Towns, Trapers and Craftsmen Chapter Notes | Window on the Word Class 7: Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

Under the Delhi Sultanate (13th to 16th centuries) and later, during the Mughal era (16th to 18th centuries), India was unified under stable central leadership, fostering trade, commerce, and economic prosperity after a tumultuous period.

• Stable Central Leadership: Encouraged trade and commerce, leading to economic prosperity.
• Urban Centers Flourished: Various towns and cities emerged, serving diverse functions.
• Multipurpose Centers: Towns like Madurai served as both administrative and religious hubs.
• Port Towns: Surat, for instance, was a significant trade center besides being a port town.

Information about these urban centers is derived from official documents, dynastic chronicles, and accounts of foreign travelers like Ibn Battuta and Domingo Paes who visited India during this period.

Types of Urban Centers:

• Administrative and Religious Centers: Example - Madurai
• Trade Hub: Example - Surat

Court Towns

• A painting depicts Daulatabad fort under Mughal attack, showcasing massive protective walls.
• Capitals of empires, kingdoms, and provinces were hubs of administration, well-connected and fortified.
• Important urban centers in medieval India included Delhi, Kannauj, Golconda, Bidar, and Vijayanagara.
• People migrated to these cities for the amenities they offered.

Founded Towns

• In the medieval era, new towns and cities were established.
• Firuz Shah Tughlaq founded Firuzabad in 1354 as the new capital of Delhi Sultanate.
• Sikandar Lodi founded Agra in 1504, shifting the capital from Delhi to monitor Rajput kings.
• Akbar transformed Sikri into the walled city of Fatehpur Sikri, serving as his capital from 1571 to 1585.
• Delhi has been the location for various major cities, including the 'seven cities of Delhi' like Qila Rai Pithora and Shahjahanabad.
• Shah Jahan built Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi, which was fortified and significant.

These cities housed impressive structures like mosques, forts, palaces, and tombs, attracting nobles and commoners.

Over time, some cities were deserted while others, like Agra, prospered.

Trading and Commercial Towns

• As trade expanded and local markets grew, certain centers evolved into trading and commercial towns, especially those situated along trade routes.
• Many trading towns, such as Calicut and Surat, were also ports.
• Unlike newly founded cities, trading towns developed from existing settlements and were generally not fortified.
• Some towns specialized in particular economic activities, like Sonargaon known for muslin and Cambay for textiles, gold, and silver works.

Port Towns

• Port towns along India's coastline played a crucial role in the country's maritime trade growth.
• These towns thrived with the arrival of European traders during the medieval period.
• Rich Indian merchants often resided in port towns.
• Important port towns included Surat, Calicut, Tamralipti, and Masulipatnam.

Pilgrimage Centres

• In medieval times, new towns emerged near religious sites, attracting numerous pilgrims daily.
• Many prominent temples in medieval India received substantial endowments from rulers and devotees, making them wealthy centers.
• Temples became hubs of commercial activity, fostering the development of towns and cities.
• Well-known temple towns include Dwaraka, Somnath, Benares, Thanjavur, Madurai, Puri, Vrindavan, and Khajuraho.
• Dargahs of Sufi saints also became popular pilgrimage sites, like Fatehpur Sikri and Ajmer.
• The establishment of Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar boosted the city's growth.

Case Study:

Traders in Medieval India

Factors Contributing to Economic Prosperity:

• Political stability and favorable economic policies supported trade.
• Standardized currency systems and secure trade routes enhanced the economy.

Internal Trade:

• Main items traded internally included textiles, spices, oilseeds, and more.

Foreign Trade:

• Two main trade routes: Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean and Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
• Exports exceeded imports; major exports were spices, textiles, and precious stones.
• Imports included horses from Kabul, luxury items from Europe and West Asia.

Trade Organizations:

• Traders formed guilds for protection of collective interests.
• Categories of traders included beoparis, banias, seths, modis, and banjaras.

Trading Communities:

• Gujarati, Multani, Punjabi, Marwari, and Chettiar communities were prominent.

Crafts and Craftspeople: 

• Various forms of craft like pottery, weaving, wood-carving, gemcutting, and metalwork thrived in medieval India.
• Support from rulers and nobles played a crucial role in the flourishing of these crafts.
• Rulers established workshops called karkhanas to provide artisans with working spaces.
• The artisans' products were highly sought after, both locally and internationally, leading to a growing population of artisans.

Each region in India had its unique craft specialties:

• Malabar was renowned for calico textiles.
• Golconda excelled in kalamkari textiles.
• Bengal was famous for muslin.
• Kashmir and Punjab were known for woollen cloth and phulkari embroidery.
• Benaras, Ujjain, Indore, and Paithan were celebrated for their fine silks and brocades.

Gothic Architecture and the Influence of the Christian Church

• In medieval Europe, the growth of arts and crafts was initiated by the Christian Church's endeavors to construct massive churches known as cathedrals.
• The architectural style that emerged during this period was termed Gothic, characterized by soaring spires, pointed arches, intricate stonework and woodwork, and grand stained glass windows.
• The Notre-Dame Cathedral in France stands out as a prime example of Gothic architecture.
• The construction of these cathedrals led to a high demand for skilled artisans and craftspeople tasked with creating stained glass, stone statues, and woodwork for the church interior.