Trade between Agra and Lahore: Commercial relation between two Urban

Centres During first half of the 17th century.

Shah Sabeeha Fatima

Research scholar
CAS,Dept. of History
AMU, Aligarh
AM-27336
Session-Medieval India
Email: fatimasabih00@gmail.com

Urban growth of sultanat period reached its zenith during the seventeenth century. As a

result, large number of urban centres emerged which further marked the economic development

in terms of trade and commerce. Among the extensive number of Mughal trading towns, the

suba of Agra and Lahore emerged as the thriving centres of trade. Both the towns were

politically and culturally prominent. Agra, being a capital town of the Mughals and situated in

the heartland of central India while Lahore as a prominent provincial administrative centre

situated in the western Punjab having connection with central Asia via north-west frontier and

Afghanistan. Thus, both were acting as a transit depot, which were greatly added their

commercial activities. Political connection between Agra and Lahore gave impetus to trade

which was conducted in large proportion. Being capital town, Agra required all type of

commodities since emperor was residing there with his lavish court and nobility. Lahore, thus,

imported horses, kabuli fruits, Kashmiri shawls, precious metals, notably silver1 and transported

to Agra and then to different parts of the Mughal Empire. In the paper an attempt has been to

discuss the trade networks between two commercial centre and impact of their relation on the

process of urbanization.

The commercial relation between the capital city and prominent urban centres was a

significant component of economic life of the empire. However, as a capital town Agra gradually

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occupied central position of commercial activity and developed into a subcontinental node for

regional and long distance trade.2 Geographical position of Agra further enhanced its

potentialities in being thriving trading town,3 thus, soon it become an entrepot. All commodities

moving between any two parts of the empire were required to make a halt at Agra.4 It acted as

the junction of roads from all the directions. All the provinces sending their surplus products,

including imported goods, to Agra where a ready market awaited them. John Jordain writes,

“you cannot desire any thinge butt you shall find itt in this cittye.”5 Agra offered a variety of

merchandise that attracted merchants from whole of the empire. Apart from Indian merchants,

European, Dutch, Armenian and many other foreign merchants came Agra for trading purpose,6

which contributed substantially to its economy.

Lahore, due to its strategical location, was emerging as a principal urban centre and

largest commercial town in Northern India. It was situated on the north-western frontier of

Mughal Empire and acted as an inland emporium for the onward supply of imported

commodities from Cenral Asia, Persia,7 and Kashmir to India.8 Lahore was situated on the

highway(Grand Trunk Road), thus connecting Kabul and Qandhar and Peshawar on one hand

and Agra on the other. Apart from the administrative centre of Mughals,9 Lahore was also

flourished as the famous centre of carpet10 and shawl manufacturing.11

Trade between Agra and Lahore was thrived during 17th century. Agra and Lahore both

served primary nodal market and acted as intermediaries between producing and consuming

markets. All goods were initially collected at Agra from all over the empire and then transported

by land to Lahore.12 Although, Lahore had potential of rich agricultural resources and its

economy was self sufficient. It hardly requires anything for local consumption but the continuous

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stay of Emperor Jahangir with his nobility at Lahore, accelerated the traffic of mercantile activity

between Lahore and Agra.

Lahore received from Agra cotton and silken cloth of Ahmadabad , white ambartis of

Bihar, quicksilver, vermilion, corals, turbans girdles, Lac, pepper, spices, numerous drugs,

indigo, sugar.13 This traffic had also enabled Lahore to develop into a clearing house for Bayana

indigo, as it was more convenient for the merchants of Central Asia and the Middle East to buy it

at Lahore rather than to further march to Agra. Merchants starting from Aleppo and Isfahan used

to come to Lahore via Qandhar and did profitable business in indigo. In fact, Bayana Indigo was

first transported to Lahore and from it was further transported to Iran and Aleppo (Syria). Since

it was purchased by the merchants at Lahore in India, Thus in Aleppo market it had been known

as Lahori indigo.14 The price paid by these merchants for indigo seems to have been well enough

to induce even individual merchants to carry it from Agra to Lahore. William Finch came with

twelve cart of Indigo that he had bought at Bayana to sell at Lahore on the Company’s behalf.15

The English merchants easily got the Lahore indigo in far less price from Agra.16 It indicates the

frequency of trade between these two regions. Large consignments of Bengal silk usually

reached Agra from where 20,000 to 30,000 bundles had been sent yearly to Persia and Turkey

via Lahore.17

Further, white cotton, yarn, silk taffacils, turbans girdles,loin cloths, sugar both candied

and powered, to be listed among the goods of cargoes sailing down the river Sindh from

Lahore.18 Some of the merchants were Sindhi traders who made their purchase at Agra and send

them to Lahore and from there further transported them by river to coastal town Thattah

(Sind).19

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 However, Lahore collected goods from adjoining areas, southern and western regions,in

order to forward them to Agra. Lahore imports from Agra ormesines, food grains, fine calico,

satin embroidery, coarse woolen stuffs, felts, swords, sugar, Indigo20 and finest carpet21 Lahore

also imported articles from more distant places such as fruit from Kabul asafetida from Qandhar,

gallnuts opium, sulphur, finest bow as well as camel from Multan22 .Lahore was linked with

Kashmir through the passes in the Pir Panjal mountains and the river system.23 It was the only

convenient routes between Kashmir and the Mughal Empire. Kashmir products outshine the

luxury trade of the period. Lahore received from Kashmir shawls, silks, boats, woolen, stuffs

sugar saffron dried raisins, walnuts,24 paper, sweet fruits, timber and also horses.25 Manucci

noticed variety of cotton goods, silk pieces, embroidered material, plain and flowered carpets,

excellent bows and arrows, saddles, swords, coarse woolen stuffs, shoes, boats, rock salt as being

exported to Delhi from Lahore.26 Rock-salt27 and ice28 from the northern mountain in much

quantity was also exported from Lahore to Agra.

In order to promote the central Asian trade, Emperor Jahangir had abolished all the

transit dues collected in Kabul.29 It facilitated the merchants of central Asia to easy access with

trade points through north-western land route, instead of having se nd their merchandise to

distant ports en route to their final destination abroad through a host of intermediaries. They were

now able to transact business straightway on the spot without paying transit dues. Thus, it would

lead to bloom in the Lahore traffic. Horses, dry and fresh fruits30, musk, furs, falcons and corals

were the principal imports from central Asia to India.31 These luxury items were destined to the

Agra for the consumptions of emperor, harem, nobles, courtiers and wealthy persons. To

strengthened the military, the trade in horses was voluminous as well as profitable. Throughout

medieval times, Central Asia remained the principal source of supply of horses for all purposes.

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Indian traders purchased Central Asian horses from Kabul. India also received a large supply of

fresh fruits like grapes and apple from Samarqand.32 In return the Central Asian merchants

purchased different variety of textiles which dominated the whole trade from India.

Irfan Habib traces the stages from Lahore to Agra: starting from Lahore Sarai Amanat-

Khan Nuruddin- Naurangabad-Govindwal-Sultanpur-Nakodar-Nurmahal-Phillaur-Ludhiana-

Doraha-Sarhind-AmbalaShahabad- Thanesar-Tirwari-Karnal-Panipat-Sonepat-Narela-Delhi-

Sikri-to Agra.33

The second route followed: Lahore-Kalanur-Ambala-Birwal-Jalalabad-Sultanpur-Jalandhar-

Hadiabad-Dihakdar-Machhiwara-Sirhind-Ambala-Shahabad-Thanessar-Panipat-Soepat-Narela-

Delhi-Sikri- Agra. 34
Distance between Agra and Lahore was marked by 441 miles,35 generally

journey took place in 15-21 days. 36

Many of these towns during 17th century, emerged as important Urban centre because

either they were situated on the banks of river or imperial highway.37 The constant inflow of

merchant caravans contributed to their growth. Their proximity to trade routes was sufficient to

induce the manufactures and producers to bring their goods in the markets of these towns from

where wealthy merchants or caravan purchases the whole stock. Among the prominent trading

centre were Sirhind, Panipat, Delhi, and Thaneswar.

Delhi was prominent trading centre of Mughals, situated on the river Jamuna, 117 miles

away from Agra.38 Armenian and Persian merchants visited Delhi to purchase special kind of

cotton cloth dyed in various colours, called Chints.39 Panipat emerged as manufacturing town, it

was famous for white cotton cloth which had great demand in Lahore and Sirhind.40 It also

produced calico, muslin, cords and knives41, while Thaneswar produced mangoes, harra, ginger,

and nausadar.42 Sirhind was important for both manufacturing and commercial significance

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Manrique stated that “it is a city which is filled with followers of the mercantile profession on

account of the great store of various cotton goods made there”43 It provides a modest market of

chints, red muslin, sugar and sugar candied for merchants. It is said that rice was also imported to

Lahore from Sirhind.44 Macchiwara was primarily known for baftas. English merchants

purchased from here good amount of baftas.45 It also produce textile for export.46 Sultanpur was

the copper mint town of Mughals,47 it produced quilts and emerged as a centre where different

kind of cotton textiles were manufactured with the decorative embroidery work.48

Importance of safe communication was fully recognized by the Mughals, who in this

matter followed in the footsteps of Sher Shah. The transport system in Mughal India was

efficient and adequate. The Grand Trunk Road from Agra to Lahore was marked out by tall

pillars 20 to 30 feet high on the interval of two and half miles known as Kos Minar.49 It assures

merchants to exact knowledge of distance.50 The road was dotted with caravansarais with

adequate water supply.51 Generally, traders were travelling in Caravan, It provided the safety and

security to individual merchants from the highway robbery.52 Pack-oxen and ox drawn carts as

well as camels were the chief means of transport. Preference for these slower modes of travel has

an doubtedly been explained, by the limited availability of horses in India, but Central Asian

merchants visited Agra generally on horses.53

Conclusively, the commercial connection between Agra and Lahore marked the

emergence of a large number of small and big towns. The area around the routes bustled with

rich commercial and manufacturing centres. Thus, it is worth mentioning that along the

highways between Agra and Lahore all imported towns either produced the raw material for

making textiles or manufacturing different varieties of clothes. It indicates that those towns

played important role to cater the demand of Indian textiles in the regional and international

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market. Further Agra, being a capital town, displayed its consuming capacity of luxury goods

and acted as a central pivot for accumulating commodities from different provinces of the

empire, especially from Bengal, Gujrat and Punjab, while Lahore acted as a nodal transit point

place in the development of the trade link of India with central Asia. Thus Lahore served as

gateway to Central Asia and Iran and

played a vital role in the development of inter-regional and international trade. In the east,

Lahore facilitated inter-regional trade with Agra connecting important trading towns in between,

while in the west its international trade stretched up to Aleppo in Syria.

1 Shireen Moosvi, The Economy of the Mughal Empire c. 1595 A statistical Study, Second revised
edition. Delhi, 2015, p. 385, W. H Moreland, From Akbar to Aurangzeb, Delhi, 1972 p. 39
2 K. K Trivedi, “The Emergence of Agra as a Capital and a City: A note on its Spatial and Historical

background during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries”, Journal of the Economic and
Social History of the Orient, Vol, 37, No. 2(1994) pp. 147-170
3Hameeda Khatoon Naqvi, Urban Centre and Industries in Upper India 1556-1803, Bombay,

1968, p 18
4 Francisco Pelsaert, Remonstrantie or Jahangir’s India tr. W. H Moreland and P.Geyl ,Delhi

(reprint),1972 p. 31
5 William Foster, ed., The Journal of John Jourdain,1608-1617, Delhi(reprint)1992 p.164
6 Pelsaert, op.cit p. 16, Francois Bernier, Travels in the Mogul Empire 1656-68, tr. A. Constable
ed. V.A. Smith, London p.292-293
7 Muzaffar Alam, Trade , “State Policy and Regional Changes: Aspects of Mughal-Uzbek
Commercial Relations, C. 1550-1750”, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient,
Vol. 37, No. 3 (1994), pp 202-227,
8 Niccolao Manucci, Storia Do Mogor, tr. William Irvine, Vol. II. 1908, London, p. 174

9 Chetan Singh, Region and Empire: Punjab In the Seventeenth Century Delhi, 199 p. 180

10 Abul Fazl, Ain- I Akbari, tr. H. S Jarrett ed. Jadunath Sarkar Vol. I 1948 Calcutta, pp. 57, 72

11 Ibid, pp 97-98

12English Factories in India, A calendar of Documents in India office, British Museam and Public

Record office(henceforth EFI) ed by William Foster, Oxford (1906-1917)

13 Pelsaert,op.cit, p 31. Sugar, Indigo and Textiles were destined for central Asia and Persia.

14 Ibid, W.H Moreland From Akbar to Aurangzeb Delhi, 1972 p. 39

15 William Foster, Early Travels in India 1583-1619, Delhi 2001, p.155

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16 EFI, 1618-1621 p . 326
17 Tapan Raychaudhuri and Irfan Habib, The Cambridge Economic History Of India vol. I c. 1200-
c. 1750 New York 2008, p. 330
18 Naqvi, op.cit, 46

19 EFI, 1668-69 p. 180

20
Pelsaert op.cit p 31
21 Abul Fazl Ain-i-Akbari, tr. H. Blochmann. ed. D.C Phillott Vol. I 3rd edition Calcutta(reprint)

1977 , p 57
22 Pelsaert op.cit

23 Abul Fazl, op.cit, Vol. II, p. 352

24 Pelsaert, op.cit p, 35

25 Naqvi, op.cit, p.46

26 Manucci op.cit p399

27Raychaudhuri, op.cit

28 Naqvi, op.cit

29 Noor-ud-Din Jahangir, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri tr, Alexander Rogers,ed Henry Beveridge, London,

1909-14 p. 369
30 Bernier, op.cit, p 249

31 Muzaffar Alam , op.cit

32 Tuzuk, op.cit, pp 173, 212

33 Irfan Habib, An Atlas of Mughal Empire, Delhi, 1982 4B (Punjab Economic)

34 Abul Fazl., Akbarnamh Vol II , tr H. Beveridge, Delhi 1972 pp. 705-06

35 EFI, 1668-1669 p 134, Bernier op.cit, p 358

36 F. S Manrique, Travels of Fray Sebistian Manrique, 1629-1643, tr. C.E Luard, London, 1927 p

179
37 Chetan Singh op.cit, 203

38 EFI 1637-1649, p.134

39 Atlas of Mughal Empire op.cit

40 Manrique , op.cit

41 Atlas of Mughal Empire op.cit

42 EFI 1637-1649,137

43 Manrique,op.cit, 182

44 Raychaudhary, op.cit p 331

45 EFI., 1642-5 p 204, 301

46 Chetan , op.cit., p. 216

47 Atlas of Mughal Empire., op.cit

48 Chetan, op.cit . p 187

49 Ain, Vol. II P. 417

50 Naqvi, op.cit p 23

51 Bernier, op.cit, p 375, Manrique, op.cit, pp. 180-184

52, Manrique, op.cit, p. 179

53 Raychadhuary, op.cit, 149