Machilipatnam - A Golden History

Port of diamonds and spices

Ancient geographers like Ptolemy recorded this port in their travelogues.

PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

ANCIENT TRADING POST: At the mouth of the Machilipatnam Port.

The Machilipatnam port, which has a long history dating back to 1st century AD, were in the news recently with the local communities making a vociferous demand for its development. For a long period, the port played a key role in the commerce and trade of the region.

It was through this port that the diamonds purchased at Golconda were taken to England. It lost its importance because of wars, natural calamities and pestilence. In 1648-49, the East India Company sanctioned some money for the development of Machilipatnam port. It was just half of what was sanctioned for developing the port at Madras and signalled a period of decline for the Machilipatnam port. The East India Company became cautious after the wars between the King of Golconda and the Hindu Rajas diminished scope for their cloth trade locally. From that time onward less importance was given to the port at Metchlapatnam (the old name for Machilipatnam) than to the port at Madraspatnam (the old name for Chennai).

On Record

According to a history manual complied by Gordon Mackenzie in 1883, the port at Machilipatnam was in existence since ancient times. Ancient geographers (Ptolemy) mentioned a port named Maesolia on the eastern coast. Ships from Persia berthed there for trading. Mackenzie recorded that the coastline near the mouth of the Krishna River had advanced into the sea so much that it was not possible to locate where exactly the ancient port was.

There was no reference to Machilipatnam in the period of Hindu rule because the people were chiefly pastoral with little or no interest in sea-borne commerce. There is an inscription of 1397 A.D. in a temple located in the Machilipatnam Fort and three more inscriptions of the 12th century in the Ramalingaswami temple in Robertsonpet.

Historian Orme wrote that Arabs arrived at Machilipatnam port in the 14th century. The Arabs were engaged in commerce from the Red Sea to South India and some of them might have found their way round Ceylon (old name for Sri Lanka) and eventually to Machilipatnam.

According to Mackenzie the first mention of Machilipatnam in History was in connection with the construction of a mosque under the tolerant rule of the Carnatic Rajas. The rulers of the area were at that time at war with the Bahamani kings and were enlisting Muslim soldiers. In 1478, the army of Muhammad Shah Bahamani II captured Machilipatnam. In 1515, Krishna Devaraya defeated the Bahamani kings and put the port under the care of the Orissa Rajas.

King of Golconda Quli Qutb Shah captured the area from the Orissa Rajas and it became part of the Golconda kingdom for nearly half a century. It was under the patronage of the Golconda kings that the European traders first established themselves at the port town.

The Portuguese were the earliest to establish base at Machilipatnam and the Dutch followed suit. The English entered only in 1611 and established a factory there.

According to travelers, who visited Machilipatnam, the primary product that was exported from the port was cloth weaved and dyed at villages in the hinterland. There were references of saltpetre (Potassium Nitrate), turmeric, spices and miscellaneous articles like spotted deer and waterfowl being exported from the port.

The imports included all sorts of goods manufactured in England. There was a lot of demand for superfine scarlet and green coloured cloth. East India Company had an agent at Golconda for the purchase of diamonds.

War and natural calamity prevented the port from growing any further. In 1686, the Emperor of Delhi defeated the dynasty of Golconda. The Dutch saw an opportunity to take possession of the port. The next year the East India Company declared war against Aurangzeb. In July that year his troops advanced as far as the fort at Kondapalli.

The Dutch, English and French deserted the port town thereafter. Great Distress was reported in this part. There was an epidemic in the port town in 1687 and several Europeans died.

The Dutch factory was damaged extensively by a huge storm on October 13, 1779. Nearly 20,000 people living in Machilipatnam and nearby villages were killed by the storm.