IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : India Earliest Times to the 8th Century A.D - Expansion in Network of Trade and Urbanisation

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

India Earliest Times to the 8th Century A.D

Expansion in Network of Trade and Urbanisation

Structure

24.0 Objectives
24.1 Introduction
24.2 Geographical Background
24.3 Political Framework
24.4 Expansion of Trade and ;'loduction of Commodities
24.4.1 Internal Trade
24.4.2 External Trade
24.4.3 Principal Trade Routes
24.4.4 Urban Centres
24.5 Role of Religion in Trade
24.6 Position of Traders
24.7 Let Us Sum Up
24.8 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

24.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this unit you will be able to learn :

how items of trade were acquired or manufactured,
how trade was conducted and organised,
which were the major trade routes in north India,
'about the important urban centres that developed,
about the commercial contacts between India and other countries, and
the position of traders in society.

24.1 INTRODUCTION

In Block 4 you learnt how developments in the later Vedic period led to the growth of cities
in the 6th century B.C. These early cities were located either on the banks of.the Ganga or
on its major tributaries which were used for communication. A majority of them, were
political centres and capitals of the early monarchical kingdoms. Some of them had mud
ramparts and earthen embankments, but by and large they were unplanned settlements.
Archaeological excavations at these early sites have been few and have failed to reveal any
evidence of early monuments. It is not until the Mauryan period when the capital was shifted
from Rajagriha to Pataliputra that there are traces of monumental architecture. As compared
to these early beginnings the pace of urbanisation accelerated in the post-Mauryan period.
The number of cities increased and these now combined political and commercial functions.
There was a greater use of brick, both for residential structures as well as for fortifications
and public buildings. It is also at this time that imposing religious monuments were built
and embellished.
Similarly, trade activities were carried out primarily in essential commodities such as salt,
metals, etc. The early trade routes gained more importance under the Mauryas. There were
two reasons for this :
i) Gold, gems and diamonds mined in the Deccan and transported along trade routes were
required to sustain the royal treasury.
ii) The state derived revenue by taxing the traders and hence encouraged trading activity.