It is believed that to promote foreign trade, Kanîcka, the KucâGa ruler made use of the standard of the Roman gold coins for his own issues. — Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

This brief essay explores the theory that Ancient India had an export surplus with Rome. The hoards of Roman gold coins o the coast of Southern India especially in ancient Arikamedu (present Puducherry) are direct evidences of Ancient India’s export surplus with Rome. This essay is based on Prof. Moti Chandra’s famous work, ‘Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India’ (New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1977). It was around the 1st century BCE that trade relations were stablished between India and the Roman Empire. What is noteworthy is that the balance of trade was more or less in India’s favour and Roman gold and silver coins poured into India taking her affluence to greater heights.

The Indo-Roman Trade

Though the Indo-Roman trade started in the 1st century BCE, it truly matured in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. The geographical location of Arabia, Asia Minor and northeastern Africa helped to establish trade contacts between South Asia, West Asia and Europe. As far as India is concerned, the earliest evidence of this trade is to be found from the southern Peninsula, especially in the state of Kerala. Indo- Roman trade was carried out on the sea as well on land. The seaborne trade was controlled by the Úakas and the Sâtavâhanas whereas the land-borne trade was monitored by the KuúâGas.

It is believed that to promote foreign trade, Kanîcka, the KucâGa ruler made use of the standard of the Roman gold coins for his own issues. The political tensions between the Úakas and Sâtavâhanas did affect this trade for some time at least. Similarly, the contentions between the Œakas and Parthians also served as a major impediment for trade overland. In order to overcome this problem, Augustus, the Roman Emperor encouraged the traders to take the sea route and offered them protection as well.

There is a text called Periplus on the Erythrean Sea, a sort of a guide book written by an unknown Greek sailor which is one of the major sources to reconstruct the history of this trade. Indo-Roman trade was mainly in luxury items and the Roman Empire paid for these in Roman gold coins. Chinese goods with the exception of silk were first brought to India and then dispatched to the eastern frontiers of the Roman Empire. Silk was directly sent to Europe along the silk route. Indian animals like tigers, lions, rhinoceroses, elephants and serpents also formed a part of exports from India and these were used in circus shows to entertain the Romans. Ivory and tortoise shells were also exported which were used to inlay furniture. Roman ladies were especially fond of pearls from India and the Persian Gulf. Different kinds of herbs, spices, indigo, cotton cloth, sesame oil, rice, wood for furniture and plant products from India were also in great demand in the Roman markets. The city of Bharuch or ancient Bh[gukachcha was well known for its exports of wheat and ghee. Like pearls, precious and semi-precious stones like diamonds, onyx, sardonyx, agate, carnelian, crystal, amethyst, opal, cat’s eye, ruby, turquoise and garnet were also popular among the Romans, especially the ladies. In the category of imports from Rome, wine topped the list. It was called VâruGi as it was brought from the sea in specially designed carriers which were called Amphorae. Roman Amphorae have been discovered at many sites in peninsular India including Nevasa in Maharashtra. As the Romans had to pay for Indian products in gold, there was a huge strain on their economy. Tiberius, the Roman Emperor who ruled in the 1st century CE attempted to stop the outflow of Roman gold but to no avail.

The discovery of the south-west monsoon winds is credited to a Greek navigator named Hippalus who probably lived in the 1st century BCE. However, some scholars argue that these winds were known to sailors even before the 1st century BCE. The seaborne journey from Rome to the western coast of India approximately took sixteen weeks and the ships began their sojourn from the Mussel Harbour coinciding with the winter equinox. Some Roman merchants would commence their journeys from Myos Hormos or Berenice (in Egypt). Ocelis at the mouth of the Red Sea was the terminating point for exchanging commodities as the Arabs did not allow the Indian merchants to travel further. In spite of this restriction, much of the Indo-Roman trade was under the control of Indian merchants. 

Barbaricum (probably a port near modern Karachi) was an important port on this route and it was from here that the ships travelled to the coast of Saurâcmra and from there to Bh[gukachcha or modern Bharuch in Gujarat near the mouth of the river Narmada. This arrangement was made because the sea near Bharuch was difficult to navigate as the seafloor was rocky and sharp. The ships would first go to the coast of Saurâcmra and from there the fishermen in the king’s service (a Kcatrapa ruler) would guide the ships to Bharuch.

Apart from wine, the other goods which were imported to Bharuch were copper, tin, lead, coral, topaz and waist girdles. The Roman merchants also brought expensive merchandise like silverware, wine, good quality cloth and ointments as gifts for Indian rulers. Bharuch also exported fragrant ointments and ivory to Rome. Bharuch had trade relations with two inland cites- ancient Praticmhâna or modern Paithana and Tagara or Ter, both in Maharashtra. The Periplus on the Erythrean Sea informs that the journey from Bharuch to Paithana would take twenty days and Ter was at a further distance of ten days from Paithana. Both Paithana and Ter were well known for the export of carnelian, muslin and mallow cloth. Ter and Paithana were also a part of the southern trade routes. 

One route originated from Masulipattanam and the other from Vinukonda (both in Andhra Pradesh) and these two routes met near the modern city of Hyderabad. As this route proceeded northwards, it passed through Ter, Paithana, Devagiri and the Ajanta ranges. It crossed the Western Ghats and reached Kalyana near Mumbai which was the last destination of this route. However, due to the long-drawn conflict between the Sâtavâhana ruler Gautamiputra SâtakarGi and the Kcatrapa king Nahâpâna in the 1st century CE, the trade route was diverted to Bharuch.