Evolution and settlement in Surat.

1. HUMAN SETTLEMENT CITY
(SURAT)
Prepared by :
Thakor Maheshvar

2. • Surat was known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat and also Second
largest commercial hub of western India after Mumbai.
• The city is the one of the most populous cities in the world. Surat is the administrative capital of Surat district
and Surat Metropolitan Region. Surat is India’s eighth largest metropolitan city. Surat is India’s cleanest
Mertropolitan Region.
• The city is situated on the left bank of the Tapti River, 14 miles from its mouth. The Population of Surat with its
twin city Navsari is above 6.2 million as of 2010.
INTRODUCTION

3. • A moat divides the older parts of the city, with its narrow streets and handsome houses, and the
newer suburbs.
• The city is largely recognized for its textile and diamond businesses. It is also known as the diamond
capital of the world and the textile capital of India. 92% of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished in
Surat. Surat is also the Third cleanest city in India after Chandigarh and Mysore. Surat was once the
largest city in India. It has one of the highest GDP growth rates in India at 11.5% as of 2008. Surat was
the primary port of India during the Mughal period, a distinction it lost to Bombay during the British Raj.

4. • Surat is mentioned in the Sanskrit epic, the Mahābhārata when
Lord Krishna stopped there en route from Mathura to Dwarka.
According to other later Sanskrit records, the area was ruled by
the Western Chālukyas in 610 CE, and continued to be ruled by
Hindu kings until it was captured by one of the generals of
Quṭbuddīn Aibak.
• The Parsis started to settle there in the 12th century, and added
greatly to its prosperity. In the early centuries during the reign of
Rishika Lekhadia, the port of Surat was used as the gateway to
Mecca for pilgrims of the Hajj from India’s interior regions

5. • Local traditions state that the city was
founded in the last years of the fifteenth
century by a Brahman named Gopi, who
called it Suryapūr (City of the Sun).
• In 1512 and 1530 Surat was burned and
ravaged by the Portuguese Empire who
were trying to maintain influence in the
area. In 1513, the Portuguese traveler,

6. • In 1608, ships from the British East India Company started docking in Surat, using it as a trade and
transit point. In 1613, the British Captain Best, followed by Captain Downtown, overcame Portuguese
naval supremacy and obtained an imperial fireman establishing a British factory at Surat following
the Battle of Swally. The city was made the seat of a presidency under the British East India
Company after the success of the embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the court of emperor Jehangir.
The Dutch also founded a factory.

7. • At its zenith, Surat was popularly viewed as the city of Kubera, the God of
Wealth. In 1664 the Maratha King Shivaji attacked Surat, a key Mughal
power centre, and a wealthy port town which generated a million rupees
in taxes. (see- Battle of Surat). When Shivaji arrived in Surat, he
demanded tribute from the Mughal commander of the army stationed for
port security. The tribute was refused and instead of battling the
Marathas, the Mughal commander(Stationed at the Surat fort) sent an
emissary to assassinate Shivaji, but in vain. Shivaji conquered the city
and forces under his command exacted their revenge. Shivaji’s army
sacked Surat for nearly 3 weeks, looting both the Mughal and Portuguese
trading centers. Men’s were killed but the poor were spared.

8. • The prosperity of Surat received a fatal blow when Bombay was ceded to the British as part of the
dowry for Catherine of Braganza’s wedding to Charles II in 1662. Shortly afterwards, in 1668, the British
East India company established a factory in Bombay (Mumbai) and Surat began its relative decline
concurrent with the rise of British interests in Bombay.
• Surat was sacked again by Shivaji in 1670. By 1687, the British East India Company had moved the
presidency to Bombay. At its height, Surat’s population reached an estimated 800,000, but by the
middle of the 19th century the number had fallen to 80,000. The British took control of Surat again in
1759, and assumed all government powers of the city in 1800.

9. 1844-1947
• 30,000 people participated in anti-government agitation
• Protest against ruthless tax laws
• Weekly publication of 'Gyan Sagar‘
• Municipality of Surat was established in 1852
• First major steps in the field of Textiles
• First newspaper
• Bridge across tapi
• Surat Electricity Company
• First bank in Surat
• roller coster rides.

10. • Vanita vishram was established
• College for law commerce and ayruveda
• After the independence in 1947, surat has witnessed socio political

11. • Histoy behind Diamond Industry:
Diamonds are believed to have been recognized
and mined in India first, at the spots where considerably
alluvial stone deposits could be found many centuries
ago along the rivers Penner, Godavari and Krishna.
However, the diamond industry started when a local
business man in Surat had brought a boat full of diamond
cutters from East Africa to commence the city's diamond
polishing industry in 1901.

12. • The diamond cutting and polishing industry started way back in the 1960s when some
entrepreneurs belonging to the Patel community of Saurashtra started importing rough
diamonds and exporting polished diamonds.
• This industry grew gradually until 1980s after which there was rapid growth.

13. • With the beginning of 20th century, Surat had started developing its sub-urban areas namely
Udhna, Athwa, Fulpada etc. along with the various corridors opened up through various gates in
the radial pattern. The city was originally established on the south-eastern bank of the river Tapi
with a castle at the eastern bank and a custom house at the northern side of the castle.
• In the beginning, the activities were concentrated within the inner wall which had been
constructed in year 1664. At that time, the area of the city within this inner wall was 178 hectors.
The evolution of the city from 1494 to 2004 AD is shown in Figure `
CHRONOLOGICAL EVOLUTION:

15. 1494 to 1610 : Parsi , at that time population of Surat is around 2,00,000
1611 to 1910 : Portuguese revenge, British power, the trading world of Asia and the
coming of the Portuguese ( population approx. 6,00,000)
1911 to 1990 : Diamond Industries started
1991 to 2004 : rapidly growth of Surat.

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