Nani Rayan

SR No.: 001481
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Pulin Vasa
Publisher: Kalikal Sarvagya Shri Hemchandracharya Navam Janmashatabdi Smruti Sanskar Shikshannidhi Ahmedabad
Total Pages: 66
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Art, & Culture
File Size: 9 MB

Page 15

A lucid account on art of cooking is found from, Pouragam, a chapter in the Vasudev Hindi.
People knew how to stitch clothes but preferred to cover their body with one piece or twopiece of clothes viz. a loincloth and an upper wrap. Long curly mustaches, long hair and side-whiskers were common. A headgear covered the head. The cast system did evolve however inter-cast marriages were common. Elephants, horses and chariots were used for transportation and in battlefields. The Kshatriya formed the army core. Communication was by the means of messenger on horseback or footmen. There is a very interesting story of a footmen traveling 25 Yojan (75 miles or 120 kms.), in one day to deliver messages.34
Art of combat was very important and people were trained to use different weapons and were given combat training. The Vasudev Hindi mentions very clever teachers' giving combat training. Rudradamas rock inscription mentions, in the thirteenth stranza, Gaj (elephant) Turang (horse) Rath (chariot) and Asi Charm, Sword, shield and Niyudh, as animals and weapons for combat. Unarmed combat was known as Malla Vidya. Shushrut sanhita even mentions of armed force medical core.
It is believed that the agriculture was the chief vocation and the rulers paid proper attention to facilitate farming; the dam over Sudarshan Lake and the irrigation system there, is a testimony35 The agricultural land belonged to the farmer and the govt. possessed the rest of the land. Pot making was another major industry.
Vasudev Hindi tells a very interesting story of a technocrat who went to Yavan pradesh and learnt the art of making mechanized crafts and mechanized flying objects, he crafted a flying eagle and presented to the king. This indicates that craftsmen, too, had an important place in the social system.
Commerce was an important vocation. There were traders and even traders guilds were formed. The trading between states, and between India and Greece and Rome flourished.36 Krutikapan (Krutic-all the available things of universe and Apan=a shop) was an ancient prototype of a departmental store. Ujjain had nine Krutikapans. Sopara was an amphora and ships from different nations brought merchandise to this place. The other centers were Bharukutch, Dwarka, Mangrol, Prabhas, Gopnath, Hathab, Vallabhi, Ghogha, Nagara etc which are all coastal places. In Kutch, it was Nani Rayan. Periplus vividly mentions of this coastal trade centers especially Bharukutch. It also gives a list of the things imported and exported. 37 Please refer to the chart giving details.
There was a likelihood of a Slave trade as there is a mention in Maha Bharat, of slave women being presented to Udhistir while he performed Raj Suy Yagna.38
It was not possible to conduct so much of trade thru barter, so the ingots of metals like gold, silver and other metals were used which were later replaced by ingots marked by traders, ruler and later by punch marked coins, which had figurines of birds animals or weapons and coded figures the 34 Bho.J Sandesara Jain Aam ma uj.pael11 35 Jamindar, UparUkta page 469-70 36 Ejan page 465 37 Periplus 38 Majmudar (Ed) Chronology of guj.vol 1 page 47