Ch. 6. The Rise of the Mercantile Community (200B.C.E-300 C.E.)

1. Trade, Guilds2. Foreign contacts3. West and East4. Colonization

5. Language and lit

Political disunity- Trade

• Political events were confusing, but one underlying factor- that was consistent: trade.

• All through the vicissitudes of Shakas, Indo-Greeks, Shatavahanas, Cholas and Chalukyas- the merchants continued to develop.

• Asoka- constructed a number of roads- as he united and found a large empire.

• Indo-Greeks- in north west facilitated trade with the western world.

• Like wise, Kushans, Parthians and Shakas- improved trade with China

• Roman trade with South- • South also imported from Southeast Asia

Guilds

• As traders became successful they supported the new religions

• Jainism and Buddhism prospered during this time.

• Guilds became an important factor in urban life.• Guilds: organized production, shaping public

opinion.• Majority of the artisans joined the guilds-

because it was difficult for them to compete as individuals

Guilds

• Guilds had to registed with the local authorities- if they moved they had to obtain permission from the authorities.

• Most crafts had guilds• Leading guilds: potters, metal workers and

carpenters.• They are large• Ex. A wealthy potter named Saddalaputra

owned 500 potters workshops- ships• Guilds were even larger

Functions of guilds

• Fixed rules of work and quality of product.• Pricing• Guild court- to govern the members• Customary practice was law• Guilds intervened in the personal matters also• Ex. If a wife wants to join Buddhist monastery as a nun,

she has to obtain permission, not only from her husband, but from the guild also

• Guild- contained all the members of the caste- children followed their father- hereditary professions

• Sub-castes changed professions

Artisans

• In addition to guilds there are also workers co-operatives

• Generally included artisans associated with particular enterprise

• Eg. Temple building- had cooperatives of architects, engineers, and brick layers

• Excavations revealed a number of seals of guilds and corporations

• The banners and insignia were carried in festivals

• Also used for advertising

Donations

• Guilds- donated to religious institutions• Nasik cave- temple built by guild of weavers• Similarly in Sanchi and Vidisa• Guilds did not try for political power• Royalty also invested in the guilds because the

returns are good• The guilds- did not try for political power-

because it is difficult to obtain loyalty of other guilds- which is difficult to obtain because of caste rules

Banking

• The guilds also acted as banker, financier and trustee

• New currency indicates the activities• 15% interest on loans• More for loans involving maritime trade• Coinage: gold: Nishka, suvarna and pala• Silver: Shatamana• Copper: kakini• Weights and measures- complex and uniform

Industry, Mining and Maritime trade

• Industry- close to resources• Women were employed in cotton textiles• Magadha- iron• Copper- Rajasthan, deccan• South Indian kingdoms specialized in maritime

trade• Cholas- biggest maritime kingdom• Most profitable overseas trade was- Roman

trade

Maritime trade

• Yavanas have trading posts in the south• Periplus of the Erythrian sea-• Gives details of good carried from different ports• Jordan linked- red sea routes with West Asia• Towns on the persian gulf received luxury

goods- copper, teak, sandalwood, tea and sent- pearls, purple dye, wine, dates, gold, and slaves

• Ports on the west- Broach (Barykacha), Barbaricum on Indus delta.

• Arikamedu- south- Roman trading center

Roman trade

• A number of roman coin hoards were found in South India

• Mostly the coins of August and Tiberius• Later debased coins of Nero were not found• Rome faced the 3rd c crisis because of economic

drain• 550 million sesterces went to India each year• Luxury goods to Rome- not a favorable trade for

Rome

Roman trade

• Roman contacts in the north were indirect

• Taxila just acted as the trade point

• Rome and Parthia- conflict- so Rome got things indirectly from India

• India traded with Southeast Asia- Burma, Srilanka

• Malaya, Java, Sumatra, Combodia, and Borneo

Influences

• Roman and Greek ideas seen in the north India• Indian fables traveled westward and appeared in

lit• Chaturanga- Chess went from India• Number of western texts on India:• Strabo’s Geography• Arrian’s Indica• Pliny, the elder- natural history, the periplus of

the Erethrean sea• Ptolemy- Geography

Cultural contacts

• Hybrid of Indian and Greek art- Gandhara Art

• Religion- introduced into India- Manichaeism, Zorostrianism

• Indian kingdoms sent embassies to Rome-

• One was sent in 25 B.C. E to Augustus:

• Tigers, pheasants, snakes, tortoises, a monk etc

Contacts with East

• Contacts with east also-

• Chinese cloth- China patta

• Bamboo- Ki-chok- Kichaka

• Buddhist missionaries to China

• White horse monastery at Lo-Yang

• Number of monasteries in China: Yarkhand, Khotan, Kashgar, Tashkent, Turfan, Miran, Kuchi, Dunhuang caves

Colonization

• Kalingans colonized Irawady delta in Burma

• Indian prince, Kaundinya married a Cambodian princess and introduced Indian culture into Cambodia

• Number of foreigners in Indian towns- led to rigid social system

• Codification of Manu-dharma sastra

assimilation

• Conversion into Hinduism was difficult- but groups slowly assimilated

• Indo-Greeks given ‘fallen ksatriya’ status• Guilds also provided education• Two of the sciences that benefited from contacts with

west are- astronomy and medicine• Medical texts were written now- • Ayurveda- imbalance of three substances of body- Air,

bile and phlegm- led to sickness• Charaka- contemporary of Kanishka• Susruta• Wrote medical texts

language

• Sanskrit- evolved as an important language-

• Grammer of Patanjali- called Mahabhashya

• Budhists-education to any one

• But Hindu- on class basis

Literature, art and architecture and religion for next class.