Trade Centres
Coastal ports and inland marts that pulled European powers to Andhra.
Why this matters
Every trade centre = a foothold for a European power. Port ↔ Company mapping is a favourite one-mark question.
Kalamkari, muslin, chintz
From Masulipatnam & Pulicat
Kollur, Paritala
Bought by Tavernier & Marco Polo era traders
Wootz steel
Konasamudram, Nirmal
Guntur & Krishna deltas
Used in gunpowder — high European demand
- 1605
Dutch factory at Masulipatnam
- 1610
Fort Geldria, Pulicat (Dutch)
- 1611
English factory at Masulipatnam & Nizampatnam
- 1632
Golden Farman by Qutb Shahi to the Dutch
- 1669
French factory at Masulipatnam
By the 16th century, Andhra's Coromandel coast was already a hub of textile, diamond and iron exports. Qutb Shahi patronage of Masulipatnam and Nizampatnam gave European trading companies a peaceful, tax-friendly gateway to South India.
The competition between the Portuguese, Dutch, English, French and Danes over these harbours converted Andhra into a theatre of commercial rivalry that eventually turned political.
| Port / Centre | District | Company | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masulipatnam | Krishna | Dutch (1605), English (1611), French (1669) | Biggest Coromandel port; textiles & diamonds |
| Nizampatnam | Guntur | English (1611) | Second English factory in India |
| Pulicat | Nellore–TN border | Dutch (1610) | Fort Geldria — first Dutch fort in India |
| Bheemunipatnam | Visakhapatnam | Dutch | Only functional Dutch cemetery on east coast |
| Yanam | East Godavari | French | Retained by France till 1954 |
| Visakhapatnam | Vizag | English | Shipbuilding and Deccan exports |
| Kondavidu / Kondapalli | Guntur / Krishna | Inland forts | Diamond & cotton trade |
| Golkonda | Hyderabad | Qutb Shahi capital | World diamond market (Kollur mines) |
Swipe horizontally to see more →
1600s Factories
Peaceful commercial outposts on the coast.
Fortification
Companies build forts (Geldria, St. George) to secure trade.
Farmans
Golden Farman 1632, 1676 — customs concessions turn Europeans into privileged players.
Alliance in local wars
Companies raise sepoy armies to protect interests.
Political sovereignty
Northern Circars 1765 — trade centres become administrative capitals.
Geldria = Dutch, Pulicat, 1610. St. George = English, Madras, 1640.
1632 farman by Abdullah Qutb Shah for Dutch; 1676 by Abul Hasan for English.
MNPBY
Masulipatnam · Nizampatnam · Pulicat · Bheemunipatnam · Yanam — the coastal necklace of colonial Andhra.
- Masulipatnam — biggest Coromandel port; Dutch (1605), English (1611), French (1669).
- Pulicat — first Dutch fort (Fort Geldria, 1610).
- Nizampatnam — 2nd English factory in India, 1611.
- Yanam — French; returned only in 1954.
- Golden Farman 1632 gave the Dutch trade privileges from Golkonda.
Match port → European power
MCQKnow Golden Farman dates
MCQKollur diamond mines — Krishna district
Fact