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Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India c3: Preface

Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India c3

Language
English

Preface

c3.1

ALMOST TWENTY-FIVE years back I studied the Jain and Buddhist literatures with a view to find out such material bearing on certain aspects of Indian social institutions about which the Sanskrit literature is almost silent. My experience in this field of study was that in the canonical and story literature of Buddhists and Jains such accounts have survived which throw light on ancient trade routes, trade, organisation of the caravans, and the position of the caravan leader. These ancient stories inform us that in spite of manifold difficulties the Indian caravan always plied on land and sea routes and it was due to their indomitable courage that Indian religion and culture gained a firm foothold in Greater India. Unfortunately the ancient Indian literature has no work like the *Periplus of the Erythraean Sea* or Ptolemy's *Geography* which has survived. But even then some ancient Indian works like the *Mahāniddesa* and *Vasudeva-hiṇḍī* and the *Arthaśāstra* contain geographical information which informs us that the Indians were well acquainted with land and sea routes. Moreover, we are further informed about different kinds of routes, the troubles encountered by travellers, the construction of sea-worthy ships, export and import etc.

c3.2

There has been a very intimate relationship between trade, trade routes and politics and, therefore, I have tried to elucidate contemporary political conditions in different periods of Indian history. The political conditions help us to comprehend the history of Indian trade and commerce in a realistic manner. For instance, in the early centuries of the Christian era the foundation by Kanishka of an empire extending from the confines of China to whole northern India opened the great silk route to Indians, and secondly the establishment of the Roman empire opened the Red Sea route which was the preserve of the Arabs to Alexandrian Greeks and some Indians as well. It is due to these political conditions that in the contemporary literature and inscriptions we get an impression of the growing trade between India and the Roman empire. The archaeological finds from Arikamedu, Aṅkotā (Baroda), Brahmagiri (Kolhapur), Kāpiśī (Begram) and Taxila also throw important light on the trade relations between India and the Roman empire. However, after the downfall of the Roman empire and the Kushāṇa empire difficulties again arose on the trade routes and consequently the trade suffered. One of the reasons behind the war of the Śakas and Sātavāhanas was the lucrative trade with the Roman empire. Both the powers wanted to control the port of Broach which was the key point in this trade. The efforts of the Sātavāhanas to control the trade route between Ujjain and Mathura was with the same objective. The battle for Broach resulted in shifting most of the trade activities to Muchirī (Cranganore) to which taking advantage of the monsoon wind the Roman ships sailed directly. Some scholars are of the opinion that because of the constant warfare between the Śakas and Sātavāhanas the Indian colonisers proceeded to Suvarṇabhūmi. Perhaps trade must have been one of the reasons for Rājendra Chōla leading a naval expedition to Suvarṇabhūmi. Literature throws important light on the trade routes and caravans using them. They had to face many difficulties including robbers and wild animals. The caravan leader looked after the safety of the members of the caravan and made arrangements for their food and their security. In the sea-voyage the dangers were even more such as cyclones, submarine rocks, dangerous aquatic animals and pirates. Moreover, while transacting business in foreign lands merchants were often cheated. The safeguard against these dangers was the skill of the skipper and the caravan leader. The Buddhist literature informs us that in ancient India there was a book on nautical science known as *Niryāmaka Sūtra*. The study of this work was incumbent on sea captains, seamen of all categories. The literature provides information about the means of communication such as bullock carts, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, boats and ships. Now and then technical words about shipping are found. But we have to depend on art for information about these means of communication. Except at Bharhut, Amaravati, Ajanta and some Sātavāhana coins Indian boats and ships are seldom represented. Fortunately many ship types have been represented on the bas-relief of Borobudur. Whether these ships are of Indian or Indonesian origin it is difficult to say. I have assembled all the material in Chapter XIII.

c3.3

The book is full of Sanskrit, Pāli, Prākrit, Greek, Latin, Arabic and Chinese names and therefore one word at many places has been pronounced differently. I hope my readers will excuse me for these discrepancies.

c3.4

I am also thankful to friends for their useful suggestions. The late Dr. V.S. Agrawala had not only advised me from time to time, but also wrote an introduction to my book. Shri Wakhankar and others helped me in preparing some drawings. My wife Smt. Shanti Devi has always shared my difficulties. I have no words to thank her.

Cites (6)