Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c9.s5.96

c9.s5.96

We are not certain about the exact nature of the "fragrant-material" mentioned by Buddhaghosa. Kauṭilya does mention some such liquids and ores in his discussion on conducting mining operations and manufactures.¹ This fails to explain exactly what the fragrant material was, but nevertheless makes it highly probable that such a valuable substance existed which either oozed from "the slopes of well-known mountains" or was an ore obtainable from the "plains or slopes of mountains." The possession of such a mountain or plain might well have been a bone of contention between two powers, though there are certainly no hills of appreciable size on the banks of the Ganges adjoining Magadha.