GUJARAT-GEOGRIPHICAL ADVANTAGE FOR DEVELOPMENT

Gujarat has geographical advantage for its development, the coastline on the west
starts from south and terminates in Gujarat. Hence for northern hinterland and for
other countries ports of Gujarat are nearest.
In 1512 and again in 1530 Surat was ravaged by the Portuguese Empire. In 1513,
the Portuguese traveller Duarte Barbosa described Surat as an important seaport,
frequented by many ships from Malabar and various parts of the world. By 1520,
the name of the city was Surat
This was the only probable reason that in 1609, the English East India Company
established a settlement at Surat , and this became the company's first
headquarters town.
When the harbor in Cambay began to silt up toward the end of fifteenth century,
Surat eclipsed Cambay as the major port of western India. At the end of the
16th century, the Portuguese were undisputed masters of the Surat sea trade. On
the banks of the Tapti River, there is still a picturesque fortress that was built in
1540.
In 1608, ships from the English East India Company started docking in Surat,
using it as a trade and transit point. In 1615, following the Battle of Swally,
Captain Best, followed by Captain Downton, overcame Portuguese naval
supremacy and obtained an imperial firman establishing an English factory at
Surat. The city was made the seat of a presidency of the East India Company
after the success of the embassy God of Wealth.
The prosperity of Surat received a blow when Surat was ceded to the English as
part of the dowry for Catherine of Braganza's wedding to Charles II in 1662.
Shortly afterwards, in 1668, the East India Company established a factory in
Bombay (Mumbai) and Surat began its decline.
Looking back to history of Indus Valley Civilization, the development
was also due to geographical advantage.
The major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, such as Harappa and Mohenjo-
daro, date back to around 3300 BC, and represent some of the largest human
habitations of the ancient world. The Indus Valley Civilization extended from
across Pakistan and northwest India, with an upward reach from east of Jhelum
River to Ropar on the upper Sutlej. The coastal settlements extended
from Sutkagan Dor at the Pakistan, Iran border to Kutch in modern Gujarat, India.
There is an Indus site on the Amu Darya at Shortughai in northern Afghanistan,
and the Indus site Alamgirpur at the Hindon River is located only 28 km (17 mi)
from Delhi. To date, over 1,052 cities and settlements have been found, mainly in
the general region of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and its tributaries. Among the
settlements were the major urban centers of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, as well
as Lothal, Dholavira, Ganeriwala, and Rakhigarhi. Only 90-96 of the over-800
known Indus Valley sites have been discovered on the Indus and its tributaries.
The Sutlej, now a tributary of the Indus, in Harappan times flowed into the
Ghaggar-Hakra River, in the watershed of which were more Harappan sites than
along the Indus.
The word "India" is derived from the Indus River. In ancient times, "India" initially
referred to those regions immediately along the east bank of the Indus, but by
300 BC, Greek writers including Megasthenes were applying the term to the
entire subcontinent that extends much farther eastward.
Dholavira developments:-
Dholavira is an archaeological site in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District, in the
state of Gujarat in western India, which has taken its name from a modern village
1 km (0.62 mi) south of it.
Also known locally as Kotada timba the site contains ruins of an ancient Indus
Valley Civilization/Harappan city. It is one of the five largest Harappan sites and
most prominent archaeological sites in India belonging to the Indus Valley
Civilization. It is also considered as grandest of cities of its time. It is located on
the Khadir bet island in the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in Great Rann of
Kutch and the area of the full site is more than 100 ha (250 acres). The site was
occupied from c.2650 BCE, declining slowly after about 2100 BCE. It was briefly
abandoned and reoccupied until c.1450 BCE.

Development of Kandla Port Trust also due to geographical advantage.
The British Royal India Navy first appraised the Kandla stream in 1851 for
suitability as a port; however, they did not conduct a detailed survey until 1922.
The Port of Kandla was created in 1931 with a single pier by erstwhile ruler of
Kutch, Khengarji III, who personally identified the spot and also connected the
port by extending the lines of Cutch State Railway from Anjar.
After Indian independence in the late 1940s, the new government selected the
Port of Kandla as a promising outlet to the Arabian Sea.

Kandla, also Kandla Port or New Kandla is a seaport in Kutch District
of Gujarat state in western India, near the city of Gandhidham. Located on the Gulf
of Kutch, it is one of major ports on west coast. Kandla was constructed in the
1950s as the chief seaport serving western India, after the partition of
India from Pakistan left the port of Karachi in Pakistan.
When the Port of Karachi was lost to Pakistan, maritime trade in the area shifted
to the Port of Mumbai (formerly Bombay). Mumbai's facilities were soon strained
beyond capacity. In early 1948, the Indian government created the West Coast
Major Port Development Committee to study the feasibility of building a major
seaport to replace the Port of Karachi that went to Pakistan during
partitioning. The Committee recommended locating a port at Kandla.
In 1952, Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone for the
upgradation and expansion the port on India's northwestern coast. The Port of
Kandla was declared a major port in April 1955. The Kandla Port Trust was
created by law in 1963 to manage the new port.

Lakhpat Port of Kachchh
Today it is sparsely populated Ghost town, a city of ruins of buildings and a
magnificent fort surrounding them. Historically it has been very important trading
post connecting Gujarat to Sindh. The waters of Sindhu riverused to flow into
Lakhpat and further onto Deshalpar (Gunthli).
Rice used to be cultivated and Lakhpat used to give an annual revenue of 800,000
Koris just from rice.
It is also said that Lakhpat used to generate an income of 100,000 Koris
everyday from maritime activities.
The 7 km long fort walls was erected by Jamadar Fateh Muhammed in 1801. After
the earthquake of 1819 a natural dam known as the Allahbund was formed, Sindhu
changed its course of flow and started flowing into the Arabian sea further north.
Thus Lakhpat lost its importance as a port.
It is believed that Guru Nanak on his way to Mecca for Haj stayed over here. This
Gurdwara have his relics like footwear and palkhi. They are worshiped by
the Udasi Sect

Development of Mandvi Port
Mandvi was founded by the Rao of Cutch State, Khengarji I in 1580
The city Mandvi was named after Sage Mandavya (Mahabharata story), who lived
here. He was also known as AM BABA.
As per chronicles of Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas - many clans of their community,
especially, Gohil, Bhatti, Jethwa, Solanki, Rathod clans &
also Visavaria Brahmins shifted to Mandvi in between 15th to 16th Century AD,
from Dhaneti.
The establishment of the town dates back to the late 16th century (1581 AD) and
is attributed to the first Jadeja ruler of Kachchh, Rao Khengarji I.
In 18th century, the Mandvi merchants collectively owned a fleet of 400 vessels
trading with East Africa, Malabar coast and the Persian Gulf. In the early 19th
century, it was a major port of entry for the inland trade
with Malwa, Marwar and Sindh.
Mandvi was at the junction of two famous trade routes the maritime spice trade-
route and the desert camel caravan route, acting as an important trade center.
As most of the top ports of India were controlled by Europeans, especially
the Portuguese, even the Mughals held the Maharaos of Kachchh in high esteem,
as they needed the port of Mandvi for exports, imports and also for pilgrimages
to Mecca.
Development of Tuna Port
Tuna Port was developed during mid-eighteenth century by Kingdom of Kutch,
later known as Princely State of Cutch.
Economy of the Kingdom of Kutch, largely depended on sea-trade and the
kingdom had many ports such as Mundra, Mandvi,
Tuna, Lakhpat, Jakhau, Sandhan, Sindri on its coast-line.
The various Kutchi community were known for their trades
with Muscat, Mombasa,Mzizima, Zanzibar, and others, and also for their
shipbuilding skills.
Fateh Mohammad (17861813), a shepherd-turned-king, had further developed
the existing facilities at Mandvi, Tuna and Lakhpat ports, when Rao Raydhanji III
of Kutch was his prime minister. There is a village by same name Tuna near the
port from which Tuna Port got its name.
In year 1900-01 during the reign of Jadeja King Maharao Shri Khengarji
Bawa (18751942), the first railway lines from Tuna Port to Anjar were laid by
narrow gauge line of Cutch State Railway,a railway promoted & owned by
Princely State of Cutch.
The first train from Tuna Port to Anjar ran in year 1905. The line was in 1908
extended to Bhuj, then the Capital of Princely State of Cutch. This rail-line from
Tuna to Anjar, no longer exists.
Later, during decade of 1930, Tuna Port lost its importance, when Maharao Shri
Khengarji III of Kutch, identified the location of present the Kandla Port and
developed it as a new port. A new railway line connecting Anjar to Kandla were
also laid by Cutch State Railway.

Salt Industry another geographical advantage in Gujarat
Gujarat accounts about 77% of salt production of India.
It is estimated that more than one lakhs labours are employed in salt industry.

Fishing Industry also geogriphical advantag in Gujarat
The fishing industry is the most outstanding part of the financial growth and
development of Gujarat as it has the largest coastal line in India. Gujarat has a
vibrant potentiality fishery development. More ever, Gujarat is well known to be
heterogeneous with respect to inland water resource. The people residing along
the coastal belt of the state, the rivers lakes and reservoirs have been found
traditionally engaged in fishing for the immemorial time but due to vegetarian food
habits, religious restrains the domestic demand of it is very low, compared to
other states as a result of it a major part of fish and fishery products produced in
the state goes out either to other states or to foreign country.
Gujarat has commercially important varieties of fishes like Pomfret, Hilsa,
Bombay duck, Ribbon fish, Catfish, Rays, Cuttle fish, Shrimps etc., so Gujarat
possesses a vast resource with favourable climates and environment condition for
flourishing fish production through aqua culture. Due to awareness in fishing the
state has exported 123213 metric tone of processed marine fish and fish products
worth rupees 570.57 crore to Japan, China, USA and other countriesin 1996-97. It
shows that if Government take proper measurements the fishing industry can be
fully developed, so the economy of Gujarat as well as India will automatically
uplift.
It provides employment to a number of poor fishermen and other people involved
in this industry.
This industry has its own economical importance too as it earns us invaluable
foreign exchange.