Question

why did trade and commerce decline during the Gupta period and post Gupta period? explain​

Answer 1

Why did India's external trade decline during the Gupta Empire despite increase in prosperity?

The Question is: Why did India's external trade decline during the Gupta Empire despite increase in prosperity?

OP has clearly been referring to Angus Madison’s works and those derived from it.

Readers must note that Madison’s work are built on dubious foundations, and are so unreliable to be used any conclusive research. At best, they are meant as a rough guide to more rigorous research- and only if we stretch the terms ‘research’ and ‘rigorous’.

Yet- it probably would not be an untruth if we were to state that the Gupta Empire saw a decrease in Foreign Trade.

1- Trade depends upon the availability and strength of Markets. Readers often forget that the Gupta Empire was closely allied with both the Vakatakas and the Kadambas, and given that the then-rulers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala were Kannadas in origin, with the Kalabhras as well. In addition, their vassals in Assam are known to have claimed dominion over states like Davaka as well.

In essence, the Gupta- directly or through Allies, most of whom had Gupta blood themselves- controlled a territory much larger than modern-day India. A market this size- back by the Finance of the richest Empire of the times- would naturally be a massive consumer of goods, and likely to be more profitable than foreign trade.

2- The Gupta empire stands out as one of the few stable regions of the World. In the West, Christians and Pagans fought (unexpected- if you have read the Bible) while barbarian hordes tore the lands apart. In Persia, it was a similar story but one where the pagans won. In China, the Empire was splintering north and south while the nomadic Rourani laid claim over most of the Steppes.

It was, thus, only in India where any semblance of stability remained- thanks to the efforts of the valiant Gupta Emperors ans their generals. In any other nation, the deeds of Skanda and Narasimha would have been sung by children every day in schools- but only in India, do citizens choose to praise men like Babur and Aurangzeb, known for their skill in making pyramids of human skulls, instead.

3- Strong Superpowers do not necessarily make for good traders. As the Economy strengthens and the people grow richer, foreign trade becomes less and less lucrative. The only method to avoid this is to keep sections of the Empire artificially oppressed and brutalised- in a process we now know as ‘Colonialism’.

The Guptas- being civilized people- clearly frowned upon such a practise and thus, did not practice it. Readers might contest me here by claiming that my Nationalism has led me astray with regards to Gupta virtue, To them I say- O thee of little faith, how can an Empire that banned Capital punishment, built guesthouses along highways, and gave alms to the elderly every week- be as faithless and as accursed as to chop off the arms of children, to murder millions through famine, to hang children in front of their parents- as was practised by the glorious races of Europe?

Answer 2

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.

Trade relations with Western Asia furnished during the later part of this period. This trade strengthened the ancient trade relations between India and the Western countries.

According to Cosmas, agricul¬tural products, aloes, clove-wood, and sandalwood were exported, in his time, from the east coast of India to Sri Lanka . They exported it to the Western and even Persian and Ethiopian ports. Horses were imported from North-West India .

The following is the highlight during the Gupta period.
• Silk Route linked India to other markets.
• Indian merchants traded cashmere, cotton, spices for Chinese silk.
• Gupta, Tamil kingdoms in southern India traded actively most of by sea.
• Indian sailors used seasonal winds for getting into foreign markets across Arabian Sea.
• Trade played key role in propagating the Indian culture.