Widely considered to be India’s second oldest city after Varanasi, Bharuch was once a port of great eminence, connecting India with West Asia, Africa, and Rome. Known as Barygaza in the Periplus of the 1st century CE, this ancient town on the banks of the Narmada has been known by several names over the course of its long history. Its maritime heritage spans from the Harappan period to the twentieth century, as evidenced by archaeological and literary sources. Although later overshadowed by Khambhat and Surat, the town continued to flourish as a centre of trade during the medieval period and was renowned for its exquisite textiles, particularly Baftas. During the colonial period, it was gradually reduced to a centre for exporting raw cotton, while the arrival of the railways and the changing course of the Narmada eventually brought its maritime activities to a near standstill. At our Online Talk #Barygaza2Bharuch, researcher Dr Meher Mistry revisits the fascinating maritime legacy of one of India’s oldest port cities, tracing its evolution from an ancient international trading hub to the Bharuch we know today.
About the speaker
Dr Meher Mistry is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of History at Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College (Empowered Autonomous), Mumbai. She received her doctorate from the Asiatic Society, University of Mumbai, for her study, ‘A History of Some Parsi Settlements on the Western Coast of India (1600–1850): A Study of Bharuch, Ankleshwar and Khambhat.’ She has been associated with several prestigious research initiatives, including the UNESCO PARZOR Project and the WZCF Sanjan-Bahrot Archaeological and Conservation Project, and has authored over 24 academic publications
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