Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India c2.9

c2.9

The same principles hold good for the road system of India today as in ancient times. The account of the Grand Route in northern India in this work deserves our attention because in ancient times this served as an artery for the land mass of the whole Asia extending from the Caspian Sea to China and from Bāhlika to Pāṭaliputra-Tāmralipti. Pāṇini (c. 500 B.C.) gives its contemporary name as Uttarapatha (*Uttarapathenāhṛitam*, V. 3.77). Megasthenes taking it as the northern route describes its various constituents. The Haimavatapatha of Kauṭilya indicated the Vāhlika-Taxila sector of the route. The great French savant A. Foucher has studied the history of this sector in two volumes. I am happy to note that the author has fully utilised A. Foucher’s work. The true identification of Hārahūra is with Harahvaitī modern Argandab region in South Afghanistan. The ancient Iranian name for Herat was Haraiva (S. Sārava). The name of the river Sarayū is even now preserved in the Harī Rūd. The other name for the Pārisindhu region was Pāresindhu mentioned in the *Mahābhārata*. Its exact equivalent in English would be trans-Indus. Pāṇini (VI. 2. 42) gives *pārevaḍavā* the name for the mares from the other side of the Indus. Moti Chandra has made a thorough search of Indian literature about these routes. In the Nalopākhyāna of the *Mahābhārata* standing in the Kontwar region of Gwalior (between the Chambal and Betwa) it is observed: ete gachchhanti bahavaḥ panthāno dakshiṇāpatham (Āraṇyaka *Parvan*, 59. 2). Many routes and their many arteries started from this place to the Deccan. There are also mentioned the routes proceeding to Vidarba, Dakshiṇa-Kosala and Dakshiṇāpatha. Even now the rail roads follow the same directions.