The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c16.11

c16.11

In the culture-period depicted in the Jatakas, overland trade seems to have far surpassed in importance sea-borne trade. The tradesman who goes about the country with his caravan is in fact a typical figure in our narratives and, according to the statements in these, caravan traffic cannot have been small, either with regard to the distance traversed or with regard to wares carried. Big trade routes cross the land in all directions and carry on an exchange of goods between the several and (judged by their products and necessities) widely different parts of India; there was, especially, manifestly brisk trade between the eastern and the western parts. We read in the Apaṇṇaka Jātaka of a caravan-leader (satthavâha, I. 98) who goes from the east to the west with 500 wagon-loads and then returns. Tradesmen residing in Benares travel to Ujjani¹ in order to carry on trade (II. 248). Also from trade relations between Kasmir and Gandhâra kingdoms, on the one side, and Videha land, on the other, we learn, as narrated in the Gandhâra Jataka, that the king of Videha inquires of the tradesmen about the health of his friend, the king of Kasmîra and Gandhâra (III. 365).