Trade and Trade Routes In Ancient India

Trade And Trade Routes In Ancient India

by Moti Chandra


The present book is a pioneering attempt to reconstruct the route systems of ancient India upto the eleventh century A.D., the traders that traversed them restlessly, the goods in which they dealt, and the manner in which they organised themselves for this trade which stretched not only over the entire Indian subcontinent, but from the islands of the East Indies to the shores of the Mediterranean. A unique feature of the book is the penetrating interpretation of Buddhist and Jaina sources of which the author had the most thorough command, and there are many deep insights into the relationship between geography and history. The work has been translated into various Indian Languages and has been praised as showing the way for future historical writing in India.


About The Author:


The late Dr. Moti Chandra (1909-74) was one of the most eminent Scholars of his generation, his work being marked by an astonishing range and depth of perception. the history of art, history, historical geography, epigraphy, numismatics, language, literature, were all enriched by his learning. Born at Varanasi, he received his education at the Banaras Hindu University and the University of London. He served as the head of Prince of Wales Museum of western India, Bombay, for over thirty years. In 1974, the President of India honoured him with the award of the Padma Bhushan. His major publications include Jaina Miniature Paining in Western India, Economic and Geographical Studies in the Mahabharata, Kashi ka Itihasa, Studies in Early Indian Painting, The World of Courtesans, and several others. The present book brings to bear his wide knowledge in several fields to an elucidation of the trade and trade routes of ancient India which played such an important part in the development of Indian civilisation.