EPISODE · Jul 7, 2026 · 4 MIN
The Lost Port of Saptagram: Bengal's Medieval Maritime Hub
from The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
Before Calcutta rose to prominence, the Hooghly River was home to Saptagram, a bustling medieval port that connected Bengal to the wider Indian Ocean world. This episode of The Hidden History of Bengal traces the rise and fall of this once-great trading centre, from its origins under the Bengal Sultanate through its peak under the Mughals and its eventual decline as the river silted up and the Portuguese shifted trade to Hooghly. Lucas and Luna explore how Saptagram's merchants traded in silk, muslin, and saltpeter, and how the port's fate was sealed by war and environmental change. Along the way, they touch on the arrival of European traders, the rivalry between local Hindu and Muslim merchants, and the forgotten ruins that still dot the landscape today. Part history, part elegy for a lost city of commerce. #Saptagram #BengalSultanate #MedievalTrade #HooghlyRiver #IndianOceanWorld #PortHistory #SilkRoute #MuslinTrade #Saltpeter #PortugueseIndia #MughalBengal #Gaur #Satgaon #RiverSiltation #UrbanDecline #MaritimeHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
Before Calcutta rose to prominence, the Hooghly River was home to Saptagram, a bustling medieval port that connected Bengal to the wider Indian Ocean world. This episode of The Hidden History of Bengal traces the rise and fall of this once-great trading centre, from its origins under the Bengal Sultanate through its peak under the Mughals and its eventual decline as the river silted up and the Portuguese shifted trade to Hooghly. Lucas and Luna explore how Saptagram's merchants traded in silk, muslin, and saltpeter, and how the port's fate was sealed by war and environmental change. Along the way, they touch on the arrival of European traders, the rivalry between local Hindu and Muslim merchants, and the forgotten ruins that still dot the landscape today. Part history, part elegy for a lost city of commerce. #Saptagram #BengalSultanate #MedievalTrade #HooghlyRiver #IndianOceanWorld #PortHistory #SilkRoute #MuslinTrade #Saltpeter #PortugueseIndia #MughalBengal #Gaur #Satgaon #RiverSiltation #UrbanDecline #MaritimeHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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The Lost Port of Saptagram: Bengal's Medieval Maritime Hub
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