Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India c8.34

c8.34

The Grecian authorities have also given some information about the ancient routes of northern India. Megasthenes, the Greek Ambassador to the court of Chandragupta, has mentioned about these routes in some places in his travel account. At one place he points out that Indians were expert road-makers. After the roads were ready they put milestones at the interval of two miles in order to ascertain the distance and point out the direction of the branch routes.¹⁸ At another place he says that an account was kept about the stages of the routes.¹⁹ Arrangements were made on the roads for the comfort of the travellers. It is mentioned in one of the inscriptions of Aśoka that he had dug wells and planted trees on the roads for the comfort of the travellers.²⁰