Salt Trade and Trading centres of South West Bengal (18th century)

Salt is very important product of our daily life. Salt has been manufactured by solar evaporation from seawater brines since time immemorial. the extraction of salt from seawater consists of progressive evaporation of brine in large open khalaris using solar heat and wind.as the brine evaporates, its concentration rises and the constituent salts crystallize in a set order. South West Bengal was supposed to be an important zone of salt trading.so attempts have been made in research works to explore and access the authority and control of the rulers on salt manufacturing and trading during the pre-British phase in the context of South West Bengal. With the change of political scenario, the company enjoyed the monopoly over salt trading.