Rupee Ki Kahani-Part 2: India Before the British

Jab Duniya Apni Chandi Lekar Bharat Ke Darwaaze Par Aati Thi

Quick Answer: 17th century mein Bharat duniya ke sabse bade manufacturing centres mein se ek tha. Textiles, spices, steel sab kuch. Europe ke paas Bharat ko dene ke liye kuch khaas nahi tha, isliye payment silver mein hoti thi. Americas ki mines, Japan ka silver, Levant ke trade routes. Teen raston se chandi Bharat ke khazanon mein aati rahi, jab tak ek private company ne sawal kiya: chandi bhejne ki zarurat hi kyun ho?

Is Article Ko Padhne Se Pehle: Part 1 mein humne dekha tha ki Sher Shah Suri ne Rupiya ko ek trusted standard diya. Ab us standard ke peeche duniya ki poori economy kaise kaam kar rahi thi, yeh dekhte hain. Aur haan, yahin woh jagah hai jahan taqat aur weakness ek hi line mein aa jaate hain.

Aaiye main aapko lekar chalta hu 17th century ke Surat port pe. Yahan ek European jahaz aakar rukta hai, aur aap jaantey hain iske andar kya hai, aapko lagega shayad kapda hoga, ya machine, ya precious stones, par nahi. Balki isme hai chandi ke sikke. Ye jahaz kuch bechne nahi aaya tha balki kharidne aaya tha.

17th century mein Bharat duniya ke sabse bade manufacturing centres mein se ek tha. Bharat se textiles, spices, steel puri duniya mein export hota tha aur is sabki payment silver mein hoti thi. America ki mines, Japan ka silver aur Levant (Middle East) ke trade routes, teeno raaston se chandi Bharat ke khazanon mein aa rahi thi.

Indian Ocean Ka Highway

Jab main school mein history padhta tha to aisa lagta tha ki jaise Vasco da Gama ne Bharat ko duniya se joda tha. Par yeh sahi nahi tha, kyonki Portuguese ke pehli baar Indian Ocean mein aane ke sadiyon pehle se yeh ek busiest commercial highway tha. Isi raaste se Arab merchants ghode, dates, pearls ka vyapar karte the, wahin Gujarati traders Surat se cotton textiles lekar East Africa tak jaate the.

Hormuz, Aden, Calicut, Malacca, Quanzhou yeh sirf ports nahi the, yeh to nodes the ek aise network ke jo kisi bhi ek empire ke control mein nahi aata tha. Aaj hum ise decentralized kehte hain lekin us samay mein log ise tijarat kehte the.

Jab Portuguese India mein aaye toh unhone kuch naya create nahi kiya balki ek already existing network mein entry li. Aur jab unhone dekha ki iss network ka sabse bada manufacturing hub Bharat hai, toh unhone Bharat ke saath trade karna shuru kiya. Unke jahazon par cannons bhi the, toh woh sirf trade nahi balki trade ke saath power bhi laaye, aur yeh Indian Ocean ke liye bilkul naya tha.

Murshidabad Ka Loom

Murshidabad ka ek ghar, usme ek bunkaar apne kargha ke saamne baitha hai. Us ghar mein na dhuan ugalti chimney hai aur na hi shor machaati machine, bas lakdi ka purana kargha, kuch dhaage, aur saalon se haath mein basa hua hunar.

Agar koi bahar se dekhe toh shayad usse lage hi nahi ki yahan kuch khaas ho raha hai. Lekin uss chhote se kamre mein jo kapda bun raha hai, uske kharidaar hazaaron kilometre door London, Amsterdam jaisi jagahon par hai. Murshidabad ke us weaver ka bazaar poori duniya thi.

Kabhi kabhi mujhe lagta hai ki hum global supply chain jaise fancy shabd use karke us idea ko naya bana dete hain, jabki sach yeh hai ki duniya ko jodne ka yeh silsila toh sadiyon se chal raha tha.

17th century mein Indian cotton textiles duniya ke liye technological marvel tha. Europe ke log zyada tar wool pehente the jo garam, heavy, aur dhone mein mushkil hote the.

Wahin Indian cotton kaafi halka, comfortable aur washable tha. Phir Muslin aayi jo itni patli thi ki European travellers likhte the ki ek tukda ungli ki anguthi se nikal jaata tha. Phir aaya Calico jo ki mazboot aur sasta tha, aur usme rang aise ki baar baar dhone ke baad bhi nahi utarte.

French textile industry ne isse threat samjha aur Indian cotton imports par ban laga diya, phir England ne bhi yahi kiya. 1700 mein Calico Act aaya, 1721 mein aur strict version. Yeh ban hi sabse bada proof tha ki Indian textiles kitne competitive thi. Koi cheez itni achhi ho ki use rokne ke liye kanoon banana pade, bas yahi kaafi hai samajhne ke liye ki market ka pressure kitna bada tha.

Yahan ek bada sawal ye uthta hai ki jab Indian textiles itna popular the toh Europe ne copy kyun nahi kiya. Simple, Industrial Revolution abhi aaya hi nahi tha aur European cotton manufacturing Indian craftsmanship ke aas paas bhi nahi thi. Spinning, weaving, dyeing, har step mein Indian artisans ke paas woh skill thi jo saalon ki training se aati hai, machine se nahi. Manchester ki mills, jo baad mein Indian weavers ko barbad kar dengi, 18th century ke end tak exist hi nahi karti thi.

Aur baat sirf kapde ki nahi thi. South India ka pepper Europe ke ameer gharon ki rasoi tak pahunchta tha. Indigo ke bina European textile industry ki kalpana karna mushkil tha. Bharat ka Wootz steel itna mashhoor tha ki Middle East ki talwaron ki baat ho aur uska zikr na aaye, aisa mushkil tha. Aur saltpetre? Wahi jo gunpowder banane ka sabse zaroori raw material tha. Us waqt ye ek strategic commodity maana jaata tha.

Us daur mein Bharat ki pehchaan sirf is baat se nahi thi ki yahan cheezein banti thi, balki is baat se thi ki Bharat mein acchi cheezein banti thi. Agar aaj kisi desh ko high quality manufacturing ke liye yaad kiya jaata hai, toh us zamane mein Bharat ki bhi kuch waisi hi reputation thi.

Aur yahan sabse dilchasp baat ye thi ki ye sab kisi ek badi factory mein nahi ho raha tha balki har gaon, har kasbe ka apna role tha. Kahin par log soot kaat rahe the to kahin rang tayyar ho rahe the aur kahin par kargha chal raha tha. Merchant order lekar aata, beech mein broker coordination karta, artisan apna kaam karta aur hisaab kitaab schroff dekhte the. Aakhir mein wahi product hazaaron kilometre ka safar karke duniya ke doosre kone mein bikta tha.

Aur ye sab tab ho raha tha jab na koi multinational company thi aur na koi global logistics giant. Aaj humein order track karna hota hai toh hum phone kholkar dekh lete hain ki parcel kahan tak pahuncha, lekin us daur mein ek baar jahaz nikal gaya toh mahino tak bas intezar hi hota tha, phir bhi bharose par vyapar globally chal raha tha.

Chandi Kahan Se Aati Thi

16th century mein Spanish Empire ko duniya ki sabse badi silver mines mili, aaj ke Bolivia ke ek pahad Potosí mein. Is khazaane ne duniya ki economy hi badal di thi, lekin is chamakti chandi ke peeche ek bohot bada andhera bhi tha. Wahan silver mining ke liye roz hazaaron indigenous workers aur African slaves ko zameen ke saikdo feet neeche utara jaata tha. Wahan zameen ke neeche har din ek risk tha, andhera, ghutan aur mercury poisoning ka. Kai log kaam shuru toh karte the, lekin us mine se kabhi bahar nahi nikal paate the.

Yeh jagah daulat ka itna bada symbol ban gayi thi ki us daur mein ek Spanish phrase chal pada tha “Vale un Potosí” (yaani itna keemti ki koi muqabla hi na ho). Yahan tak ki mashhoor novel Don Quixote mein bhi iska zikr milta hai.

1545 se 1800 ke beech, Potosí se lagbhag 40,000 metric tonnes chandi nikali gayi. Mexico ke Zacatecas aur Guanajuato bhi is race mein peeche nahi the. Kuch hi saalon mein Europe ke paas itni chandi aa gayi jitni unhone kabhi sapne mein bhi nahi sochi thi.

Lekin asli twist is kahani mein ab aata hai.

Pehli baar jab maine is baare mein padha, toh mujhe lagta tha ki Europe is saari chandi ka istemal khud karta hoga. Lekin sach toh yeh hai ki is silver ka ek bohot bada hissa Europe mein rukta hi nahi tha.

Uski asli manzil thi Asia.

Andes Mountains se nikal kar chandi pehle Spain jaati, wahan se Amsterdam ya London ke vyapariyon ke haath lagti, aur phir Cape of Good Hope ka lamba, khatarnak samundari safar tay karke pahunchti humare yahan, Surat, Agra, Dhaka aur Murshidabad.

Yeh poora network kisi blockbuster movie jaisa tha. Americas ki mines ka silver Spain hota hua European merchants ke zariye Levant (Middle East) pahunchta, aur wahan se overland ya samundari raaston se India aata. Doosri taraf se, Japanese silver ko Dutch traders lekar aa rahe the. Jab yeh foreign silver Surat ke imperial mints (taksal) mein pahunchta, toh is pighli hui chandi ko Mughal sikkon mein dhal diya jaata.

Historian Najaf Haider ka anuman hai ki 1580s se 1680s ke beech, Mughal mints ne lagbhag 240 million rupees ke bullion (silver blocks) ko absorb kiya tha.

Duniya mein silver ka sabse bada destination Ming China tha, aur uske theek baad doosre number par tha Mughal India. Aur us daur mein doosre number par hona koi chhoti baat nahi thi. Isi wajah se economic historians India aur China ko “Silver Sink Economies” kehte hain, yaani aisi jagah jahan poori duniya ki chandi aakar samaya jaati thi.

Silver Aur Rupiya

Ab sawaal ye tha ki itni saari chandi ka hota kya tha.

Kya woh bas rajaon ke khazane mein bandh rehti thi. Bilkul nahi.

Sher Shah Suri ne jo Rupiya standard shuru kiya tha, Mughal daur tak woh poore Hindustan ki common currency ban chuka tha. Aur ab us system ko duniya bhar se silver mil raha tha.

Yahan aakar chandi sirf ek dhatu nahi rehti thi. Woh Rupiya ban jaati thi.

Aur Rupiya bhi sirf ek sikka nahi tha. Isi mein aam aadmi tax bharta tha, aur isi mein sipahiyon ki tankhwa milti thi. Roz ka lena dena bhi isi ke bharose chalta tha. Bazaar se lekar sarkari hisaab tak, sab kuch uske aas paas chal raha tha. Naye sikke mint hote, kisan lagaan chukate, merchants apna hisaab settle karte, sunaar usi chandi se gehne banate. Kai gharon mein bachat bhi chandi ke roop mein rakhi jaati thi.

Toh Bharat ki taqat sirf is baat mein nahi thi ki yahan silver aa raha tha. Asli baat thi ki us silver ko chalane wala poora system pehle se tayyar tha, bharosemand currency, mazboot merchant network, established credit system aur duniya bhar mein mashhoor manufacturing.

Kabhi kabhi mujhe lagta hai ki hum sona chandi ko hi kisi desh ki amiri ka pura raaz maan lete hain. Lekin history kuch aur hi kehti hai. Agar sirf silver se hi hamesha ki amiri aati, toh Spain kabhi apni economic lead nahi khota. Asal farq metal se kam aur us metal ko sambhalne wale institutions se zyada padta hai.

Europe Ki Frustration

Isi jagah Europe ki dikkat shuru hoti hai.

European merchants ko Bharat ke products chahiye they, aur bahut chahiye they. Lekin badle mein dene layak cheez unke paas kam thi. Aur yaad rakhiye, Europe Bharat ka eklauta customer nahi tha.

Java aur Sumatra ke bazaaron mein Indian cotton pehle se bik rahey the. Persian aur Ottoman Empires Indian textiles aur indigo ke bade kharidaar the. East Africa ke ports, Mombasa, Kilwa aur Zanzibar, sadiyon se Gujarati traders ke network se jude hue the. Malacca se Batavia tak Indian kapda ek regular trade item tha. Europe toh is kahani mein baad mein aatey hai..

17th century ke French traveller François Bernier ne apne safarnama mein likha tha ki duniya ke har kone se sona chandi khinch kar Hindustan chala aata hai. Ye unka akela impression nahi tha, us daur ke kai trade records aur European travellers bhi isi pattern ki taraf ishara karte hain.

Masla ye tha ki European kapda Bharat ke kapde se behtar nahi tha. Unke handicrafts bhi Indian craftsmanship se aasani se compete nahi kar paate the. Aakhir mein payment ka sabse bharosemand tareeka wahi bachta tha, silver.

Us waqt Europe mein Mercantilism kaafi popular economic soch thi. Seedha sa logic tha, jis desh ke paas zyada sona aur chandi hogi, wahi zyada ameer hoga. Isliye har sarkar chahti thi ki precious metals desh ke andar hi rahein.

Par ab sochiye unki problem. Har saal jahaz silver lekar Bharat aa rahe hain. Wapas ja rahe hain kapda, spices aur indigo se bharke. Silver wapas nahi aa raha.

Ek do saal tak ye chale toh shayad koi pareshan na ho. Lekin jab ye pattern dashkon tak repeat ho, tab sawal uthne lagte hain. Aur jab trade se problem solve na ho, toh log trade ke bahar ke options dekhna shuru kar dete hain.

Woh Sawaal Jisne History Badal Di

Ab ek minute ke liye khud ko East India Company ke kisi director ki jagah rakhiye. Uske saamne do raste the.

Pehla, har saal London se silver bhejo, us silver se Bharat ka maal khareedo aur Europe mein bech kar profit kamao.

Doosra, Bharat ke andar hi aisa source dhoondo jahan se paisa mil sake. Phir London se silver bhejne ki zarurat hi khatam ho jaayegi. Indian revenue se Indian goods khareedo aur Europe mein bech do.

Jitna socho utna samajh aata hai ki doosra option kitna powerful tha. Ye sirf cost bachane ka tareeka nahi tha, ye poore global wealth flow ko badalne ka formula tha.

Aur is formula ki nazar jaakar tikti hai Bengal par.

Us waqt Bengal sirf ek aur province nahi tha. Ye Mughal Empire ke sabse ameer ilaakon mein se ek tha. Kapda, chawal, cheeni, saltpetre, upjaau zameen, nadiyon ka jaal aur bahut bada revenue base. Agar kisi merchant ko us revenue par control mil jaaye, toh London se silver bhejne ki zarurat hi kahan bachegi. Wahi paisa Bharat ke andar ghoomega, usi se Bharat ka maal kharida jaayega, aur phir Europe bhej diya jaayega.

Sunne mein ye bas ek accounting trick lag sakti hai. Lekin isi soch ne economic history ka rukh badal diya.

Do sadiyon se silver Bharat ki taraf aa raha tha. Ab pehli baar kisi ne socha ki is behte hue paise ka rasta hi badal diya jaaye. Aur ye kahani talwar se shuru nahi hui. Ye shuru hui hisaab kitaab se aur profit ke thande calculations se.

[Aage padhein, Rupee Ki Kahani Part 3, Bengal, The Richest Province, coming soon.]

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