Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahabharata: Upayana Parva c8: Appendix II
Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahābhārata: Upāyana Parva c8
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Appendix II
c8.1
Taṅgaṇas. In the *Pūrvabhāga* of the *Āvaśyakacūrṇi* (Ratlam, 1928) a very interesting account of the method of transacting business by the Taṅgaṇas is given. I quote the text with its translation :
c8.2
उत्तरवहे टंकणा नाम म्लेच्छा । ते सुवन्नदंतयादीहि
दक्खिनवहगई भण्डाई गेण्हंति । ते य अवराघरं
भासं न जाणंति, पच्छा पुञ्जे करेंति हत्थेण
अच्छदंति, जाव इच्छा ण पूरेति ताव न अवणेति । (p. 120).
c8.3
"In the northern regions live the mleccha Taṅgaṇas. They with gold, ivory and other commodities, exchange the commodities of Dakṣiṇāpatha. As they do not understand the language of each other they arrange their goods in a heap and cover it with their hand which they do not remove till their demand is fulfilled''.
c8.4
In the same description of the trade method of the Taṅgaṇas quoted by Haribhadra in his *Āvaśyaka Ṭīkā* (I, pp. 99 & 100a, Bombay, 1916) the Taṅgaṇas are said to have bought the commodities of the southern regions with gold only. There is no mention of ivory.
c8.5
It is remarkable that even in present day the people from Kashgar side who are known as Taṅgaṇs bring gold-dust and semi-precious stones including jade to the markets of Srinagar in Kashmir. They do not visit however the Deccan as in the former days.