Question map
Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom ?
Explanation
The correct answer is option B, Motupalli.
Motupalle, also known as Desyuyyakonda-pattana and Velangara, was an important seaport in the time of Ganapati[2], a Kakatiya ruler. This king issued an abhaya-sasana in Saka 1166, corresponding to A.D. 1244, offering protection to foreigners at this port[1], demonstrating its significance for international trade. The Venetian traveller Marco Polo calls the Kakatiya kingdom, Mutfile, i.e. Motupalle, which according to him was reputed for its large-size diamonds and muslins 'as fine as the tissue of spider's web'[3]. This international recognition by Marco Polo and the royal decree protecting foreign merchants clearly establish Motupalli as a very important seaport of the Kakatiya kingdom. While Nelluru is mentioned in the sources as a district headquarters, there is no indication of it being a major seaport during the Kakatiya period.
Sources- [1] https://www.mcrhrdi.gov.in/images/epigraphia/Vol-II.pdf
- [2] https://www.mcrhrdi.gov.in/images/epigraphia/Vol-II.pdf
- [3] https://www.mcrhrdi.gov.in/images/epigraphia/Vol-II.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis question bridges Medieval History and Regional Culture (Telangana). While standard NCERTs were silent, the 'Mission Kakatiya' government scheme (2014–17) made Kakatiya geography hot current affairs. It tests Economic History (Trade & Ports) rather than political chronology.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Was Kakinada a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?
- Statement 2: Was Motupalli a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?
- Statement 3: Was Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam) a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?
- Statement 4: Was Nelluru a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?
- Explicitly states which port was important in the Kakatiya period: 'Motupalle ... was an important seaport in the time of Ganapati.'
- Describes trade-related royal action at that port (an abhaya-sasana offering protection to foreigners), reinforcing Motupalle's prominence rather than naming Kakinada.
- Does not mention Kakinada as an important Kakatiya seaport, implying the key medieval port was Motupalle.
- Notes contemporary and foreign recognition of Motupalle's prominence: 'The Venetian traveller Marco Polo calls the Kakatiya kingdom, Mutfile, i.e. Motupalle...'.
- Praises goods associated with Motupalle (diamonds, muslins), indicating its importance for trade in the Kakatiya period rather than Kakinada.
- No reference to Kakinada as a significant Kakatiya seaport is present in the passage.
Lists Kakinada among intermediate and minor seaports on the eastern coast (modern description), giving a data point about its maritime role.
A student could combine this modern classification with a map and historical sources to check continuity of port importance from medieval to modern times for Kakinada.
States the Kakatiyas were the major power in Andhra in the 13th century, implying they controlled coastal Andhra where Kakinada is located.
Use the geographic fact that Kakinada lies in coastal Andhra to infer it was within Kakatiya sphere and then look for specific medieval port records or archaeology.
Gives a general pattern that South Indian kingdoms (e.g., Pallavas) had important seaports and active foreign trade networks.
Apply this general pattern to the Kakatiya context: if coastal Andhra participated similarly in maritime trade, Kakinada might have been significant—so check trade-route maps and medieval guild/inscriptional evidence for Kakinada.
Describes Kakatiya administrative/military structures (assignment of revenue/local control to Nayaks), indicating the kingdom exercised local governance that could include coastal ports.
A student could use this to look for inscriptions or revenue records naming Kakinada as a port under Kakatiya administrators.
Notes that certain administrative/military systems (palayakkarar-like) were practiced earlier in the Kakatiya kingdom, suggesting organized local control which often accompanies management of ports.
Combine this with knowledge of medieval port administration to search for evidence of Kakinada being managed or fortified in Kakatiya-period records.
- Explicitly names Motupalle (Motupalli) as an important seaport in the time of Ganapati (a Kakatiya ruler).
- Describes a royal trade edict (abhaya-sasana) offering protection to foreigners at this port, indicating its commercial significance.
- Records that the Venetian traveller Marco Polo identified the Kakatiya kingdom with Motupalle (Mutfile), indicating foreign recognition of the port.
- Notes Motupalle's reputation for valuable trade goods (large diamonds and very fine muslins), supporting its importance as a trading port.
Identifies the Kakatiyas as the medieval Andhra power with coastal territory, implying they had coastal ports under their control.
A student could locate Motupalli on an Andhra coastal map and check if it falls within the Kakatiya core/coastal zone to judge its potential importance.
Describes South Indian maritime trade (exports to SE Asia, existence of important seaports like Mamallapuram) showing that regional kingdoms maintained significant ports for overseas trade.
If Motupalli is on the Andhra coast, one could infer it might have functioned similarly for the Kakatiyas in regional and foreign trade networks.
Lists intermediate/minor ports on the eastern coast (Kakinada, Machilipatnam) indicating multiple functioning ports in Andhra coastal region.
Compare Motupalli's location to these named ports and known trade routes to assess whether Motupalli could have been of comparable importance.
Explains that eastern ports served large hinterlands and handled significant exports/imports, demonstrating the strategic economic role of Bay of Bengal ports.
A student could check whether Motupalli had access to a substantial hinterland or produced/exported goods listed here to support claims of importance.
Notes Kakatiya administrative/military organization (assignment of local revenues to leaders), implying the kingdom managed coastal revenues and localities.
Investigate whether Motupalli appears in records of revenue grants or naval/military assignments within the Kakatiya administrative system to infer its prominence.
Lists Machilipatnam among intermediate/minor seaports on the east coast, showing it was an established coastal trading port.
A student could combine this list with a map of medieval Andhra to see if Machilipatnam lay within or near Kakatiya-controlled territory, suggesting potential Kakatiya use.
States the Dutch had a trading post at Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam), indicating the port's continued commercial importance into the early modern period.
Compare the port's documented early‑modern importance with medieval trade routes and Kakatiya coastal influence to infer whether it was likely significant earlier.
Names Masulipatnam among important commercial/shipbuilding centres in the Andhra region, implying regional maritime activity centred there.
Use this pattern (Andhra having major shipbuilding/ports) plus the geographic location of Kakatiya domains to assess plausibility that Kakatiyas used Machilipatnam as a key port.
Map text references the 'Bay of Masulipatnam' in the context of Pallava territories, showing the place-name and bay were known in earlier medieval maps.
Locate that bay relative to later medieval polities (like the Kakatiyas) on historical maps to judge if the port lay inside Kakatiya maritime reach.
Although focused on Pallava seaports, it illustrates a pattern that south Indian dynasties maintained recognized seaports and organized trade—suggesting continuity of coastal trading hubs over time.
Apply this general pattern to the Andhra coast: if Pallavas and later Europeans used ports there, a student might infer continuity making Machilipatnam a plausible Kakatiya-era port to investigate further.
- Explicitly identifies Motupalle as an important seaport in the time of Ganapati (Kakatiya ruler).
- Mentions Nelluru only as a district headquarter/place name, not as a seaport.
- Describes a trade edict and protections issued at Motupalle, indicating its commercial importance.
- Records Marco Polo's identification of the Kakatiya region with Motupalle, noting its reputation for valuable trade goods (implying Motupalle's prominence).
- Mentions events (e.g., burning of Nellore) without describing Nellore as a major port, supporting that Motupalle—not Nelluru—was the noted seaport.
Identifies the Kakatiyas as the major power in Andhra in the 13th–14th centuries, implying they controlled coastal Andhra where seaports would lie.
Locate Nelluru/Nellore on a map of coastal Andhra and check if it fell within Kakatiya-controlled territory to assess plausibility of being a Kakatiya seaport.
Lists intermediate/minor eastern ports in Andhra such as Machilipatnam, Kakinada, Kalingapatnam, showing the region had multiple active ports.
Compare Nelluru/Nellore's geographic position with these named ports and historical port networks to judge whether Nelluru fits the pattern of active coastal trade centres.
Describes South Indian maritime trade patterns (exports, guilds, and important seaports like Mamallapuram), providing a model of how ports functioned and were ranked.
Use this model (exports, merchant guild presence, foreign trade links) to check if historical records of Nelluru show similar trading activity to qualify as a 'very important' seaport.
Explicitly highlights 'maritime activity' as a topic of importance in regional histories, indicating that coastal cities are assessed by documented maritime roles.
Search for documentary or archaeological evidence of maritime activity (harbour structures, ship-related finds, foreign contacts) at Nelluru/Nellore to evaluate its importance.
Explains Kakatiya administrative practices (assignment of revenues/local control), suggesting ways to check if a port town was under Kakatiya administration and economically significant.
Look for Kakatiya-era land grants, revenue records, or administrative mentions naming Nelluru to infer its economic/strategic importance to the kingdom.
- [THE VERDICT]: Trap/Current-Affairs Linked History. Not in basic NCERTs. Found in specialized culture notes or news regarding 'Mission Kakatiya' restoration projects.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Economic History of Medieval India > Maritime Trade & Urbanisation > Key Ports of Dynasties.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize Dynasty-Port pairs: Satavahanas (Barygaza/Bharuch, Kalyana), Guptas (Tamralipti), Cholas (Nagapattinam, Kaveripattinam/Puhar), Pandyas (Korkai), Cheras (Muziris/Tondi), Vijayanagara (Bhatkal, Honnavar), Mughals (Surat, Satgaon).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When a dynasty is in the news (e.g., Cholas via PS-1 movie or Kakatiyas via state schemes), do not stop at Kings/Temples. You MUST map their 'Economic Infrastructure'—Ports, Irrigation tanks, and Coinage.
Reference [1] lists Kakinada as an intermediate/minor seaport in a modern port list, while references [2], [8], [10] discuss the Kakatiya kingdom without linking Kakinada to it—so modern labels cannot be directly projected onto medieval importance.
High-yield for UPSC: avoids anachronistic reasoning when interpreting sources; useful when questions ask about continuity/change in economic geography. Helps connect historical interpretation with source criticism and historiography.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Ports > p. 21
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms > Origin and Expansion > p. 180
References ([1], [4], [6]) highlight factors used to rate ports today—natural harbour quality, hinterland, and cargo types—which are the kinds of criteria needed to assess a port's importance historically as well.
High-yield: mastering physical and economic criteria for port significance helps answer questions across geography and economic history (e.g., why some ports rose/fell). Enables comparative analysis and source-based evaluation in prelims and mains.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Ports > p. 21
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Ports > p. 19
References [2], [8], [10] describe the Kakatiya kingdom and its administrative/military practices—necessary background to judge whether coastal ports like Kakinada lay within Kakatiya control and could be important to them.
High-yield: understanding the political geography and administrative systems of medieval South India helps answer polity/economy linkage questions and contextualize maritime trade in mains answers and essays.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms > Origin and Expansion > p. 180
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms > Nayak System > p. 183
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 18: Early Resistance to British Rule > Origin of Palayams and Palayakkarars > p. 282
The claim names the Kakatiya polity; several references describe the Kakatiyas' location in Andhra and their administrative/military arrangements.
Understanding where the Kakatiyas ruled (Andhra/Warangal) and their systems (Nayak-like military tenure, palayakkarar/iqta parallels) is high-yield for medieval polity questions. It links to topics on regional power centres, military recruitment and revenue assignments, and helps evaluate claims about coastal control or maritime activity.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms > Origin and Expansion > p. 180
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms > Nayak System > p. 183
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 18: Early Resistance to British Rule > Origin of Palayams and Palayakkarars > p. 282
The question concerns a seaport's importance; references discuss notable medieval/regionally important ports (e.g., Mamallapuram, Machilipatnam) and lists of coastal ports.
Mastering which ports were important in different periods/regions (Tamil, Andhra coast) helps answer source-based questions about maritime trade, foreign contacts and economic significance. This concept connects trade networks, regional geography and polity control of coasts—used often in questions about trade, cultural exchange and economic history.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > Trade > p. 125
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Ports > p. 21
Assessing a port's importance requires awareness of merchant organisations and trade routes; references describe guilds and foreign trade destinations in the south.
Knowing merchant guilds (Manigramam, nanadesi, ainurruvar), exported commodities and overseas links is essential for questions on economic history and cultural contacts. This aids evaluation of why specific ports rose in prominence and how they connected to trans‑regional trade.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > Trade > p. 125
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > IV. Answer the following in detail > p. 134
Multiple references identify Masulipatnam/Machilipatnam as a named seaport on the eastern coast of India.
High-yield for UPSC: knowing historically significant coastal centres helps answer questions on trade, regional maritime links and economic geography. This concept connects to topics on medieval trade networks and later colonial maritime presence; useful for questions asking continuity/change of port importance across periods.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Ports > p. 21
- Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > The Dutch: commerce and competition > p. 89
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 4: India on the Eve of British Conquest > Trade and Industry > p. 76
The 'Abhaya Sasana' (Charter of Security): An inscription at Motupalli by Kakatiya King Ganapati Deva guaranteeing fixed duties and protection to foreign traders. This is the medieval version of 'Ease of Doing Business'.
The 'Modern vs. Ancient' Filter: Kakinada and Machilipatnam are prominent modern/colonial ports. Nelluru is a district HQ. Motupalli is the only 'obscure' historical name in the list. In Ancient/Medieval questions, if options mix famous modern cities with one obscure archaeological site, the obscure site is usually the answer.
Mains GS-1 (Culture) & GS-3 (Economy): Use Motupalli's 'Abhaya Sasana' as a historical case study for 'State support to Trade' or 'Ease of Doing Business' in India, contrasting it with the arbitrary cargo seizures common in that era.