling
dynasties were situated. So the
weavers of these places got support
and encouragement from the
aristocratic class.
 Decline of the Industry
• Decline after the
Battle of Plassey.
• By the end of the 18th
century, the export of
Dhaka Muslin came
down to almost half of
that of 1747, and by
the middle of the 19th
century was valued
less than ten lakh
rupees.
 Popularity of Muslin
• Dhaka muslin was in
great demand in the
national and international
markets. The traders
were active in Dhaka.
• Available estimates show
that in 1747 the export of
Dhaka cotton goods,
chiefly muslin including
those for emperors etc.
was valued at tk. 28 lakhs
and a half.
 Causes of Decline
• Lack of patronage
• Monopoly of trade by
the The East India
Company
• Industrial revolution in
England when cheap
clothes from England
flooded Indian
markets.