Gopakapattana Port

GOPAKAPATTANA PORT:

The Biblical account states that the King Solomon that in 1000 BCE had sent ship from the Israel to east and fetched certain exclusive items which probably was predominately available in Southern Part of the country India. The Bible in Book of  1 Kings 10: 11, 1 Kings 10:22, 2 Chronicles 9:21 mentions of Gold, Silver, Almug (Sandal Wood), Peacock, and Apes were taken to land of Israel once in every three years from the likely shores of West Coast of India. These accounts shows that there would have been hectic activities of trade and commerce between the two Israel and probably Goa at the time of King Solomon. Jews, European, Arab, Chinese traders were quit prominent in Goa and Kerala shores of  West Coast of India. 

Overseas trade contacts refer to the trans-oceanic and international trade relations between the ports of Goa and the overseas ports. The earliest contacts with the ports of Goa were probably of the Romans whose coins are found at the port of Gopakapattana and currently displayed at the Pilar museum followed by the Arabs who established a settlement of merchants called Hanjamanagar at the port of Gopakapattana during the time of the Shilaharas. It also established contacts with the Persian Gulf as seen through the Persian coins of Khusru H unearthed at Chimbel.

The port of Ella under the Bahamani rulers had trade links with Cairo, Italy, Genova, Venice, Mecca, Turkey, Egypt, Persia, Africa and Ethiopia through the ports on the Malabar Coast, Goa, Dabhol, Mahim and Masulipatnam. Under the Adil Shah rulers also the traders had relations with the merchants of Arabia, Persia, Ormuz who brought horses to Goa which were in great demand in the Deccan.  Proverbs used in the local language do give us hints of overseas contacts,  

For example,

To zatitea desanche udok pieta, Khapreak sanglem goyan vochunk zai

mhonn khapri vochun ailo.

The name Kapri Ravalnath shows contacts with African countries. Sculptural evidences shows contacts with Sumerians and Mongolians.

The ancient and medieval ports of Goa, particularly Gopakapattana, played an important role in the maritime history of the west coast of India. Goa's strategic position on the west coast, navigable wide rivers and natural harbours must have played an important role in maritime activities from the earliest times.

Scientists claim that the Port discovered is expected to be the amongst the oldest signs of human trade on the Central west coast and may be contemporary to Dwarka in Gujarat.

The researchers say they may discover dockyard similar in structure to Lothal dockyard (4500 years old) discovered by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) in Gujarat in 1954.

National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) scientists are working on 1.2 kilometer long wall that is currently buried along the Zuari River, near Pilar which is expected to be a part of old port existed anywhere between 1000 and 3500-year.

 The exploration work on the site is done and scientists have found the steps going in the water. It is imminent that existence of such a big wall parallel to the river indicates that it is a remnant of a port,” said Dr Rajiv Nigam, head of Marine Archeology unit of CSIR-NIO.

Onshore exploration of Gopakapattana reveals structural remains of a huge wall of laterite blocks parallel to river Zuari and cross walls which are perpendicular to the main wall at three places. Excavations in intertidal zone across the main wall yielded the outward six steps and these are attached to the main wall. An earlier excavation has yielded remains of a street known as Rajvidhi of Kadamba period. A layer of reddish sandy deposit containing shingles of laterite of 15 cm thick seems to be the remains of continuation of the ancient Kadamba Royal road, running between Ela (Brahmapuri) and Gopakapattana port. 

The town of Goa Velha stands on the site of the ancient port of "Govapuri" or "Gokapattana", which was founded by the Kadamba Dynasty in the 11th century on the banks of the Zuari River. Govapuri was one of the main ports first of the Kadamba Dynasty, and subsequently of the Vijayanagara Empire. In the 15th century, a number of wars were fought between the Deccan sultanates and Vijayanagara for control of the Goa region, as a result of which Govapuri came under the control of the Adilshahs of Bijapur. Govapuri was devastated by the wars. In addition, the Zuari had begun to recede from the port as a result of silting. As a result, the new Adilshahi rulers built a new port city for Goa some distance to the north, on the banks of the Mandovi. The Portuguese eventually made the new city the capital of Portuguese India, and called the old port of Govapuri "Goa Velha" (Portuguese for "Goa the Old"). Goa Velha continued to exist as a small town under Portuguese rule, and in 1961 was incorporated into India along with the rest of Goa.

Articles of Export and Import

Goa being an agrarian economy produced rice, paddy, nachni, coconut, turmeric, cardamom, arecanut, canon, jaggery, oil, salt, medicinal plants, fruits, dry fish, and pottery. The port of Chandrapur was famous for coconuts. Even today people from different parts of India, especially Mumbai, come to Chandor to take coconuts. The Kharepattana plate of Rattaraja refers to King Aiyapa who was crowned with the water of the coconut trees growing near Chandrapura.

From the 7th to 10th century hide, leather goods were exported from the west coast to Arabia along with indigo, coral, pearls, ivory, cloves, turmeric and cinnamon. The Kadambas of Goa traded in gold, silver, cotton cloth, paddy, fruits, spices, camphor and betel leaves. Iron, textiles, spices, camphor, coconut, betel, perfumes were exported from Goa to other regions during the time of the Kadambas. During the rule of Mohammad I the Bahamani rulers who ruled over Goa and Cannarore exported pepper, ginger, cardamon, myrabolans, canafistula, zerumba and zeodoary.

Their main products included cotton, silk, iron, steel, copper, diamonds, velvets, satin, scarlets, damasks and woollen cloth were imported into Goa. Their ships exported textiles, bidri works, Warangal carpet and other merchandise and bought gold, spices china goods, perfumes, drugs, horses, pearls and slaves.

During the 15th century items from Malabar and Goa such as pepper, ginger, tamarind, stones, cotton, amber and sandal wood were exported. Mediterranean traders exported velvets, rose, knives, gold, silver, raisins, woolen cloth, glass beads, brass and horses. Chinese exported items like linen, brass ware, coral, copper, silver, gold, vermilion, saffron, porcelain, and tin to the Malabar ports which in turn was brought to the port of Goa.

During the time of Adil Shah the articles that were traded included velvet, damask, satin, pieces of chimna. The merchants of Arabia, Persia and Ormuz who brought horses to Goa took back with them calico, fine muslin, rice, arecanut, betel, spices and many gold pardaos and graos because horses were worth a great deal. Ghodde vele host hada shows that the horses were exported from Goa in return for goods. Villages specialized in certain commodities Girvodeche Redde, Parra Vimkunk this proverb shows that redde who were in abundance were sold to Parra.

Goa, with its strategic location mid-way along the western seaboard of India, had served as an commercial centre in the Indian Ocean littoral, enjoying thriving trade relations with ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Persians, East Asians, Jews and Arabs as indicated by epigraphic, literary, sculptural and archaeological evidences.

Consequently, Goa's ancient and early medieval port-capitals of Chandrapur, Gopakapattana, Ballipattana or Vallipattana, Raibandar-Ella and the later Portuguese City of Goa, have over the centuries not only served as emporia of coastal and intra-Indian Oceanic trade and thriving inland commerce, but have attracted migrations, witnessed social interactions and experienced a wide variety of cultural transformations.

Geographical and historical factors have crafted a maritime identity for Goa that is visible from the coast to the sub-Ghat region. Goa possesses a rich lore which is an invaluable repository of information on the maritime history of the state. Be it etymological roots, legends, iconographical representations, speciality, deities, feasts and festivals, religious precepts and practices, rituals and customs, communities, indigenous knowledge and technology systems, tales and traditions, proverbs, folk life and foodways, the Goan cultural repertoire is a veritable storehouse of all things maritime.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa_Velha
http://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Remnants-of-one-of-India%E2%80%99s-oldest-port-found-in-Goa-Researchers/91154.html
http://www.nio.org/index/option/com_projdisp/task/show/tid/2/sid/15/pid/44

Source: 31-Oct-2013 Reconstructing the urban maritime history of Goa: study of the Port-Capitals of Chandrapur, Gopakapattana and Ella By D Souza, Alvita Mary guide        Kamat, Pratima P.

Pg 28 of Chapter 5
http://ir.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/10603/12459/11/11_chapter%205.pdf

http://www.orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/orissareview/2012/nov/engpdf/november-or-2012.pdf

Pg no. 35 of Boat Festivals : Documenting the Cultural Linkages Between Goa and Odisha Prof. Pratima Kamat.