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This article is about a town in Surat district. For other uses, see Randor (disambiguation).

Rander is a town in Surat district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is located on the bank of the Tapti River, it is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the city of Surat.

Etymology

According to local folklore and tradition, the name “Rander” is derived from Rannade, the wife of Surya (God of the Sun).[2]

Rander has previously been referred to as Reynel, Ravel (by Spanish sources), and Reiner.[3] The Mirat-i-Sikandari from around 1611 uses the name Raner.[3] The modern spelling Rander is found in the early 18th century in the Chahar Gulshan.[3]

History

Early settlement (200 AD to 1200 AD)

Historical documentation identifies Rander as a significant settlement dating back to 200 AD that functioned primarily as a Jain settlement until the 13th century.[2] The community maintained extensive commercial networks, trading goods with Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.[2][4] In 1194 AD, Kutb-ud-din, the general of Muhammad Shahb-ud-din Ghori, penetrated the region as far as Rander.[5]

Arab settlement (1225 AD)

In 1225 AD, Arab merchants from Kufa, Iraq, arrived in Rander.[4] These merchants overpowered the local Jain community and established themselves as dominant overseas traders, initiating an era of significant commercial prosperity.[5] These settlers, historically referred to as Naites or Navayats, developed into a wealthy mercantile class establishing trade with Mecca and Tenasserim.[6]

Decline and shift to Surat (16th century)

By the early 16th century, Rander was a wealthy town with well-built houses and squares and a prosperous center of maritime trade.[3][7] Its merchants possessed large ships and traded actively with Malacca, Bengal, Tenasserim, Pegu, Martaban, and Sumatra.[8] The inhabitants traded in spices, drugs, silks, musk, benzoin, and porcelain.[8][9] The Portuguese traveler Duarte Barbosa noted the town’s high standard of living, observing that homes featured front rooms lined with shelves to display rich collections of Chinese porcelain, and that women moved about freely with uncovered faces.[10]

Rander’s commercial dominance was disrupted around 1530 by Portuguese forces under the command of Antonio da Silveira that sacked and burnt the city.[8][11] The destruction was significant and Rander never fully regained its former status in the Indian Ocean trade.[11][12] Following this decline, maritime trade shifted to the neighboring and emerging port of Surat.[8][12]

Thus according to Barbosa, the Muslims of Rander did not observe the Islamic purdah. However, the piety of Nawayath Arabs is reflected in the numerous mosques and durghas they constructed. In 1874, the Hope Bridge was built across the river, connecting Rander to the villages on the other side of the river.

The Mughal emperor Jahangir and his entourage, on their way to Ahmedabad, stopped at this historic place near Jehangirpur, now known as Rander Eid-Gah. Jahangir accepted a dawat (invitation) from the mayor of Rander, Malik Tujjar, one of the wealthiest businessman of the era. To welcome the emperor, a red carpet was laid from the mayor’s palace to Jehangirpur. Dinner was served on gold plates, which were subsequently donated to charity. During his visit, Jahangir offered Friday prayer at the Jumma Masjid of Rander and Eid Salah at Eid-Gah.

The Rander Mehfil-e-Islam Kutub Khana is a charity society of Muslims that was established and registered in 1888 and 1913 respectively. Mehfil-e-Islam has 17 trusts.[citation needed]

In 1373, Surat was sacked by Muhammad bin Tughluq. This pattern of conflict continued until 1391 when Masti Khan was appointed governor of both Surat and Rander.

In 1411, Muzaffar Shah I assumed the governorship, though his son, Masti Khan, led an unsuccessful rebellion. The period between 1496 and 1521 was notable for the prominence of Gopi Malik, a renowned Hindu trader in Surat. However, the city faced further turmoil in 1512 when the Portuguese plundered and burnt Surat. Despite these attacks, Gopi Malik managed to befriend the Portuguese by 1514.

The Portuguese, led by Antonio da Silveira, attacked Surat again in 1530. In 1531, they launched a third attack on both Surat and Rander. Amidst these invasions, Khudawand Khan completed the construction of the Castle of Surat in 1546. The city continued to be a focal point of conflict and power struggles. In 1573, following a rebellion by the Mirzas, the Mughal emperor Akbar captured Surat and appointed Kalij Khan as the commander of the castle. That same year, Raja Todar Mal conducted a survey of the twenty-eight Surat parganas.

The Portuguese attempted another seizure of Surat in 1583. By 1590, Surat was hailed as the emporium of the world and had become a first-class port. The early 17th century marked the arrival of the English, with the first English ship reaching the mouth of the Tapi River in 1608, followed by a second ship in 1609, which was wrecked off the coast, with its crew landing at Gandevi. In 1610, Malik Ambar plundered the Surat Aththavisi. The same year saw a significant conflict between the English and the Portuguese at the mouth of the Tapi River, resulting in an English victory in 1612.

From 1612 to 1615, Thomas Aldsworth served as the President of the English factory in Surat. In 1613, the English secured a trade charter from the Mughal Emperor. The Portuguese faced another defeat at the hands of the English in 1615. During the period from 1615 to 1623, Thomas Kerridge was the president of the English factory. In 1615, Sir Thomas Roe reached Surat, and in 1616, the Dutch were given provisional permission to establish a factory. In 1618, Mukrab Khan, the Governor of Surat, was recalled, and Prince Khurram, later known as Shah Jahan, became the Governor of Surat. The same year, the Dutch negotiated a Treaty of Commerce with Prince Khurram.

The French made several attempts to gain a foothold in Surat between 1620 and 1642. In 1623, Pietro Della Valle visited Surat, and from 1623 to 1626, Thomas Rastell served as the President of the English factory. In 1628, Mir Arab was appointed as the Governor of Surat, followed by Moiz-ul-Mulk in 1630, and Jam Kuli in 1635. Johan Albrecht de Mandelslo visited Surat in 1638, and Muhammad Khan became the Governor in 1639. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier visited the city in 1642, and Mowazaz Khan was appointed Governor in 1644. By 1648, Mazi-ul-Zaman had taken up the position of Governor, followed by Jamkuli in 1651, Mustafa Khan in 1653, Muhammad Sadak in 1655, and Roshan Zamir in 1657.

In 1664, Shivaji launched his first attack on Surat. The Siddis of Janjira secured the admiralty of the Mughal fleet in Surat in 1669. Shivaji led a second attack on the city in 1670, and in 1672, his general demanded Chauth from Surat. The Marathas captured the fort of Parnera in 1676. Surat experienced a severe outbreak of plague in 1684, and in 1690, Ovington visited the city.

By 1699, Khanderao Dabhade succeeded in collecting Chauth from Surat. Maratha raids on the city continued in 1706, with disturbances led by Pilaji Rao Gaekwad in the Surat Aththavisi Parganas. In 1723, Pilaji established himself in Sonpura, and the following year, he vanquished Bairam Khan, occupying the territory around Surat. In 1730, Durjan Singh, the ruling chief of Mandvi, was deprived of his possessions by Damaji Rao Gaekwad. Nawab Teg Bakht Khan was appointed governor in 1733.

The English negotiated with Teg Bakht Khan in 1733 for the transfer of the fleet subsidy from the Sidis to the English, but this attempt was in vain. The English stopped merchant ships from coming to the bar of Surat in 1734, prompting the merchant community to threaten Nawab Teg Bakht Khan with relocating to Bombay. A dispute between Teg Bakht Khan and the Sidis of Janjira regarding the payment of the Sidi’s Tankha occurred in August 1735. The English mediated to settle the dispute, leading to the release of merchant ships by the Sidis. Dayaram, Teg Bakht Khan’s Dewan, settled the dispute of the Nawab’s revenue of Aththavisi with Damaji Rao in 1735.

Notable people

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c “WARDWISE AREA & POPULATION (1961-2011 CENSUS AND AFTER EXTENSION OF CITY LIMIT IN 2020)”. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Baradi 2011, p. 49.
  3. ^ a b c d Barbosa 1518, p. 145.
  4. ^ a b Saiyed, Kamal (1 September 2024). “Know Your City: Rander’s Ek Khamba Masjid, an architectural marvel built on a single pillar”. The Indian Express.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b Baradi 2011, p. 48.
  6. ^ Barbosa 1518, p. 145-146.
  7. ^ Annapoorna 1984, p. 801.
  8. ^ a b c d Barbosa 1518, p. 146.
  9. ^ Annapoorna 1984, p. 802.
  10. ^ Barbosa 1518, p. 147-148.
  11. ^ a b Subrahmanyam 2000, p. 24.
  12. ^ a b Fatima 2009, p. 357.

References