International Journal of History

Author(s): Dheeresh Tripathi

Abstract: In this paper, the author has tried to get into a comprehensive examination of the commercial infrastructure and exchange networks that may have existed in the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) between ca. 2800 BCE and 1900 BCE, tracing their evolution into the early historic period. By integrating archaeological data ranging from sealed weights and caravan encampments to port installations with literary and epigraphic sources spanning Vedic hymns, Pāṇinian grammar, Buddhist travelogues, and Greco-Roman accounts, the study reconstructs the roles of caravan leaders (sārthavāhas), caravan routes (Uttarapatha, Vaṇnupatha), and maritime corridors (from Tamralipti to Alexandria). It highlights the technical and institutional innovations such as standardized weights, caravan guilds, ritual sanctions, and ship-building lexicon that facilitated long-distance exchange of grains, textiles, metals, spices, and luxury items. The analysis further situates IVC trade within a broader Afro-Eurasian context, revealing its enduring legacy in South Asian economic traditions.

DOI: 10.22271/27069109.2025.v7.i5b.414

Pages: 116-121 | Views: 655 | Downloads: 362

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