Town Planning in Ancient India c6.17

c6.17

The necessity of a trading post led to the growth of many commercial towns in India, as also in other countries. From the very earliest times it has been customary for several tribes to share a common trysting place where they held their councils, and bartered their goods in the common markets. The present Howra-Hāt, *i.e.*, Howra market, in Howra is an illustration in point. The origin of the towns of the ancient Saptagrām, modern Chittagong, and other towns situated on a sea-coast or on a river-bank, specially on the bend of a river, can be traced to marts of ancient times. The definition of a ‘pattana’ given in the Mayamata bears testimony to this:—“A ‘pattana’ is a town abounding in articles imported from other islands, alive with all classes of people, a land of commercial transactions in the shape of sale and purchase, replete with jewellery, precious stones, money, silk cloths, perfumery and the like, situated in the vicinity of a sea-coast”, lying lengthwise along it.¹ Mr. Venkatarama Ayar furnishes us with an instance of such a commercial town. “Kaveripumpattinam is a very ancient city which was once a flourishing sea-port and a great centre of commerce. It is the Khabiros Emporion of the Greeks. It is also known as Pukar or the city at the mouth of the Kaveri. It had a splendid harbour and a lighthouse. This ancient sea-port which had an extensive commerce has ceased to be of importance owing to the silting up of the Kaveri.¹ Moreover, a trade centre like a mart is very likely to be posted on or near by the well-known trade routes of the ancient world. It was on such a trade route that the ancient town of Taxila grew up. "The valley in which the remains of Taxila lie is a singularly pleasant one, well-watered by the Haro river and its tributaries, and protected by a girdle of hills;—on the north and east by the snow-mountains of Hazra and the Murree ridge, on the south and west by the well-known Margalla spur and other lower eminences. This position on the great trade route which used to connect Hindustan with Central and Western Asia, coupled with the strength of its natural defences, the fertility of the soil, and a constant supply of good water, readily accounts for the importance of the city in early times."²