Main objective is to highlight the important features between Indo-Roman Trade.

1. Indo-Roman Trade
(200 BCE-300 CE)
By
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Jaiswal
Dept. of AIHC & Archaeology
Vasanta College for Women,
KFI, Rajghat, Varanasi

2. Introduction
• The period 200 BCE – 300 CE was historically significant from several
points of view. In north India, several invasion from the north-west led
to a westward shift in the focus of political power away from the
Magadha region. The Deccan and the far south experienced a transition
to a state polity and society.
• City life spread to new regions of the subcontinent. Craft persons
produced larger quantities and more varied goods than before, trade
within the Subcontinent and between its region and other lands
flourished and money was increasingly used as a medium of exchange.

3. Sources :
• Literary:
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea; Author Unknown (60 AD)
Geography written by Strabo
Natural History: Pliny
Sangam Literature also mention about Indian trade with Roman’s.
• Archaeological Sources:
 Evidence from Arikamedu (ancient Poduke), Pattanam (ancient
Muziris) and Pompeii (ancient Roman city) provide important evidence
for indo-Roman trade.

4. Cont….
• Inscriptional Evidence:
Several Donor’s inscriptional evidence found from Maharashtra region,
specially from Caves of Nasik and Pune (karle & Bhaja). These caves
inscription yielded term “Yavan”, which indicates Yavan (Roman)
merchant donated to Buddhism.
• Evidnce of Roman’s Coins:
Hundred’s of Roman coins (Gold & Silver) recovered from South India
(kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Pondicherry & Andhra Pradesh),
comprises almost 6000 coins from about 150 sites. Most of the coins
belong to the reigns of emperors Augustus and Tiberius.
There are silver coins known as Denarii and gold ones known as Aurei.

5. Coin of the Roman emperor Augustus found
at the Pudukottai hoard.
Coin of Tiberius

6. Political Condition
• In North India, Shunga kings are supposed to have ruled for a total of
112 years.
• Area lying to the south of the Oxus river and the north-west of the Hindu
Kush Mountains, ruled by Indo-Greeks.
• Kushana Empire began as a central Asian Kingdom, and expanded
further east into th Ganga valley and southwards into Malwa region.
• During Kushana pd. Shaka Kshatrapas, ruled over Western India.
• In the Deccan region, Satavahana ruled over Modern Andhra Predesh
and Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka, eastern and southern
Madhya Pradesh and Saurashtra.
• The Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas : kings and Chieftains in the far South.

7. Earliest Contacts between India & Rome
• The earliest record of Indo-Roman trade found at Pompeii (ancient
Roman City). During the excavation of Pompeii, archaeologist found a
Image of Mother Goddess made on Ivory dated c. 200 BCE. On the
basis of Stylistic features, image belongs to Maharashtra, India.

8. Indian Ivory figure from Pompeii
Remains of Pompeii

9. • The pd. 200 BCE-300 CE saw a significant expansion of trade activity, both
within the subcontinent and between the subcontinent and other lands.
Trade was facilitated by the expansion of the money economy, and the
issuing of small denominational coins by the Kushana and Satavahana
paved the way for the use of coins for small-scale transaction.
• Literary works of the time refer to Dinara(a gold coin), Purana (a silver
coin), and Karshapana (a copper coin).
• In the far south, apart from northern coins and locally made punch-marked
coins and Roman denarii, there is evidence of die-stuck coins issued by the
chera, chola and pandya kings.
• Most coins in ancient india were issued by the state, but as mentioned
above, there are a few examples of City coins and Guilds coins.

10. • India’s trade connection with West Asia was a contributing factor in bringing
about the alliance between the Selucides and Chandragupta Maurya.
• The period between the 200 BCE-300 CE saw flourishing trade between India
and the Roman Empire. Apart from the export of Indian goods to the
Mediterranean, India also played an important role in the Chinese silk trade.
• The Parthian took full advantage of the geographical position. They made
themselves wealthy on the flourishing trade with China and India on the other
hand and with Roman Empire on the other. Parthian merchants were well
known for their shrewd and haggling nature. They knew that if any direct link
between China and Rome was established it would be disastrous for them.
• When the Chinese made enquiries about the sea, the Parthian frightened
them by describing the horrors of a long sea voyage.

11. • The Parthian made exorbitant rates of profit and these forced the trades
to find out another route and to avoid Parthia as far as possible.
• By the end of the 1st century BCE they started sending considerable
portion of merchandise through India. When there was rift between
Rome and Parthia, the Romans found out new trade routes.
• The transit trade between India and Rome in silk became possible
because it was diverted by the Parthian hostility via the East coast of India
to the ports of Malabar coast from where it went to the west.
• From the time of the Roman emperor Augustus, there was a tendency for
traders to avoid the section of the Silk Route that passed through Parthia
in central Asia, due to the turbulent conditions there.
• The policy of the Roman empire during the period was to encourage
direct sea trade with India and diminish overland trade with the hostile
land of Parthia.

12. • An expedition was sent by Augustus in 25 BCE to secure the command of
the sea route to India and Aden was occupied by a colony of Egyptians and
Greeks.
• Things changed after the discovery of Hippalus (the discoverer of Monsoon
wind) who noted the existence of Monsoon wind blowing regularly across
Indian Ocean who would enable the ships to sail right across the Indian
Ocean.
• Summer Monsoon was suitable to travel to India and Winter Monsoon was
suitable to return to Rome.
• His discovery gave impetus to trade between India and the West. In less
than 3 months, Indian could reach Alexandaria, the greatest emporium of
the western world.
• According to Strabo: with the helped of Monsoon wind large ships sailing
away from Okaylis (a sea port in Red Sea) and reached Muziris (Modern
Pattanam, Kerala) approximately in 40 day’s.

13. • There was a great increase in the maritime trade. A ship a day left Egypt
for the India. Strabo mentioned in his text: 120 large ships per year
sailing away to India.
• The Sangam literature confirms this position. Sangam poems mentioned
their large ships sailing on the Periyar river, bringing in gold and wine
and sailing away with cargoes of Black pepper.
• A poem by Nakkirar refers to the Pandya king Nanmaran drinking wine
brought by the Yavans.

14. • India found a ready market in the west. Augustus took measures to
enforce peace in the Mediterranean world and that helped smooth
trading between India and Rome.
• During the first four centuries of the Christian era, there was a great
demand for Indian manufactures and articles of luxury. Indian merchants
benefitted with Indo-Roman trade.
• Pliny complains that India alone absorbs from Rome 100 million Aurei
(per annum)by selling merchandise at a hundred times its original cost.
Pliny called it a drain on his country.
• According to Tacitus the craze for jewel drained the empire of its wealth.

15. • According to Dion Chrysostom, the foreigners levied tribute for the
Roman subjects not in land or cattle but through Roman foolishness.
• Emperor Tiberius also protested against this fruitless expenditure.
Roman wealth indirectly supported the enemies of Rome like Parthia
and Persia. Both these nations had commercial relation with India at
different period of her economic history. Persia was carrier of Indian
goods between the East and the West.

16. • According to Pliny: the balance of trade was in favour of india.
The Roman gold enriched the alien nations and the goods
imported were not worth the gold paid for them. Pliny refers to
the total and actual cost in respect of all exports from the East.
• Gibbon described the exports from the east as splendid and
trifling.
• According to Periplus a great quantity of coin came to South
India. Imports received by Rome from India, being so very
expensive, might have been largely responsible for the adverse
balance of trade against rome.

17. Items of Export:
• The “Periplus of the Erythraean Sea” contains an account of South India via
the coastline of South Arabia and western India in the first century A.D.
Erythraean sea is the name given by the Greek and Romans to the Indian
Ocean including Red sea and Persian Gulf. The writer had a personal
experience of Ports, Market, Towns, Exports and imports items. He made a
Voyage from Red Sea to India. Periplus is a gide book for merchants. It
mentions a varieties of articles in addition to well known cereals, textiles,
gems, precious stone, and a number of Indian drugs and perfumes.
• Ivory, tortoise shell, rhinoceros, costus, spices, gum, emerald, green stones,
sapphires, furs from China, cotton, silk, thread, indigo, porcelain, Black
pepper, betel

18. Export articles included
• Plant products: Cardmon, Cassia, Cinnamon, Nard, Pepper, Ginger grass,
Citron, Lentil, Cotton, Jack fruit, Sugar, Indigo, timber.
• Animal Products: Elephant, Rhinoceros, Lion, Tiger, Monkey, Python, Parrot,
Peacock, fowl etc. export of animal products consisted of ivory, wool, fur, silk,
lac, pearl, oyster, shell, conchshell, tortoise shell. An ivory image of mother
goddess found at Pompeii.
• Mineral products: mineral products brought enough foreign money to the
country. The Romans were found of gems of which the greatest bulk had to be
brought from India. Diamond and Beryl were costly gems and are mentioned
in Pliny. The following stones were exported from India: Agate, Carnelian,
Onyx, Nicolo, Amethyst, Rock Crystal, Opal, Ruby, Garnet, Emerald, lapislazuli,
Zircon, Jade. Pliny holds that India was the most prolific country in producing
gems.
• Indian Iron & Steel earned a reputation since the 5th century BCE. Iron of the
best quality was sent to the west.

19. Items of import
• Articles of import were very few compared with the Indian goods going
abroad. In Periplus we find the inventories of commodities entering India
through the western ports. The excavations at Taxila also supply information
on this point. Vessels, coral, topaz, garments of poor quality, girdle of damask,
wine, frank incense, sweet clothes, transparent stones and papyrus were
imported through western port. Copper, tin and lead were imported by the
Sakas and Satavahanas for their mints.
• Foreign Gold & Silver coins were exchanged with local money at a profit.
• Yuvan girls were also imported
• Fragments of Roman pottery have been found at Arikamedu:
i. Amphorae, ii. Rouletted, iii. Arrentine

21. Important Sea Ports
• Western Ports:
Barbaricum
Barygaza (Bharukacha/Baroach)
Supparak
Kalyan
Byzantium
Tyndis,
 Muziris (Pattanam)
Nelcynda
• Eastern Ports:
• Karkai
• Uraiyur
• Kaveripattanam
• Poduke (Arikamedu)
• Tamralipti
• Dantapur

23. Thank You