Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c12.48

c12.48

(1631), it had become almost as populous as London.³² It may be noted that in 1636 London had 270,000 inhabitants.³³ Moreover, Ahmedabad had very large suburbs.³⁴ Surat had rapidly developed. According to Thevenot, it was so crowded and the pressure of people on residential accommodation was so great that “lodgings can hardly be had.”³⁵ But Della Valle's remark is still more significant. He says : “*’Tis very populous; as all other cities and places are in India ; which everywhere abounds with people* (italics mine).”³⁶