Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c5.71

c5.71

What then were the agricultural products in general? The predominant grain-harvest was that of rice of different varieties (sāli: vihi: taṇḍula).¹ The eastern portion of India, specially Bihar and Bengal, has always been famous for this rice-harvest which mainly depends upon the abundance of water-supply which could be got from the Ganges and its tributaries. Amongst other field grain-crops are mentioned barley (yava) and millet (kaṅgu).² Among pulses, grams (kalāye) peas and beans (muggamāsa)³ and also perhaps sesame (tila)⁴ are mentioned. Oil-seeds like the castor (eraṇḍa) must have been grown and with these may be mentioned the cocoanut trees.⁵ Of the spices, we have mention of pepper (marica), moist and dry ginger (addasingi-vera), white mustard (siddhatthaka) and cumin (jīraka).⁶ Salt and vinegar (loṇa-ambila) are frequently mentioned as necessary ingredients in food.⁷