An Economic History of Ancient India (300 B.C.- A.D. 700)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

About the Author Professor M.L. Bose taught in the Dibrugarh University for nearly thirty years and had contributed more than thirty papers in Regional and National Seminars and Journals of repute. An Aurobindite Prof. Bose guided many research scholars for their Ph.D. research. His earlier published works, namely: Historical and Constitutional Documents of North-East India, British Policy in the North- East Frontier Agency, Development of Administration in Assam, Social History of Assam, Social and Cultural History of Arunachal Pradesh, Social and Cultural History of Ancient India (2nd edn.), were very well received in the academic world.

Preface Initially the Economic History of India begins with the Indus Valley Civilization (3300-1300 B.C.), whose economy appears to have depended significantly on trade and examples of overseas trade, notable being Indus-Mesopotamia relations. Actually the Vedic period saw countable units of precious metal being used for exchange. And the term Nishka appears in this sense in the Rgveda. A significant development, later Vedic period began codifying the ancient Indian population based on caste, a social stratification which created a hierarchy of priests (Brahmins), warriors (Kshatriyas), merchants (Vaishyas) and labourers (Shudra).

Around 600 B.C., the Mahajanapadas minted punch-marked silver coins. And the period was marked by intensive trade activity and urban development. By 300 B.C., the Maurya Empire had geopolitically united most of the Indian subcontinent. Thus the resulting political unity and military security allowed for a common economic system and enhanced trade and commerce, with increased agricultural productivity.

As per historical chronology, the Maurya Empire was followed by classical and early mediaeval kingdoms, including the Guptas, Cholas. Western Gangas, Palas, Harsha, Rashtrakutas and Hoysalas.

It is to be remembered that ancient India had a significant urban population, much of India's population resided in villages, whose economy was largely isolated and self-sustaining. Agriculture was the predominant occupation, mainly growing wheat, barley and peas and was content with a village's food requirements besides providing raw materials for hand-based industries, such as textile, food processing and crafts. And apart from farmers, people worked as barbers, carpenters, vaidyas, goldsmiths and weavers like vocations.

It is pertinent to note that an authentic economic history of ancient India can be reconstructed on the basis of information churned out of various sources, e.g. foreign accounts, religious literatures-religious and secular, epigraphic records, land grants, numismatic sources and archaeological finds etc.

Introduction Indian civilization developed into that what is called Wonder that was India by A.L. Basham, between 6th century B.C, and A.D. 7th century. It cast off its prehistoric shed and entered into the ancient historic period and ushered into an era of great creativity which found expression in art, architecture, literature and philosophy. But all these treasures of Indian civilization could flourish on an economic background.

The intellectual concept of Indian body politic was made a political reality after the invasion of Alexander of Macedonia. On the ruins of the political fabric in North India, the Mauryas established an empire on the Indian subcontinent and the focus of historic development shifted to the Ganga valley from the Indus. The political stability and efficient administration provided a milieu of law and order which encouraged the growth of agriculture, arts and crafts, trades and business, intellectual ferment and philosophical speculation which made India great in the world history. The Mauryan political fabric which collapsed at the end of pre-Christian era, was partially restored by the Kusanas, and with an interregnum of the Sunga-Kanva periods, the Imperial Guptas raised the imperial standard once again and Indian culture flourished into its classical form. All these developments were possible as already remarked above, because of her wealth. It is the purpose of this work to provide a survey of this economic activity.

I have written a very short compendium on Social and Cultural History of Ancient India which was published in 1989. The first edition of the book becomes out of stock and the second edition with a little alteration and addition of one more chapter is now published by Concept Publishing Company. Its demand in the market proved that though there are many works on this subject, a small book dealing with the subject was a necessity.

Similar conclusion may be drawn regarding the necessity of a small book on the Economic History of Ancient India. These are quite a few scholarly works on the subject, viz. Buddhist India by Rhys Davis, Social and Rural Economy of Northern India by A.N. Bose, Economic Condition of Ancient India by Pran Nath, Economic Life and Progress of Ancient India by Bandopadhyaya, Corporate Life in Ancient India by R.K. Mookerji, Ancient India by E.J. Rapson, besides Cambridge History of India, Vol. I by the same author, which are the pioneering works in the study of socio-economic life of ancient India. But these works deal with mainly the pre-classical period and are mostly based on Buddhist literature, Greek-Roman sources, the Smrtis, Kautilya's Arthasastra and the two epics. Moreover none of these works are now available in new academic institutions, for almost none of these books are available in the market.

Now the students of many universities wish to study ancient Indian Economic History in their post-graduate course. But, they do not get a text book by reading which they can get a connected history of economic life of Ancient India. The works like The Age of Imperial Unity: The Classical Age, both published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, The New History of the Indian People by R.C. Majumdar and also the books by A.S. Altekar, A Comprehensive History of India published by India History Congress, A.L. Basham's Wonder that was India: Economic Life of Northern India by L. Gopal, Economic by Early India (200 B.C.- A.D. 300) by Adhya, Life in the Gupta Age by B.A. Saletore are scholarly works, but do not serve the purpose of a text book for the post-graduate students. Therefore, I undertook to write the present work providing references to the several works existing on this subject and on the basis of information found in the existing books.

**Contents and Sample