There was no concrete policy from the rulers for industries in medieval India. The unorganized sector continued to run it. Traditional industrial efficiency, caste based industry and cottage industry were the main features of medieval industries. There are many things that promoted industries.
1. India's trade with western and central Asia increased. It reached Europe after some time. Industries of export goods flourished.
2. Urbanization increased, this increasment had increased the number of domestic consumers and increased demand.
3. Small states started coming to an end. Under the centralized strong autocratic rule, the roads and inns became more secure, the goods of far-flung industries started selling. Gradually, big industrial establishments of the private sector started emerging in big cities.
4. This period is also known for the industrial growth of port cities.
Despite having a traditional production system, India earned so much money in the trade of textiles, spices and herbs that the balance of trade remained in favor of India. Several major centers of production were famous. Some cities were more famous for a particular product. Textiles, metal made utensils and weapons, tools, jewellery, stone industry, sugar, indigo, paper etc. were the major industries. Apart from these, cottage industries used to produce many other products like wooden and leather goods, etc.
1. Textile industry
The textile industry was the largest industry in medieval India. Textile exports were also high. The industry improved with new technology and experimentation.
1. Charkha(Spinning Wheel): The fourteenth century historian Isami has mentioned the spinning wheel. Six times the yarn spun from the spindle started being spun from the charkha.
2. Bow of Dhunia: The Bow of cotton gin also came to India along with the Muslims. Earlier cotton was thrashed with sticks to make it fibrous.
3. Loom: Weaving was done by loom. it was also improved.
4. Silkworm rearing: The industry of silkworm rearing became popular during the Sultanate period. Now the production of silk increased.
Quality: Dyeing, printing, embroidery of clothes, embroidery of gold threads was done in a few selected big cities. The quality of Indian clothes was world famous. Edward Terry was very impressed by the beautiful and dark colored clothes of the country. These were exported abroad from Bengal and Gujarat.
Cotton Textiles: The main centers of cotton textile were Bengal, Gujarat, Banaras, Orissa, Malwa, Surat, Cambay, Patna, Burhanpur, later on Delhi, Agra, Lahore and Multan became major centres. Chintz, Bairami, Shan-i-Buff and Katne Rumi were very famous among the important cotton fabrics. The muslin of Dacca, the muslin of Devagiri and the muslin of Sonargaon were famous in muslin clothes. Apart from this Gangajal of Barbakabad, Ambarati of Bihar Bengal, Bafta of Gujarat, Khasa of Bengal, Daryabandi and Markul of Lucknow were famous. Kelinko, taffeta, zartari and kamin were also the main types of fabrics.
Silk clothes: The major centers of silk clothes were also spread in every corner of the country. Kasim Bazar, Malda, Murshidabad, Patna, Kashmir, and Banaras had a special identity for silk fabrics. The silk weaving industry was widespread in Gujarat. Cambay's silk was famous. The name of Surat was paramount in the silk textile industry. Silk carpets were made there. They were embroidered with gold and silver threads. Assam was the main center of silk clothes. The silk of Coimbatore was famous far and wide not only in South India.
Woolen Textiles: The main centers of woolen textiles were in Kabul, Kashmir, Western, Rajasthan. The wool of Tibet was very fine. There was no answer to the shawl of Kashmir. Other major centers of shawl making were Lahore, Patna, Agra Fatehpur Sikri. The cloth called Tussar of Orissa was very famous. It looked like silk but was made of grass.
Dyeing-Printing: Dyeing and printing industries were prevalent in the medieval period. Indigo was produced from Lahore to Awadh. Bayana's indigo was considered the best. Sarkhej indigo was considered the best in Gujarat. There used to be indigo in Golconda too. The main centers of textile dyeing and printing were Delhi, Agra, Ahmedabad, Masulipatam, Dhaka, Kasim Bazar, etc.
2. Metal Industry
The medieval metallurgical industry had become proficient in making various goods of iron, brass, silver, zinc, mica etc. Its export business is itself a proof of its quality. India-made swords and spears were also in demand in Arabia and Persia. Iron was obtained from many mines which were spread far and wide. There were iron mines in the Godavari region. There were iron mines in Kalinjar, Gwalior, Kumaon region. There were also iron mines in Ajmer region. The sword-making industry was also advanced in the eleventh century. Swords were famous in some places like Somnath, Banaras, Agra and Kalinjar. In the medieval period, sword making industries were established in many places. Many new areas gained prominence in this industry like Lahore, Sialkot, Multan. Gujarat and Golconda were also pioneers in this industry. Cannon balls were also made during the Mughal period. Guns were also made. This implies that the need for military weapons gave a great boost to the iron and steel industry. Agricultural instruments were also made. Utensils and ornaments for domestic use were made. Mints of the administration used to manufacture currency. There were also industries based on precious diamond gems. The glass industry was also advanced. Beautiful bangles, bowls, mirrors, bottles, saucers, vases, glasses etc. were made.
3. Shipping Industry
The ship-building industry grew progressively in medieval India. By the seventeenth century in the Mughal period, this industry had developed well. Some ships weighed a hundred tons or more. In 1612, the weight of a ship named Rahimi was 150 tons. Cambay, Goa and the coastal areas of South India were filled with the movement of ships. The centers of ship industry were Surat, Goa, Daman, Dew, Dhaka, Chittagong, Agra, Lahore, Multan, Allahabad etc.
4. Wood industry
There were timber industries at many places. Windows, doors and furniture for domestic use were made in abundance. Palki, chariots, bullock carts were also made. Wooden toys were also made. In the village it was considered very important to meet the needs of daily life. The supply of wooden hinges, doors, windows etc. for houses depended on the prevalence of wood industry. Expensive wooden artistic items were made in some special cities.
5. Clay industry
Rag industry was important in this class. Pots, cups, figurines, toys, etc. were made of baked clay. Like a cottage industry, this business has been adopted for generations by the potters of the village.
6. Brick and stone industry
The work of cutting, carving and making buildings and forts from it increased in the medieval period. The industry of brick laying was very wide. Makrana marble was very famous in Rajasthan. Red stone forts were also built.
7. Leather Industry
Many leather goods were made. In areas like Delhi, Gujarat, leather saddles, bridles, scabbards, shoes, musk etc. used to make expensive items. In the village, it was an essential industry to meet the rural needs. Ancestrally, a particular class used to consider it as a means of their livelihood.
8. Paper Industry
From the evidence of Amir Khusro and Mahu in the fourteenth century, it is known that fine silk-like smooth paper was made from the pulp of the tree. The papers of Delhi, Patna, Ahmedabad, Kashmir etc. were very good. Some names of good paper were very famous like Mansinghi, Jahangiri.
9. Sugar Industry
There were industries for making sugar, jaggery, molasses. Rural areas were its main centers due to the availability of raw material from agriculture. Fine sugar was manufactured in Patna, Berar, Lahore, Delhi, Bayana, Kalpi and Agra. Patna's sugar was exported via Bengal.
Official effort
There is a good mention of the royal Karkhanas during the time of Firoz Tughlaq. Firoz Shah Tughlaq established thirty-six Karkhanas. Fifty lakh rupees were spent on them every year. Afif has also given the description of Karkhanas of Tughlaq period in Delhi Sultanate period. The Karkhanas were of two types – ratibi and non-ratibi. There were Peelkhana, Paigah, Abdar Khana, Sharab Khana, Shaturkhana etc. in Ratibi factories. In these, laborers used to work on fixed wages. The amount of annual grant for them was fixed. Jamdar Khana, Alamkhana, Farrashkhana, Rikabkhana etc. were among the non-Ratibi factories. In this the wages of the workers were not fixed. According to the requirement of new goods every year, the expenditure of non-Ratibi factories used to increase or decrease. Each factory was placed under a Malik or Khan. This officer of the factory was called Mutasharrif. Cheaf Mutasharrif used to check the accounts of all the factories.
Babur has written that there are innumerable artisans in India who know all kinds of crafts. There is a caste for every work. This quote from Dr. J.N. Sarkar's 'Mughal Governance Methodology' about the Mughal state business is remarkable, that the Mughal rule was forced to be productive to meet almost every desired item. Factories established by the state increased during the reign of Akbar. Abul Fazl wrote that, "In the thirty-ninth year of the Elahi Samvat (1595 AD), there were more than a hundred offices and factories in the royal palace. Each of these looked like a city or a small kingdom." Bernier saw these factories sixty years later.
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