Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India c2.26

Language: English

c2.26.1

The Kushāṇa art also exercised influence on eastern and western routes of Centrial Asia. Kapiśa was in this age also in the dominion of the Kushāṇas, and the finding of ivory caskets from Begram show that these caskets were influenced by Mathura art, so much so that some scholars regard them of Mathura origin. In the Kushāṇa period India's trade and commerce with the Roman empire had reached its zenith, but in this sea-borne trade caravan seems to have played a great part. Ghaṇṭāsāla from where remains of a Buddhist stupa have been recovered is identified with Kaṇṭakasela of inscriptions and Kantakossul of Ptolemy. This is an important identification in Indian geography. The writer is quite correct in his estimate that the spread of Buddhism on the eastern sea coast of India which had once flourishing trade with the Roman empire enabled the followers of Buddhism to raise the magnificent stupas at Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda and Jagayyapeta. Similarly, on the western sea coast the Mahā-chaityas and Vihāras at Bhaja, Karle and Kanhari were due to the munificent gifts of the Buddhist businessmen who were making huge profits from the Roman trade. In the fifth chapter the author has tried to visualize how the foreign conquerors like the Ṛishikas, Śakas and Kushāṇas with their hordes on the Grand Route of India, gradually entered northern India and the Deccan and how the Sātavāhanas keeping the spirit of national resistance finally themselves came to an end.

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The long rivalry between the Śakas and Sātavāhanas was not only due to political reasons but also due to commerce. While the Sātavāhanas were firmly established in the Kalyan-Nasik region the Śakas held sway over Sopara-Bharukachchha region and these regions exchanged hands several times depending on the strength or weakness of the rivals. In this connection a new fact has been brought to light that one of the names of Kanishka was Chandana and according to the Periplus Sandanes or Chandana exercised authority on Bharukachchha. This theory of Sylvan Levi remains unsupported by known events, but at least one fact supports his theory and it is the statue of Chashṭana along with that of Kanishka found in the Devakula at Mat. So far the relation of Kanishka with Chashṭana remains unexplained. From the assertion of the Periplus that Sandanes (Chandana or Kanishka) controlled Bharukachchha it could be suggested that there must have existed some relationship between Kanishka and Chashṭana and that Kanishka extended his control over Bharukachcha-Sopara through Chashṭana. The Mat statue of Kanishka represents him as a middle-aged man, and Chashṭana was a young man. It may be suggested that Chashṭana was a younger brother or a close relation of Kanishka. It is also possible that he was racially related with Kanishka’s family. Sylvan Levi has also suggested that between 25 and 120 A.D. the Yüe-chi were in the Deccan.

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This is as well supported by grammatical literature where Mahishaka and the Ṛishika Janapadas are shown as related (*Kāsikā Sūtra* IV. 1. 132; *Ṛishikeshu jātaḥ ārshikaḥ; Mahishakeshu jātaḥ Māhishikaḥ*). Prof. Mirashi had identified Mahishaka with South Hyderabad and Ṛishika with Khandesh. Prof. D.C. Sircar, however, disagrees with this view (*Epig. Ind.* XXXV, pp. 69 ff). As a matter of fact in this region there were located a group of five *janapadas*. The Ṛishikas were in Khandesh; Akola and Amaravati included Vidarbha; in the Aurangabad district the spur of the Sahyādri extending from Ajanta to the Godavari was the Mūlaka land, and to the south of the Godavari the region of Ahmednagar represented Aśmaka and to its south-east was situated Mahishaka. In the Nasik inscription of Gautamīputra Sātakarṇi the mention of Ṛishika, Aśmaka, Mūlaka and Vidarbha is an additional link in supporting the existence of the Ṛishikas in the Deccan. In the *Kishkindhā Kāṇḍa* of the *Rāmāyaṇa* as well Sugrīva describes the settlements in the Deccan—Vidarbha, Ṛishika and Mahishaka together (*Vidarbhānṛishikānchaiva ramayān-māhishakānapi* 41.10). The geographical references of the *Rāmāyaṇa* mention Suvarṇadvīpa and the seven states of Java probably in the Śaka-Sātavāhana period.