CLASS-VII HISTORY
CHAPTER: 6 TOWNS, TRADERS AND CRAFTSPERSONS
MAJOR ARTISANS TOWNS
·
Thanjavur- Capital of Cholas, at Kaveri,
home toRajarajeswar temple by king
RajarajaChola- architect
·
KunjaramallanRajarajaPerunthachchan- temple
has palaces with mandapas and barracks for army, water comes from wells, -
Saliyar weaves- cloth for flags in temples at Svamimalai: Sthapatis or sculptors make bronzeidols and
ornamental bell metal lamps
Bronze
·
Copper+tin
·
Tin>>>Copper =Bell Metal- bell
like sound
· Lost
wax
Technique- Statue made of wax coated with clay, Then heated and wax removed
through a hole. Liquid metal filled in through the same hole and clay removed
TRADE AND SMALL TOWNS
·
Villages- Large Villages
·
Mandapika (mandi), Market street (hatta)
·
Trading commodities : horses, salt,
camphor, saffron, betel nut and spices like pepper
·
Samanta (Zamindar)- build fortified towns,
levied taxes on traders and donated right to collect taxes to temples
·
Traders travelled in caravans and formed
guilds (manigramam and Nanadesi) to protect their interests
MAJOR TRADERS
·
Chettiars and Marwari Oswal
·
Hindu Baniyas and Muslim Bohras
·
Indian sold textiles and spices and brought
gold and ivory from Africa; spices, tin, Chinese bluepottery and silver from SE
Asia and China
·
Spices became a delicacy in European
cooking
·
Kabul and Qandahar were linked to Silk
route- trade by Horses
CRAFTS
·
Craft work from Bidar – Bidri on copper and
silver
·
Panchalas or Vishwakarma community,
consisting of goldsmiths, bronzesmiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters,
were essential to the building of temples
·
Weavers like Saliyar or Kaikkolars emerged
as prosperous communities
·
Murshidabad (West Bengal) on Bhagirathi
River was major centre for silks and capital of Bengal in 1704, declined later
by competition from cheap mill- made
cloth from England.
ARCHITECTURE
Hampi
·
Lies in Krishna – Tungabhadra basin, as
nucleus of Vijaynagara Empire, founded in 1336. was fortified city with no
mortar or cement but only by interlocking . Had arches, domes and pillared
halls, pleasure gardens – moors (Muslim Merchants),
·
Chettis and Portuguese traders were
commonly seen
·
Temples had cultural activities, devadasis
(temple dancers) in Virupaksha (Shiva )
temple, Mahanavami or Navaratri is celebrated in south
·
Hampi fell into ruin following the defeat
of Vijayanagara in 1565 by the Deccani Sultans – the rulers of Golconda,
Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Berar and Bidar
Surat
·
Emporium of western trade during Mughal
period
·
Gateway of trade with West Asia via Gulf of
Omruz
·
Gate to Mecca
·
Portuguese, Dutch and English had factories
and warehouses
·
Textile was known
·
Zari work (gold lace) had market in West
Asia, Africa and Europe
·
Kathiawadseths or mahajana (money changers)
had huge banking house
·
Surat hundies (note recording a deposit
made by a person) were honored far and wide in Cairo- Egypt, Basra – Iraq and
Antwerp- Belgium
·
Declined in 17th century due to
loss of market and productivity due to decline of Mughal empire and East India
Company shifted its HQs to Mumbai
Masulipatnam
(Machlipatnam)
·
Delta of Krishna river on 17th
century
·
Both Dutch and English East India Company
tried to control it
·
Major port of Golconda, Andhra Pradesh
·
Fort built by Dutch
·
Qutb Shahi rulers of Golconda imposed royal
monopolies on the sale of textiles, spices and other items to prevent trade
passing completely into East India Companies.
·
Competition occurred amongst Golconda
nobles, Persian merchant, Telgu Komati, and European traders
·
Later Aurangzeb annexed Golconda and
European started to look for alternatives
·
It declined in 18th century
·
NEW TOWNS AND TRADERS
·
16-17th century – European
leaders looking for spices and textile
·
East India Company – by English, French and
Dutch
·
Indian traders Mulla Abdul Ghafur and
VirjiVora with large number of ships
competed with European companies
·
English emerged as most successful
·
Weavers had to reproduce designs supplied
by English people
·
18th Century- Bombay, Madras and
Culcutta became nodal centres – artisans and merchants were moved to black
towns established within new cities
·
“White” rulers occupied the superior
residencies of Fort St. George in Madras or Fort St. William in Culcutta
DISCOVERIES
· Vasco
Da Gama- Portuguese sailor, reached Calicut in 1498 and returned to Lisbon,
lost two ships and only 54 of 170 men survived, later English, Dutch and French
sailors reached there
· Columbus
– considering earth to be round sailed westwards to Atlantic Ocean to find
route to India – in 1492 reached West Indies- later Spain and Portugal sailors
reached there.
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