Great fire destroys much of Surat
- When
- 1837
- Where
- Surat
- Episodes
- 1
A catastrophic fire struck Surat in 1837, resulting in over 500 deaths and the destruction of more than 9,000 houses. This disaster significantly damaged the city's infrastructure, marking a pivotal moment in its colonial history as a major trading emporium.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. During the colonial period, it became the emporium of India, exporting gold and cloth. In 1837, the city suffered a great fire that killed more than 500 people and destroyed 9,737 houses, a devastation recorded amid its colonial-era commercial prominence.
Impact. The fire caused substantial loss of life and property. Historical records indicate that more than 500 people died in the blaze. The destruction extended to residential areas, with over 9,000 houses destroyed, fundamentally altering the city's physical landscape and immediate social conditions.
People involved
- Surat City · Affected Location
Sources
- Surat Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-20
- History of Surat Wikipedia
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.