Kandahar during seventeenth century: a study in the strategic and commercial importance
Keywords:
trade, strategic, kandahar, hormuz, mughals, safavids, portugueseAbstract
The brisk interregional rather intercontinental trading activities through a network of overland routs during medieval ages led to the emergence of several halting places. One such place which constituted a pivotal significance for the Mughals of India and the Safavids of Persia, was Kandahar. Dotted with numerous halting places, Kandahar attained significant commercial and strategic position, during period under study. In this context, the present paper is an attempt to contextualize Kandahar’s commercial cum strategic importance for both India and Iran and explore whether the route passing through this region was a leading commercial route or only a substitute, used for emergency purposes. The study argues that the route leading through Kandahar was one of the main routes between India and Persia which was abandoned only in times of Mughal-Safavid rivalry just as the Safavid-Portuguese conflict over Hormuz diverted the sea trade through Kandahar.
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