Mughal Port of Surat

Timeline

1. 1500–1600Surat · West Coast of IndiaSurat's position at the mouth of the Tapi made it the seaport for Gujarat and the north Indian hinterland; Mughal emperors such as Akbar valued its customs revenue; Persian, Arab and Southeast Asian merchants gathered, and trade in textiles and gemstones greatly increased the city's wealth.
2. 1612–1660Surat · IndiaThe British, Dutch and French East India Companies successively established factories in Surat, purchasing cotton and indigo for export to Europe; the city formed a diverse trading community of Muslim merchants, Hindu weavers and European agents, with a population of several hundred thousand.
3. 1661–1670Surat · IndiaIn 1661 Britain acquired Bombay from Portugal, but Surat remained the Mughal Empire's largest seaport; Aurangzeb tightened customs administration, cotton exports peaked, and the city was filled with palaces and mosques, while Maratha forces posed a security threat in the surrounding area.
4. 1671–1700Surat · IndiaShivaji and his successors raided Surat, and the British East India Company moved its headquarters to Bombay; though Surat remained an important port, its status as the overall trade and political center gradually declined, giving way to Bombay and Calcutta after the 18th century.