Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c5.t4.45

c5.t4.45

As regards reverine traffic and sea-trade also, we have some notices. "The plentifulness of great navigable waterways in Northern India allows us to assume an early development of internal maritime trade."⁹ Well-known sea-ports like Bharukaccha (Broach)¹⁰ and the sea-board of Sovīra,¹¹ on the west and Kāvirapattana,¹² and the less-known ones like Karambiya,¹³ Gambhīra¹⁴ and Seriva¹⁵ on the south and east are mentioned. Suppāraka might also be added to the list.¹ The great rivers served as commercial routes and royal roads connected the important cities. Thus it was practicable to reach any of these ports, from inland towns like Campā and even Benares, as we have seen. A brisk coastal trade must also have been maintained between the sea-port towns themselves.²