Explain trade and commerce during the post – Harsha period.
Answers
Answer:
Indian, Chinese, and Arab sources mentioned the flow of trade between east and west through India.
The Arab traveler, Ibn Khordadbah in the end of the 9th century, mentioned about Indian exports consisting of diverse products including sandal wood, camphor, and camphor water, nutmeg, clove pink, coconut, precious, and semiprecious stones, pearls, fisheries, textiles of cotton, and silk and variety of metal products.
The best breeds of horses were imported from central and western Asia.
Foreign merchants were gradually settled in India. They were attracted by the prosperity of coastal towns of Gujarat, Malabar, and Tamil.
Arab geographers mentioned some of the India ports located on the west coast namely Debal (in Indus delta), Cambay Jhana, Sopara, and Quilon.
The Arab travelers gave descriptive details about the prosperity of Sailendra kings. He established political, cultural, and economic relations with Indian kings.
The guilds continued to play an important part as in the previous centuries.
Medhatithi mentions both the industrial and mercantile guilds.
Guilds consisted of people following common profession such as tradesmen, artisans, money lenders, etc.
South Indian inscriptions mentioned about the working of two famous trading corporations.
Manigramam was the first trading corporations. It was known since the 9th century to the 13th century. It carried on in the coastal as well as inland towns of south India.