The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c7.s6.52

c7.s6.52

A more definite account of the divisions of the country and of the importance of the various towns at the beginning of the sixteenth century is obtained from the early Portuguese historians, though there are still but few events recorded. The kingdom of Gujarát extended as far south as Nágothna; that of Ahmadnagar, the king of which the Portuguese always called Nizamaluco⁶ from Nágothna to Shrívardhan or Bánkot; and Bijápur included all south of Bánkot.⁷ Chaul and Dábhol⁸ are called cities and ranked with Surat and Goa; the other places mentioned are Dáhánu, Tárápur, Kelva-Máhim, Agáshi, Bassein, Bándra, Máhim, Nágothna, Shrívardhan, Jaytápur, and Khárepátan.⁹ Both Chaul and Dábhol were indeed great commercial marts, with a large trade with Persia and the Red Sea, by which route the whole of the Indian goods designed for Europe then passed. Of seventeen large ships on their way from the coast of India to the Red Sea, which were detained by Sir H. Middleton in 1612, two were from Dábhol and one from Chaul.¹ Dábhol is also spoken of by Nikitin as the great meeting place of all nations living on the coast of India,² which of course implies a large coasting trade. In the sixteenth century the Portuguese historians describe it as one of the most magnificent and populous maritime places of those parts, full of noble houses, fine buildings, superb temples, and old mosques, one of which with a vaulted roof standing on the hills above the town was destroyed in 1557.³ Barbosa also mentions its very beautiful mosques, and says that the town was not very large, but the houses though thatched were handsome, and that from December to March there was a great commerce between the ships of Malabár and Cambay, which met here and exchanged their commodities, while great caravans of bullocks loaded with goods came down from the interior.⁴ They went back with wheat and rice grown in the Konkan.⁵ Up the river were many pretty towns plentifully supplied and owning much cultivated land and flocks. A route is given from Bijápur to Dábhol by the Kumbhárli pass, and on account of the traffic along this road Chiplún is said to have been a great village and very populous, stored with all manner of provisions.⁶ The importation of horses from Mecca Aden and Ormuz is also mentioned. When Dábhol was first attacked by the Portuguese there were 6000 troops in garrison, but the defences were slight. It is said in 1547 to have had two forts and some redoubts which defended the entrance of the harbour, but these being destroyed the Portuguese in the following year attacked the upper town which was some distance from the sea.⁷