Page 171 - INSPERIA-School Magazine TIGPSKON 2021.indd

History of Trade During Chandragupta Maurya

handragupta Maurya ranks as one of
the india’s greatest rulers. He figures
Cas the first historical emperor of india
in the sense that he is the earliest emperor
in india’s history whose historicity can be
established on the solid ground of ascertained
chronology.
The establishment of a large united empire
across the subcontinent would have led to a
spurtin internal trade along both the northern
and southern highways. The Arthashastra
has detailed guidelines and precepts on
almost everything that defined the then state.
Chanakya left us with the opinion on the
relative merits of trading along the UTTARA
PATHA and DAKSHINA PATH.

There is also convincing evidence that the
trade in luxury goods started earlier in Mauryan
Empire and then after 200 years later trading
of goods with fine silks from China took place.
Trade with Rome also started substantially only
in the first century CE.
Meanwhile, maritime trade continued to
do well. Ships used to sail out of the ports of
Gujarat and sailed along the Makran coast
to the Persian Gulf. The Arthashastra tells
us that Chanakya preferred coastal and river
routes over those crossing the high seas as
he considered them too dangerous. All that it
suggests that there were some mariners in the
fourth century BC who were confident enough
to try transoceanic routes.
It is remarkable that Chanakya in his treatise
Arthashastra suggested diversification to
reduce risk.

ArchitaDasgupta-
Department of Social Science
(History)

Techno India Group Public School 171