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Economic Conditions
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kam) silk (kosseyam), wool (Kambalam), and hemp (sāņam) out of which threads were spun and woven into cloth of various varieties and qualities.1
There are references to what is called the Kāśí clothes which are said to be very fine. It is likely that other cities such are Śrāvasti, Kaušāmbi, Rājagriha, Champā, Vaiśālī, Kusinārā, and Mithila manufactured plenty of textile goods of high quality both for domestic as well as foreign market.
Textile goods manufactured in those cities were of numerous varieties. Various kinds of garments, blankets, and curtains were among the finished goods. Costly and dainty fabrics of silk and gur are said to have been worked out into rugs, blankets, cushions, coverlets, and carpets.3 The Jātakas tell us that embroidered clothes were also manufactured. Kings put on turbans worked with gold. State elephants were adorned with golden clothes. Various kinds of garments, blankets and curtains were among the finished goods of the period.
Then there was also the washing and dyeing industry. Washermen formed one of the eighteen corporations and soda (Sajjirākhāra) was one of their washing materials. Mention must also be made of the existence of laundries (rayagasala). Clothes such as towels were dyed in saffron.' Clothes dyed in red colour (kāsāi) were worn in hot weather. 8 CARPENTRY
Carpentry, which was one of the important occupations during this period, made great strides. Prior to the development of stonc-architecture, wooden architecturc was common. Carpenters were employed for building houses, palaces, halls and staircases. Next to house-building, they built ships, boats, vehicles of all sorts, carts and chariots of different kinds, and 1. No. VIII. 2. 1; Peta, II. 1. 17; India as linown to Panini. pp. 123-26. 29. GS, I. 128; 225-26; Argu, III. 50: Ja, IIT, 11; VI, 49, 50, 144. 3. Jā, I. 149; II. 274; III. 184; VI. 280. 4. Ibid, V. 32., 5. Ibid, IV. 404; V. 255. 6. Vya. Bhü, 10; 484. 7. Vaya, 1, p. 7. 8. Dil Bhi, Pi, 613.
