Question

Discuss social organization and improvments invagriculture craft and trade during the gupta period

Answer 1

Industry and trade were generally prosperous during Gupta period.There was a balance of foreign trade. The major change in foreign trade was the decline of the Roman trade. The three important southern ports of Muziris, Arikamedu, and Kaveripattanam also lost their importance. There were two types of merchants in the Gupta period namely Sresthi and Sarthavaha. Luxury goods were the principal articles of long distance trade. The internal trade used to be carried on by roads and rivers. Foreign trade was used to be carried on by sea and land.

In Gupta period, Indian ports always maintained relations with Sri Lanka, Persia, Arabia, Ethiopia, the Byzantine Empire, China and the islands of the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka was an important port both in the foreign trade of the island and in the inter-oceanic commerce between the East and the West. The volume of external trade of India with China greatly increased during the Gupta period. Chinasunka a Chinese silk, had a good market in India.