Book Title: Lord Mahavira and His Times
Author(s): Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 314
________________ 296 Lord Mahāvira and His Times to the south on business. Sopāraya is described as another emporium of trade, a centre which was inhabited by five hundred tradesmen.2 Then there was Surattha3 which was joined with Pāņdu Mahurā by sea. We hear of horse merchants arriving in Bāravai for trade.5 Vasantapura was another emporium whence traders used to journey to Champā.. We hear of a merchant going from Khilpaţthiya to Vasantapura.? Hattisisa was a commercial centre where a number of merchants resided. From here they journeyed to Kāliyadiva where there were rich mines of gold, jewels, and diamonds and which was also noted for horses.8 A merchant named Pālita of Champā went on business to the town of Pihunda or Pithunda a sea-coast town. COMMODITIES OF INLAND TRADE With regard to inland trade, all we know is that there were several commodities that were exchanged. The sea-faring merchants of Champā loaded their carts with four kinds of goods, viz., that which could be counted (ganima) such as betelnuts etc., balanced (dharima) such as sugar etc., measured (meya) such as ghee, rice, etc., and scrutinized (parichchhejja) such as cloth, jewel, etc. 10 Gold and ivory were carried from Uttarāpatha to Dakshiņāpatha for sale. Cloth seems to be an important exchangeable commodity. Mathurā and Vidiśā are mentioned as textile centres. 11 The country of Ganda was 1. Aua, cha, 472. 2. Bțih. Bhā. I. 2506. 3. Das. chū, p. 40. 4. dīva. chú, II, 197. 5. Ibid, p. 553. 6. Äva. chū, II, p. 531. 7. Ava. Ti, (Hari.), p. 114a. 8. Nāyā. II, p. 201 f. Ullara XXI. See Indian Culture, XIII, p. 20. Pithunda is identified with Khāravcla inscription's Pithuda and Ptolemy's Pitundrai, LEVI locates Pitundra in the interior of Maisolia between the mouths of the two rivers, Maisolos and Manadas, i.e., between the delta of the Godavari and Mahanadi ncarly at an equal distance from both. It would therefore be convenient to search for its location in the interior of Chikakole and Kalingapatam towards the course of the river Nāgāvati which also bears the name of Län guliya. 10 Näya, S, p. 98 I]. vita. Ti, (Hari.), p. 307.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427