The Bengali economy relied on 

textile manufacturing, shipbuilding, saltpetre production,

craftsmanship, and agricultural produce. Bengal was a major hub for international trade –
silk and cotton textiles from Bengal were worn in Europe, Japan, Indonesia, and Central
Asia.[64][42] Annual Bengali shipbuilding output was 223,250 tons, compared to an output of
23,061 tons in the nineteen colonies of North America. Bengali shipbuilding proved to be
more advanced than European shipbuilding prior to the Industrial Revolution. The flush
deck of Bengali rice ships was later replicated in European shipbuilding to replace the
stepped deck design for ship hulls.