BANKING TRADE AND COMMERCE

section ii-TRADE AND COMMERCE: TRADE ROUTES

DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE 18TII CENTURY the principal routes of trade were the Poona-Kolhapur-Karnatak road and the Pandharpur road by the Kaledhon pass. The first made road was from Poona to Satara by the Salpa pass, and it was made fit for carts in 1841. In 1848, except along the old Poona road and the Satara-Mahabalesbwar made road, the traffic was carried on by pack bullocks. In 1883, [Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Vol. XIX, 1885, pages 194-200.] the district had 51 routes. Of these, the principal routes were: Poona-Belgaum, Satara-Lonand-Poona, Satara-Tasgaon, Karad-Tasgaon, Varandha-Dharampuri, Surul-Mahabaleshwar, Satara-Mahabaleshwar, Satara-Pandharpur, Malharpeth-Pandharpur, Karad-Kumbharli-Sangli. There was a considerable traffic between Satara and Konkan via Mahabaleshwar. A cart road passed from Karad via the Phonda Ghat to Chiplun. A large amount of traffic was destined to the ports on the Konkan coast, especially to Ratnagiri. Chiplun, Bankot and Mahad. " In 1857, the opening of the Varandha pass put Wai within 60 miles of Mahad by cart road; in 1884, the opening of Kumbharli pass put Karad within sixty miles of Chiplun; and in 1876, the opening of Fitz-Gerald pass, placed Wai and Satara within 50 miles of Mahad.". The following statement shows traffic by these passes between December 1877 and June 1878.[As this traffic belongs to Kolhapur, Miraj, Sangli, Phaltan and Pandharpur, as well as to Satara, the statement does not show the district imports and exports but the general usefulness of these passes.]

TABLE 21.

SATARA—SAHYADRI PASS TRAFFIC, DECEMBER 1877 TO JUNE 1878.

The Poona-Belgaum mail road was, however, the chief route of traffic in the district. This road was crossed by almost all the important roads of the district which served as feeders to the mail road.

The Lamans, a wandering tribe and the professional carriers of the district, used to carry pack-bullocks to the coast and to Poona and other centres. They traded in such articles as cotton, molasses, chillies, tobacco, and other articles of export. They used to bring salt, grain, spices and groceries. The Lamans, however, disappeared after the opening of the cart roads to the Konkan by the Kumbharli and the Fitz-Gerald passes.

Present Routes- of Trade.—The Poona-Bangalore route of the Southern Railway passes north to south through the heart of this district: and as such this district is connected by railway to Bombay via Poona, and with Miraj, Hubli, Dharwar, Bangalore, etc. The Poona-Bangalore National Highway, which covers about 80 miles and 5 furlongs in this district, is another very important route of trade. In addition, the district is fairly served by five state highways, viz., (1) Poladpur-Mahabaleshwar-Surul road, (2) Satara-Pandharpur road. (3) Guhagar-Chiplun-Karad-Jath-Bijapur-Hyderabad road, (4) Pingali-Mayani-Tasgaon road and (5) Mahad-Lonand-Phaltan-Pandharpur road.

Thus, roads in this district have facilitated trade with Bombay, Poona, Bangalore, Sholapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Kolaba districts. A detailed description of these routes is given in the chapter on Communications.

Out of the total population of the district, viz., 11,75,309, trade; provided employment to 53,646 persons including 10,723 self-supporting individuals.

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