Machilipatnam
Machilipatnam
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Machilipatnam

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Machilipatnam

Machilipatnam (Telugu: [mɐt͡ʃiliːpɐʈnɐm] ), also known as Masulipatnam and Bandar (Telugu: [bɐn̪d̪ɐɾ]), is a city in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of Krishna district. It is also the mandal headquarters of Machilipatnam mandal in Machilipatnam revenue division of the district. The ancient port town served as the settlement of European traders from the 16th century, and it was a major trading port for the Portuguese, British, Dutch and French in the 17th century.

During the 17th century, it was known by the names Masulipatnam, Masulipatam, Masula and Bandar (Bandar translates to 'port' in Persian language). The port town in the ancient times was also referred with the name Maesolia.

The town has existed since at least the 3rd century BCE (Satavahana period) when, according to Ptolemy, it was known as Maisolos. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea calls it Masalia in the 1st-century BCE. The port is on the southeastern, or Coromandel Coast, of India. At the mouth of the River Krishna on the Bay of Bengal, the Masula port saw flourishing sea trade.[citation needed]

Muslin was traded by ancient Greeks from the town and the word muslin originated from the name Maisolos. Muslin was an important source of income for the town, being a favourite of Roman traders for domestic consumption. Several Roman coins were found during excavations of Buddhist towns near Machilipatnam.

The town served as the primary sea port for the Kingdom of Golkonda. It was an outlet for textiles produced in the Godavari Delta. It was a major source of income for the kingdom, and contributed to its immense prosperity in the 1620s and 1630s.

By the end of the 17th century, the port city had fallen into decline. This coincided with the Mughal conquest of Golkonda. However, mismanagement prior to the conquest may have also been a factor in the city's decline.

Salabat Jung, the son of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I, who was indebted for his elevation to the throne to the French East India Company, granted them in return for their services the district of Kondavid or Guntur, and soon afterwards the remainder of the Circars. The Circars were captured by the British from the French in 1759 and were returned to the Nizam. However Masulipatnam captured by the British during the Siege of Masulipatam was retained by the East India Company.

The town was the district headquarters of the then, Masulipatnam district and now to the Krishna district, which was formed in 1859 in the composite Madras state.

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