MARITIME TRADE IN INDIAN OCEAN:-
INDIAN OCEAN:-
Indian ocean covers 20% of the world's ocean surface. Indian subcontinent along with srilanka stands at the center of the Indian ocean. Indian ocean acted as bridge among diverse communities in south, southeast and west Asia, North and east Africa.
ROMAN MARITIME TRADE IN INDIAN OCEAN:-
Roman maritime trade was the first extensive contact between the European and Asian countries or ports. Indian markets supplied exotic and aromatic plants and spices like bard, bdellium, cestus, slows and pepper; textiles like silk, linen, and cotton; timbers like teak, ebony and sandalwood; and even tortoise shell and cinnamon. The traders from Egypt brought to South Asia, a range of goods but most frequently lead, tin, coral, glass, wine and largest number of Roman coins, both in gold and silver. Roman maritime trade in Indian ocean makes a neat arc from Alexandria to Mallacca, held together by Barygaza in western India, Sopara in western Deccan, Muziris on the Malabar coast and Kaveripattanam in the kaveri delta and their extensive delta. Using of Monsoon winds for such trade becomes more attractive. The gradual emergence of the Red sea as the trade route to the east dislodged the pre-eminence of the Arab Persian Gulf , as it avoided the hostile Parthians, required negotiation with Arab traders.But the Red sea route required protection against piracy. Mechanism of exchange was neither uniform nor universal. They included barter, gift-exchange, formalized trade and fetishised objects.
TEXTUAL EVIDENCE:-
● The Periplus :- ' The Periplus of The Erythraean Sea ' offers a contemporary and descriptive account of early Indian ocean trade. It tells about the direct sailing route from the Red sea to the Indian peninsula across the open was discovered by Hippalus in 1st c BC . Roman ships or vessels sailing to the distant East were named after Hippalus. Periplus reports that the proper time to leave Egypt for India ws in july and this allowed ships to sail through this region during the summer months. All the voyages are done with a favourable wind from may to october. The vessels departed from two points i.e. Cane and Guardafui, and headed to three directions, namely, Scythia, Barygaza, Limyrika. Periplus goes on mentioning and describing the Cape Comorin region. The Periplus also refers to the trade contacts between golden land 'Chryse' and India.
● Tamil Literature:- The Tamils viewed the Romans as exotic foreigners and referred to them as 'Yavanas'. Most of the Tamil references to 'Yavanas' appears in a collection of narrative poetry known as 'Sangam' literature which deals with heroic themes such as love and war. Romans are described as craftsman, visiting merchants arriving on extraordinary ships. One such mention reads: " The beautifully built ships of the Yavanas came with gold and returned with pepper and Muziris resounded with the noise".
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE:-
● About 7.5 kg black pepper has been identified in an Indian pottery vessel at Berenike.
● From Quseir and Berenik, a portion of pottery with internal wiping marks have been recovered. Ethnographic study revealed that, this technique was restricted to northern Kerala and has been unearthed from Pattanam.
● Cooking vessels along with black pepper and other finds recovered from the Egyptian ports.
● From Pattanam, roman glass and large quantities of Roman amhorae mostly of wine and sigillate have been recovered.
NUMISMATIC EVIDENCE:-
Approximately 80 Roman coins finds documented in India. Scholars estimate that from Roman hoards recovered about 5400 were denarii and 800 were aurei, but larger disappeared.
BUDDHIST INSCRIPTION:-
Some interesting ancient inscription from India came from the Western Deccan . It mentions about the funds given to the monasteries by new converts to Buddhism who seem to have been merchants from the Roman Empire.
According to Pliny, the oriental trade was draining the finances of Rome. But the impact of the trade varied in different parts of India.
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