Important Trade Centres during India’s Colonial History

During the colonial era (1600–1900 CE), India’s traditional trading centres were transformed by European mercantile interests—Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French. Old urban markets such as Delhi and Surat co-existed with new colonial ports like Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta, which became the arteries of imperial trade. These centres linked India’s agrarian hinterlands with the global capitalist economy, exporting raw materials and importing manufactured goods.

Early Colonial Trade Centres (16th – 17th Century)

Surat (Gujarat) — “Emporium of India”

• Location & Significance: On the Tapti River, close to Arabian Sea; earliest port for overseas trade.
• Portuguese → Dutch → English dominance between ....