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History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c33.s8.t3: Cola Transport

History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c33.s8.t3

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English

Cola Transport

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The Cola inscriptions mention roads while describing boundaries of gifted land. There were two types of roads.

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i) *Vali* - only for foot travellers

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ii) *Peru-Vali* - trunk roads leading to various divisions of the Kingdom.

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Examples are *Vadugapperuvali* or *Andhrapatha*, *Kongupperuvali* Road (leading to Salem, Coimbatore); the *Tanjavurpperuvali* mentioned in an inscription from Aduturai (363 of 1907).

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Another inscription from Tanjore (203 of 1908) records the road leading to Kalyāṇapuram (capital of the Western Cālukyas).

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The existence of great roads like the ones mentioned testify the use of wheeled vehicles, and constant movement from one place to another. One such road is mentioned as having been 2 *kol*(24 ft)

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A milestone or an indicator mentioning directions belonging to 13th century has been discovered in North Arcot District.

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Fig.1. A tenth century road sign mentioning it as the Rajkeśarī Peruvali (High road at Sundaikkaimuthur, Dt. Coimbatore, Tamilnadu)

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Fig.2. A thirteenth century road sign mentioning it as the Vikrama, Pandyan Street, 6th Ward at Tiruvannamalai, N.Arcot district, Tamil Nadu. The Pandyan royal emblem (double fish and hook) are inscribed.

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North India between 700 - 1200 A.D.

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By the 7th century A.D North India was fully connected by great roads. Religious travel or pilgrimages became a way of life and there was constant movement - both by the Buddhists and the Hindus - to the various sacred places.

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The great University of Nālandā also attracted students from various parts of the world and great travel facilities were required. Various works mention caravan journeys undertaken by merchants. They include *Bhavisayattakaha*, *Samaraiccakaha* and *Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita*.

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As pointed out by Lallanji Gopal *Medatithi* clearly refers to carts (*gantri*) drawn by bullocks, mules, buffaloes and other animals. The *Upamitibhavaprapañcakathā* mentions that hiring caravans of large carts and animals (mules) for drawing them, yielded high income.

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Rathya is a street through which carriages passed and Laghurathya meant a small carriage street. The Samarāṅganasūtradhāra mentions many kinds of roads.

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Facilities for travellers included water reservoirs. This information can be gleaned through Tilakamañjarī, which also states that the king appointed officers to provide food, drink, beds and medicine in charitable houses. Such houses (Sattragara) are also mentioned in the Prabandha cintāmaṇi.

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Basham, A.L. : 1954, The Wonder that is India, London. Dikshitar, V.R.R. : 1993, The Gupta Polity, Delhi. Gopal, Lallanji : 1989, The Economic Life of Northern India, c 700 - 1200 A.D, Delhi Guruge Ananda : 1991, The Society of the Ramayana, Delhi. History of Tamilnadu - Saṅgam Age, 1983, Madras. Majumdar, R.C. : Ancient India, Motilal Banarsidas. Margabandhu, C :1983, Rangavalli - Recent Researches in Indology, (Edited by) A.V. Narasimhamurthi, B.G.K. Rao, Delhi. Margabandhu, C :1985, Arch. of Sātavāhana - Kṣatrapa times, Delhi. Margabandhu, C : “Early transport vehicles from Ganga Valley”. Mookerji, R.R. : “Chandra Gupta Maurya and his times”. Possehl, Gregory : 1979, Ancient Cities of the Indus, Delhi. Shastri, K.A.N. : 1984, The Colas, Madras University, Madras. Singh, B.P. : 1985, Life in Ancient Varanasi, Delhi. Sparreboom, M. : 1951, Chariots in the Veda, Utrecht. Ray, P. and Sen, S.N. : 1986, The Cultural Heritage of India, Ramakrishna Mission, Calcutta.

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