Aspects of Craft Production in Pre-Modern South Kanara

Authors

  • Dr. Nagendra Rao Lecturer in History in the University of Goa, Taleigao Plateau SPO, Goa — 403 206.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12724/ajss.1.2

Keywords:

Craft Production, Pre-Modern, South Kanara, Artisans

Abstract

In any economy, whether it is a macro economy or micro economy, one can notice the existence of different economic activities like agriculture, cattle rearing, craft production and trade. These economic activities are found in the case of the district of South Kanara of Karnataka. However, in this region, agricultural production obtained greater importance due to the existence of fertility of soil and the necessary conditions suitable for the surplus production. One of the conditions which facilitated agriculture was the existence of trade and the location of ports having connections with global trade. When compared with aaricultural production, craft production in South Kanara was meagre which catered to the domestic need of the society. Many artisans migrated to South Kanara from Goa, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and North India. The native agriculturists flourished by investing in trade. However there existed craft production which met the day-to-day needs of the people.

 

Author Biography

Dr. Nagendra Rao, Lecturer in History in the University of Goa, Taleigao Plateau SPO, Goa — 403 206.

Lecturer in History in the University of Goa, Taleigao Plateau SPO, Goa — 403 206.

References

Vijaya Ramaswamy, Textiles and Weavers in Medieval South India, Delhi, 1985; Surendra Gopal, Commerce and Crafts in Gujarat, 16th and 17th Centuries: A Study of the Impact of European Expansion and Pre Capitalist Economy, New Delhi, 1975; S. Jayasheela Stephen, The Coromandel Coast and Its Hinterland: Economy, Society and Political System, Delhi, 1997.

Sanjay Subrahmanyam, 'The Portuguese, the port of Basrur, and the rice trade 1600-50', in idem, (Ed.), Merchants, Markets and the State in Early Modern India, Delhi, 1990, p. 20.

Alexander l Tchitcherov, India Changing Economic Structure in the Sixteenth Eighteenth Centuries Outline History of Crafts and Trade, Delhi, 1998, P. 25. (henceforth India Changing Economic Structure) After discussing the domestic industry he goes on to argue that due to gradual feudalisation of the economy there was the creation of the separate class of the artisans who emerged from the Peasant community. See pp. 25-28. This argument may be applied in the case of South Kanara also.

K.N. Chaudhuri, Asia Before Europe: Economy and Civilization of the Indian Ocean from the Rise of Islam to 1750, Cambridge, 1990, p.298.

Ibid P.301. Chaudhuri further says that "the distance scale of local production, even when it was not confined to the immediate locality of a particular village, seldom exceeded one day's travel on foot or by slow-moving carts. Production for the inter-regional or trans-continental trade on the other hand involved much longer journeys and called for an elaborate commercial organisation." The craft production in South Kanara was a localised one.

Douglas E. Haynes and Tirthankar Roy, 'Conceiving mobility: Weaver's migrations in pre-colonial and colonial India' in Indian Economic and Social History Review (henceforth IESHR), XXXVl, Number 1, Jan-March 1999. p.36.

lbid, p.43.

lbid, p.55.

Alexander l, Tchitcherov, India Changing Economic Structure, p.39.

Annual Report of South Indian Epigraphy (henceforth ARSIE), 1916, No.69.

Meera Abraham, Two Medieval Merchant Guilds of South India, Delhi, 1988, p. 117.

Keladi Gunda Jais, "Dharmasthaladalliruva Tamrashasana" (in Kannada), Lochana (Publication details are not available).

ARSIE, 1953-54, No.340.

See Kesavan Veluthat, Brahman Settlements in Kerala: Historical Studies, Calicut, 1978; Nagendra Rao, "The Historical Tradition of South Kanara and the Brahmanical Groups: A Study of Gramapaddhati and Sahyadrikhanda", Unpublished M.Phil. Thesis, Mangalore University, 1995, p.225.

S.Arasaratnam, maritime India in the Seventeenth Century, Delhi, 1997, p.16.

lbid, p.225.

B.Vasantha Shetty, "Barakuru - A Metropolitan City of Antiquity", Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Mysore University, 1985. pp. 137-139. (henceforth Barakuru)

ARSIE, 1931-32, No.282.

Sll, Vol.Vll, No.334.

B. Vasantha Shetty, Barakuru, p.401; B. Jagadish Shetty, "Agro-Economic Relations and Social Structure in Dakshina Kannada (A.D. 1000-1600)" Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Mangalore University, 1992, pp. 182-183. (henceforth Agro-Economic Relations)

Sll Vol. Vll, No.377.

lbid, No.330.

B.A.Vivek Rai, Tulu Janapada Sahitya (in Kannada), Bangalore, 1985, pp.475-478.

Sll, Vol. lX Part ll, No.417.

K.V.Ramesh,'No.13-Kukke (Subrahmanya) Grant of Madhavaraja, Kali 4488 and Saka year 1309' in Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XLl, 1975-76, p. 121.

Sll, Vol. Vll, No.267.

lbid, No.342.

lbid, No.324.

SII, Vol. IX Part ll, No. 620.

lbid, No.673.

lbid, No.694.

B.Jagadish Shetty, Agro-Economic Relations, p. 117.

Sll Vol. Vll, Nos.324 and 390.

ARSlE 1929-30, No. 553.

lbid, No.552.

Alexander l. Tchitcherov, India Changing Economic Structure, p.46.

B. A. Vivek Rai, Tulu Janapada Sahitya, p. 178.

Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXlV, p.151.

Unpublished kadata (undated) which l found in the house of Manjunath Shenoy, Gangolli. This kadata may be dated to late 18th century.

B.Vasanth Shetty, Barakuru, p.402.

lbid, p.314.

There is reference to 'Barakura gadyana' in Sll, Vol. Vll, Nos. 223, 231. 'Mangulura gadyana' is referred in the same volume, Nos. 189,223.

A.V.Narasimha Murthy, vijayanagarada Nanya Sampattu (in Kannada), Mysore, 1996, p.20.

lbid, pp. 20,52.

Y.Umanath Shenoy, Karkalada Sri Gomatesvara Charitre (in Kannada), Ujire, 1991, p. 38.

Ho.Na.Nilakantha Gowda and M.G. Manjunatha, 'Mudabidare Jaina Mathada Aprakatita Tamara Shasanagalu'(in Kannada), ltihasa Darshana, Vol. 14, Bangalore, 1995, p.62.

B.Vasanth Shetty, Barakuru, p.403.

Paltadi Ramakrishna Achar, Kalkuda Kallurti Samskriti Shodha (in Kannada), Puttur, 1998, pp. 17-25. (henceforth Kalkuda)

For details on Jainsnism in South Kanara, see, P.N. Narasimha Murthy, "Jainism on the Kanara Coast", Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Mysore University, 1983 (henceforth Jainsim); K.G.Vasantha Madhava, Religions in Coastal Karnataka 1500-1763, Delhi, 1985.

Paltadi Ramakrishna Achar, Kalkuda, p.49.

lbid, p.51.

lbid, p.52.

lbid, pp. 55-56.

lbid, p.68.

lbid, p.66.

Kenneth R. Hall, Trade and Statecraft in the Age of Cholas, New Delhi, 1980, p.107.

P.N. Narasimha Murthy, Jainism, p.475.

One Mudabidre inscription mentions chinapatta, which means silk cloth. Sll, Vol. Vll, No. 196.

B. Vasantha Shetty, Barakuru, p.276.

Y.Umanath Shenoy, Karkalada Sri Gomateswara Charitre, pp.33, 38. (henceforth Charitre)

S. Silva, Mangalore, Ankola, 1956, p. 16.

B. Lakshminarayana Upadhya, 'Pravasigara Tana Basruru Nagara Nada Banni' in, Hesarada Pattana Basaruru Ondu Adhyayana (in Kannada), Basrur, 1997, p. 12.(henceforth Basaruru)

James M. Campbell, Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency Vol., XV, Part l, Kanara, Bombay, 1883, p.275.

K.G.Vasanthamadhava, 'Baindurina Eradu Shilashasanagala Adhyayana', (in Kannada) in ltihasa Darshana, Vol. 14, Bangalore, 1995, pp. 144-145.

Indian Antiquary Vol., XXlll, p.98; B.A. Saletore, Ancient Karnataka, Vol.l, History of Tuluva p.484. (henceforth Tuluva)

B.A. Saletore, Tuluva, p.485.

K.V.Ramesh, A History of South Kanara, Dharwar, 1970, p.247.

Edward Gray, The Travels of Pietro Della Valle in lndia, Vol. ll, New Delhi, Reprint, 1991, p.304. (henceforth Travels)

H. L. Nage Gowda, 'Pravasi Kanda Dakshina Kannada' (in Kannada), Adyanadka Krishna Bhatta (Ed.), Sudarshana, Mulki, 1977, p.89.

lbid, p.95.

Francis H. Buchanan, Journey From Madras Through the Countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar, (in 3 Volumes) Vol. lll, Madras, 1807, Reprint 1989, Volume lll, p.4. (henceforth Journey)

lbid, pp. 59-60.

John Sturrock, Madras District Manuals, South Kanara, Vol.l, Madras, 1894, p.166. (henceforth Manuals)

lbid, p. 167.

Sll, Vol. Vll, Nos. 359, 360, Sll, Vol. lX, Part ll, No. 409.

lbid, Nos. 295, 261.

lbid, Vol. lX Part ll, No.455.

ARSlE, 1930-31, No. 250.

H. L. Nage Gowda, 'Pravasi Kanda Dakshina Kannada', p.94.

F.H. Buchanan, Journey, pp. 57-58.

Shaila Bai U, "Dakshina Kannada Jilleya Shasanagala Samskritika Adhyayana", (in Kannada) Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Mangalore University, 1998, p.233.

Sll, Vol. Vll, No. 309.

B. Jagadish Shetty, Agro-Economic Relations, p.176.

Sll, Vol. Vll, No.340.

Y. Umanath Shenoy, Charitre, p.38.

K.G.Vasanthamadhava, 'Dakshina Kannada Jilleya ltihasa Samikshe', (in Kannada), in Adyanadka Krishna Bhatta, (ed.), Sudarshana, p.109.

F.H. Buchanan, Journey, pp. 43-44.

Edward, Gray, Travels, p.303. Perhaps Della Valle Called the blacksmiths as goldsmiths, because knives and scissors were mostly made out of iron and golden knives and scissors could not be very cheap.

H. L. Nage Gowda, 'Pravasi Kanda Dakshina Kannada', p.81.

B. Lakshminarayana Upadhya, Basaruru, pp. 11-12.

Y. Umanath Shenoy, Charitre, p. 19.

B. A. Vivek Rai, Tulu Janapada Sahitya, p. 180.

ARSlE, 1954-55, No.7.

lbid, 1953-54, No.322.

K.G. Venkatesh Jois, Keladi Shasanagala Samskritika Adhyayana, (in Kannada), Bangalore, 1996, pp. 181-182.

James M. Campbell, Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume XV, Part l, Kanara, Government Press, Bombay, 1885., p. 257.(henceforth Gazetteer)

John Sturrock, Manuals, p. 165.

James M. Campbell, Gazetter, p. 258.

John Sturrock, Manuals, p. 166.

lbid.

B. A. Saletore, Tuluva, pp. 485-488.

Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXV, p.221.

lbid, XXlV, p.143.

lbid.

B.A. Saletore, Tuluva, pp. 491-493.

B. S. Shastry, The Portuguese in Kanara 1498-1763, pp. 107-108.

K.G. Vasanthamadhava, 'Sea Trade in the Ports of Kasaragod (Kerala State) District in the Eighteenth Century', Unpublished paper presented in International Conference on Marine Archaeology, Thana, 1998, p.5.

John Sturrock, Manuals, P. 175.

B.A. Vivek Rai, Tulu Janapada Sahitya, p. 180.

A. Saradaraju, Economic Conditions in the Madras Presidency 1800-1850, Madras, 1941, p. 148.

lbid, p. 147.

lbid, p. 196.

Sll, vol., Vll, No.417.

ARSlE 1927-28, No.401.

J. F. J. Biker, Colleccao de Tratados e Concertos de Pazes, lV, Lisbon, 1884, p. 192.

Basrur kadata in the collections of K.G. Vasanthamadhava, Pavanje.

Bailuru Kadata in the collections of Manjunath Shenoy, Gangolli.

B. A. Vivek Rai, Tulu Janapada Sahitya., p.203.

Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXlll, p.99.

lbid, Vol. XXlV, p. 151.

John Sturrock, Manuals, pp. 167-168.

Basrur Kadata.

Downloads

Published

2002-01-01