Surat, a city of British India, on the south bank of the river Tapti (crossed by a five-girder bridge), 14 miles from its mouth, and 160 by rail N. of Bombay. It stretches in a semicircle for more than a mile along the river, the quondam citadel (1540; government offices since 1862) forming the central feature in the line. The houses are closely packed, but the streets are clean and well paved; beyond them lie the suburbs, widespread in the midst of gardens. The chief ornaments of Surat are four handsome Mohammedan mosques, two Parsee fire-temples, three Hindu temples, the old English and Dutch factories, and a clock-tower (80 feet high). The existing city was founded early in the 16th century, and very soon after (in 1512) was burned by the Portuguese, who burned it again in 1530 and 1531.
A stronger fort was erected in 1546, and Surat, already a place of considerable trade, soon rose to be one of the greatest commercial cities of India. In 1612 the English established themselves there, in spite of the opposition of the Portuguese, and shortly after they were followed by the Dutch. These last were the busiest of the European traders. Surat at this time had commercial relations with western Europe, with the great cities of Northern India, with Arabia, Persia, the coast-towns of Southern India, Ceylon, and the East Indies, silk, cotton, and indigo being the most valuable exports. Here, too, the Mohammedan pilgrims of India were wont to embark for Mecca. Shortly after the middle of the 17th century the Mahrattas began to harass the city, and they pillaged it several times before the century ran out. But towards the end of the 17th century the commerce of Surat began to decline, Bombay gradually taking its place, especially after the East India Company transferred to that city the headquarters of their government. Just previous to this change Surat is believed to have had a population of 200,000. The place was transferred to English rule entirely in 1800, and for a time it had a revival of its old prosperity and became the most populous city in India. But by a quarter of a century later it had once more declined, and in 1837 was almost wholly ruined by a disastrous fire followed by a great flood. In 1858 it began once more to revive, and flourished during the period of the American civil war, its chief export being cotton. Pop. (1811) 250,000; (1847) 80,000; (1881) 109,840; (1891) 109,229. Cotton, silk brocade, and embroidery are manufactured.