The parallel histories of Vasai, Thane and Chaul
6, 7, 8 July 2021 | Zoom | 7:00 - 8:30pm | Rs. 600/-
Long before Governor Hornby and his Vellard, the northern Konkan had several claimants to the title of the Commercial Capital of India. The region's strategic geography is unmistakable with several Ghats opening passages from the hinterland to the coast, which possessed several natural harbors. From the earliest periods, ships from the western Indian Ocean have traded with this coast. The names Sopara, Kalyan and Chaul are registered as important emporia by Greco-Roman sources, while Thane and Vasai come into prominence in the medieval period.
This series will look at three emporia – Vasai, Thane and Chaul – through a historical-geographical lens, considering their political, strategical and commercial value to the various states that ruled them. We will use historical maps and writings along with modern sources to examine the factors that led to their rise and their eventual decline. Ultimately every lecture will pose this question — if not Bombay, would any of them have emerged as Urbs Prima in Indis?
