Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c7.15

c7.15

THOSE were the days of brisk trade and commerce, both inland and sea-borne, between India and a large part of the outside world. The Jātakas abound in sea-going references, and they quite frequently refer to brisk inland trade carried on by means of caravans.¹ This, naturally, brought the trading folk in close contact with different parts of the country and with other foreign countries, and thus expanded their geographical knowledge through personal experience. Now, these trading people, when they returned home from their far-off journey on land and water, told their experiences to their relatives and friends, and thus the knowledge of the outside world was easily broad-casted. It was through this process, that the people of India knew well that in the far-off kingdom of Baveru (Babylon), there did not exist various kinds of birds; it was through this medium again, that they knew how prosperous the country of Suvaṇṇabhūmi (Lower Burma) was. It was through this personal experiences of the travellers, also, that the numerous cities and villages, ports and seas, rivers and mountains, plains and deserts became familiar to the people. Besides this, the itinerant mendicants (paribbājakas) of whom we hear a lot in these stories, helped a great deal in spreading geographical knowledge.