Page 1 - LN-sub topic-3-A Closer Look Hampi, Masulipatnam and Surat

SAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

SUB – HISTORY

STD VII

Module: 21 (NOTES) (page 82- 88)

CH- 6 Towns, Traders and Craftspersons

Sub-Topic: A Closer Look: Hampi, Masulipatnam and Surat (page 82 – 86)

New Towns and Traders (page 86- 88)

The Architectural Splendour of Hampi:

(i) Hampi is located in the Krishna-Tungabhadra basin.

(ii) The magnificent ruins at Hampi reveal a well-fortified city. No mortar or cementing
agent was used in the construction of these walls and the technique followed was to
wedge them together by interlocking.

(iii) Hampi fell into ruin following the defeat of Vijayanagara in 1565 by the Deccani
Sultans – the rulers of Golconda, Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Berar and Bidar.

A Gateway to the West: Surat:

(i) Surat was the gateway for trade with West Asia via the Gulf of Ormuz.
Surat has also been called the gate to Mecca because many pilgrim ships
set sail from here.

(ii) In the seventeenth century, the Portuguese, Dutch and English had their
factories and warehouses at Surat.

(iii) The Kathiawad seths or mahajans (moneychangers) had huge banking
houses at Surat. It is noteworthy that the Surat hundis were honoured in
the far-off markets

Fishing in Troubled Waters: Masulipatnam:

(i) The town of Masulipatnam or Machlipatnam (literally, fish port town) lay
on the delta of the Krishna river.

(ii) Both the Dutch and English East India Companies attempted to control
Masulipatnam as it became the most important port on the Andhra coast.
The fort at Masulipatnam was built by the Dutch.