Land and Sea Trade During the Mughal Empire

Abstract

Throughout history, trade has been one of the main elements of the economic prosperity and stability of countries and states. Since ancient times, people have exchanged goods and resources within and outside their territories. Over time, these exchanges shaped famous trade routes such as the Silk Road and provided the commercial connection between East and West. Later on, maritime trade routes emerged with the advancements in seafaring, and in modern times, trade has been carried out mainly through three main methods: land, sea and air. In this article, land and maritime trade during the Mughal Empire will be discussed in general. However, before moving on to the subject, brief information will be given about the trade patterns and trade routes of the local rulers before the Mughals. These local rulers played a major role in the shaping and progress of Mughal trade by innovating trade routes and laid a foundation for the economic growth and development of the Mughals. However, maritime trade started during the Mughal period due to the fact that they had only land borders during the period of local rulers. The maritime trade that started during the Mughal Empire will be discussed in detail. After dominating the important harbours of India, the Mughals made extensive use of maritime trade, which contributed significantly to their economic prosperity. However, this commercial prosperity also paved the way for foreign powers to enter India. The British East India Company entered India by utilising maritime trade routes and gradually increased its influence in the region. Eventually, this power led to the complete colonisation of India by Britain and the Mughal Empire weakened and collapsed.