LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Surat
built 656 days ago
Since the earliest times, the ancient port of Surat has been renowned for its fine silks and exquisite brocades and its trade in spices. Surat has been one of the most prosperous of India's cities in the 17th and 18th century. Surat, the city of commerce was an important port that first attracted the Europeans to the riches of India. The East India Company established its first warehouses in Surat in 1612. And it was at Surat that Sir Thomas Roe landed when he came as King James' ambassador to the court of Emperor Jehangir. In Mughal times, Surat was the main port from which pilgrims sailed to Mecca.
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In those days Surat was known to be almost the city of Kubera, the God of Wealth. In 1664 the Maratha leader Shivaji sacked and looted Surat. When Shivaji arrived at Surat he demanded tribute from the Mughal commander and the small army stationed with him for port security. The tribute was refused and so after Shivaji took the city, he put it to sack. Surat was under sack for nearly 3 weeks, in which the army looted all possible wealth from Mughal & Portuguese trading centers. All this loot was successfully transported to Maharashtra before the Mughal Empire at Delhi was alerted.
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The Golden Quadrilateral highway system will pass through Surat at its expected completion in December of 2006. At present the city is connected to the National Highway 8 through a 16 k.m. connector highway. National Highway 8 corridor is one of the most industrially developed area in the country and Surat is one of the most industrially active cities that connect to it. National highway 6 starts from Hazira and connects the city to Dhule, Nagpur, Raipur, Sambalpur, Kharagpur and Kolkata.
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