Inland trade under the Delhi Sultanate played an important role in the economic life of medieval India. The expansion of the Sultanate, growth of towns, development of markets, and improvement of roads and communication encouraged the movement of goods between different regions. Inland trade connected agricultural villages with urban centres and linked important commercial towns with production areas. One important feature of inland trade was the extensive exchange of agricultural and manufactured goods. Food grains such as wheat, rice, barley and pulses were transported from surplus-producing regions to towns and areas facing shortages. Sugar, cotton, oil, indigo and other agricultural products were also traded. Manufactured commodities included cotton and silk textiles, carpets, leather goods, metal products, weapons, jewellery and other articles of daily use. Bengal was famous for rice, sugar and fine textiles, while Gujarat and other western regions were important centres of cotton textiles and commercial activity. The growth of towns greatly stimulated inland commerce. Delhi became the most important political and commercial centre of the Sultanate. Other important towns such as Multan, Lahore, Ajmer, Lakhnauti, Kara, Daulatabad