Twilight of the Sultanate c17.s8.31

c17.s8.31

The condition of foreign trade was equally good. It was carried on both by sea and land. Since Gujarat, Bahmanī and Vijāyanagar kingdoms possessed an extensive coast line also, they could have both maritime as well as inland trade. In fact India had traded with foreign countries ever since ancient times. With the progress of Islam west Asian nations like Egypt, Arabia and Iran entered with ever greater zeal into the arena of the then world trade. Indian trade too received an impetus from this activity. Indian ports served as clearing houses for ships sailing from west Asia—Egypt, Iran and other Middle East countries—to the Far East and earned much revenue from the customs. Indian goods used to command a ready market in foreign lands during the period under study.