Evidence of Indian influence in foreign lands.
From lower Mesopotamian plain(Sumer and Akkad)to the Baluchisthan(Kulli
culture)which was called the Kekaya in Indian scriptures, and to Indogangetic divide upto
Gujarat ,the entire area (except Harappa ) share one geographic feature. Arid and semiarid
climate with summer draughts ,unevenly distributed and unreliable rainfall in winter, less
than 250mm per year. Therefore an agriculture based on winter agriculture and herding of
animals like sheep and goat was predominant in these areas.
From Gujarat onwards the entire west coast of India has a monsoon rainfall. The upper
Ganga Yamuna doab is transitional between arid Indus plain and monsoon Gangetic plain
is the eastern limit for winter farming in the north of the subcontinent. The Thar desert is
a physical and cultural divide ,but once it was fertile and was nourished by the
Saraswathy and its tributaries which dried up later leading to the desert climate. The
easternmost manifestation of the arid zone is the Harappan culture .
The environment ,economical potential of each of these regions helped exchange of trade
and local fertility and differences in produces,and mineral resources and sociopolitical
conditions made the organization of trade and commerce possible.Afghanistan with its
inaccessible north east mountains of it was the ancient Gandhara (Khandahar now)of
India.
Kekaya and Gandhara were parts of India and Indian kings were ruling there and their
daughters were wives of Indian kings.Dasaratha,Dhritharashtra and SriKrishna had wives
from such regions. Therefore they were very much involved in defending the Indian
subcontinent from outside invasions and acting as controllers of trade and commerce and
the trade routes to the west by land.
The land route from Baluchistan and Khandahar (Kekaya and Gandhara in Indian
scriptures)is first mentioned in Ramayana .The same route continued to be used in the
17th century between India and the west.(part 2,Chap 3 Neils Strengard in Sushil
Choudhary and Michael Morineau Cambridge Uty press 1999).This ancient caravan route
linked India to Persia and markets further west by way of Khandahar.Its vitality is
documented.
1.Isfahan through Thatta ,along Kabul to North west Mints of silver
,Lahore,Multan,Thatta,Kabul,Khandahar.
2.Steel and Crowther on 3.4.1615 starts a journey ,reach Lahore on 23rd ,delayed by
inability to get a permission, on 29th joined a large caravan, with convoy of horsemen (just
as in Ramayana).Reach Khandahar on 7th July. This was the frontier post of India
(Mughal empire)and a nodal port of caravan traffic. But it yielded nothing but provisions
to travelers. Camels could be hired at 20 % profit. On 23rd July left Khandahar with 3
Armenian and 12 Persian merchants. On 27th reach Girisk in Persia
8th August Farah where import duty has to be given. Beyond Persia
horses,slaves,gold,nonPersian silver coin and export was not allowed.9th August leave
Farah.Deserts crossed with oasis at Birjand and Tabas.They bypassed Yazd ,off the main
route. Reached Isfaharn on 19th September.
3.Poser in opposite direction.
Start on 18th July 1621.On August 1 reach Yezd center of silk industry. No freshwater for
3-4 days being in desert .In Tabas ,Birjand saw windmills. On Sep 2 in Farah where
irrigation works and size of fruits are recorded by traveler. Here a Persian and an Indian
chief of the same caraven and an official from the local Government inspects all people
,baggage,etc and there is a small charge for the hired camel. He fell ill on Sep 12th .On 14th
at Girisk.There he finds a strong castle which could be supported just by the caraven
revenue(showing the busy trade).It belonged to the Indian Mughal emperor.Freshmilk
and fruits were the only food of the caravan and no meat, wine or brandy was
allowed. He had to pay 5 and ½ shahi(silver)at Girisk .He saw people drinking tobacco
there.18th September leaves Girisk,cross Helmand river and reach Mughal India
proper. On 21st reached Khandahar.It was a busy important town. He saw elephant for first
time in life ,there. Busy trade ,thousands of camels entering and leaving daily. Cotton and
textile trade ,tobacco, and wantonness of multiyudes of prostitutes in Khandahar is
described. When they left Khandahar the caraven had 2000 camels. On 30 September left
Khandahar.Travelling through mountains he saw the big stature of the Aquadi who
brought sheep,butter,and rice to sell to caraven.after 16th October reached banks of Indus
river. He felt he had reached another world.5th November he is in
Multan(Moolasthaana).On 23rd reach Lahore and visits a venetian who looks after
churches in Lahore on behalf of the Jesuits in Agra. From Lahore ,broad roads, with
planted trees on sides, many markets and open planes. Passes Sir Hind, an open
countryside, with green irrigated plains ,birds,cattle,sugar production. He describes red
sugar that tastes like white sugar. On 22nd Dec reaches Agra. Total days taken 158 ,as
against Steel and Crowther who took 170 days.
4.William Foster’s early travels inIndia.1583-1619 Oxford 1921.pp 243 4 months and
odd days from Isfahan to Lahore. From there 1 month to Agra.
5.Coverte.1609.Jai salmer and Sukkur from Agra to Khandahar is the shorter route .but
he took 182 days.
18.5 shahi per camel in 6 places by Posen
56 shahi in 9 places by Steel
Security was satisfactory especially if caravan was big. Thieves were present within
caraven.in 1621 tobacco use was widespread there.
In 1610 ,there were 7000-8000 camels stationed to and fro in Khandahar
1615 it was 12000-14000 report of Steel.
Same year Thomas Coryat 2000 camels,1500 horses,1000 odd mules,800 asses,6000
people.
1617 Sir Thomas Roe 20000 camels per year
1635 From Khandahar 4000 camels reached Isfahan with cotton
1639 Cotton from India carried by 20000-25000 camels
1644 only 6000 camels
1655 only 1000 camels.
Colonies of Indian merchants lived in Isfahan.In 1618 an English merchant wondered
why Indian merchants are selling linen of India in other places while their people are
walking naked .In May 1610 Henry 1V was assassinated. The news reached Agra in
August 1611 when a caraven reached (within 8 months)and Bhagavatham rightly says the
merchant class has the duty of bringing news/messages(Vartha) in addition to their
common duties of trade ,commerce, agriculture etc.
The evidence for support of business and administrative infrastructure including custom
duty and periodic check up, security of property by armed people etc shows the ancient
trade route was very well under a strong unified regime of administration .This
continued from Ramayana times upto the European times from our literature survey.
The network developed by bonds of solidarity and trust based on common membership of
one nation identified with another that was on many levels a national substitute for the
state .Sometimes ties of marriage strengthened the trade routes and the relations of the
two partners in trade and commerce. An unquestionable cultural unity and cohesion was
provided by trust and solidarity .Transmission of technical knowledge into a special
language and specificity of such knowledge was also part of the phenomenon. There was
a school to teach the people and the merchants a specialized education, the commercial
geography, weights and measures ,currencies, arithmetic and accountancy and these
existed in each village and in specialized centers .The specialized use of arithmetic
language foreshadows a parallel in the accounting methods used. They had a reliable
system with a kind of promissory note which involve four or more people at long
distances and repayment deadlines were the travel times. For example from Amsterdam to
Basra via Venice it will be 7 months Swat to Isfahan is 105 days ,Dacca to Calcutta is 15
days ,like that. Only the degree of mastery of the sea and substantial presence of
continental continuous trade helped to strengthen the networks and the major sea
networks were monopoly of sea merchants of coastal India and their overlords so that it
was unified system.
What was the commercial relation of India and Ottoman empire in late 15th to 18th
century? In 1503 Ludo Vico de Varthema found merchants of
Iran,Tartany,Turkey,Syria,Maghreb,Yemen,Ethiopia and rest of India and the inhabited
islands of the sea in port of Calicut.Iron,steel,neel(indigo)and cotton of India was in
demand in Basra(Baghdad).In 1583 English traveler J.Eldred wrote :-To Basara come
monthly divers ships laden with all sorts of Indian merchandise ,spices,drugs,Indica and
Calecut clothes.
1610.Caraven from Baghdad to Alleppo carry Indian goods via Basra
(fabrics,indigo,perfumes) and there were 120 merchants in it including Indian and Italian
,Iranian and from Baghdad. In 1624 Hormuz captured by Safavid sovereigns. In 1638
Basra regain its importance. In 1680-90 the custom regulation of luxury clothes of India
Records
11 kinds of Muslin to make turbans
5 types of Quitny(cotton+silk)
4 types of satin
11 types of Ikates fabrics
7 types of bafta(a type of calico)
5 types of costumes
Chintz in 5 colours
The major entre port for Indian articles was Red sea into the Ottoman empire. The
pilgrims to Mecca were the potential commercial agents.Gold was exchanged for
Malabar and Bengal muslin and chitniz at Mecca
Banias of North India and Armenians used the land routes mainly. The Armenians
,Persians ,Europeans were only intermediaries in the movement of merchandise till 18th
century .Indians and Ottoman people were direct trading partners .The Ottoman Turks
include the Arabs or the Kurds and orthodox jews from Turkey.It is interesting that the
Sultan of Istanbul did not sent trading merchants to India as he did to Moscow to get
furs.The Indian products to him were always gifts (fine
clothes,spices,drugs,perfumes,precious stones) and this was a very ancient custom due to
solidarity and relation with old Kekaya .The Ottoma apothecaries called Indian Tamarind
as Demir Hindi or Temur Hindi (which is dramila or Tamila India/sindh)and from this the
name tamarind originated in English language. Mecca pilgrims carried aloe wood of India
in baggage. Also pacholi,sandalwood,bezoar from Golconda.From 1620 only the transport
of spice route was obstructed via the red sea. After that the transport became more via the
Atlantic. The Basra records show Indian spices,nutmeg,Indigo of Ayira(? Ayiramala of
Kottavai in sangham era or from Ayirur of Kolathiri in Kudanad)and it was second
costliest after lapis lazuli of India.
English Chintz
Hindi tchint
Mahratha tchit
Malayalam Cheenthu
It is a hand painted cloth ,the oldest dating is from 1548 for cushion, mattress etc India
exported day to day domestic use clothes as well as luxury clothes right from prehistoric
upto 16th-18th century.17th century Ottoman historian Naima wrote “The Indians do not
buy anything from Ottoman territory. They find nothing they need here. They have no
needs to satisfy in foreign countries.”
This shows how self-sufficient Indian economy was at that time. They were self-sufficient
and they were giving the surplus to others and strengthening the economy. This shows a
good administration ,not a bad one. Then how did such a sudden imbalance happen? The
relation of forces after and before 1498 (which is modern period in west and medieval in
India)changed and we will see that in another chapter.
The oldest written evidence of humanity is the Indus script which is not yet read by
scholars. The next important written texts are the cuneiform tablets and they give us
sources of their goods and the destination of their trading ships as Dilmun,Magan,and
Meluhha.In the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC these were urban centers as per cuneiform
texts. The kind of goods were both raw materials and manufactured ,utilitarian and luxury
items .The notion of trade as sea route and land route was known to them and involvement
of state in trade and agrarian produce and economy is demonstrated by seals and texts of
antiquity in these regions as well as in India. The west of Afghanisthan,now not belonging
to India but the old Gandhara of India ,bordering Iran was a source of copper and tin for
Harappan culture and it helped metallurgy as well as agriculture, production of crafts .It
was utilitarian good for India .The luxury items were for social relation with kings and
rulers for gifts etc .Mesopotamian royalty was the major market for Indian luxury. For
decoration of their temples they got fine timber ,gold, lapis lazuli,etc from India. Origin of
settlements like villages started the local trade and initiation of self sufficiency and the
urban centers developed as the trade and commerce with foreign lands of great distances
increased .Urbanism refers to spatial ordering of the community ,other than subsistence
procurement like crafts,mines,transport systems, taxation for trade etc.Clustering of
nonfood producing population created opportunity for agricultural produce to be traded
locally. The concept of food for all and raw material and fuel for the manufacturers
developed. In exchange the cities gave goods manufactured and services of various kinds
to rural people.
The archeological evidence show that in Ubaid period (5th millennium BC )Eridu,Ur
,Ubaid were settled villages and people were herding and fishing in marshes. The cereal
cultivation had just started. Reed huts and mud brick houses were used. No ceramic
production seen locally. But in the early shrine of Eridu a clay model of boat with socket
for mast is seen in a grave showing knowledge of boat with use of a sail. Seasonal
sea fishing expeditions from Sumer was probably there.Uruk period from 4000-3000BC
we find architecture,sculpture,cylinder seals. There is an 100 hectare settlement ,with
evidence of 8 successive cultures. Home of legendary Enmarker Uruk show some
writings.The first writing appeared in the terminal Uruk period. It was picture like signs on
tokens and tablets for economic transactions and it corresponds with the Indian
civilization period of Vedavyasa and Srikrishna according to Kaliyuga calculation. The
port city of Dwaraka existed till 3104 BC.The temple of Eanna for Ishtar uses
copper,gold,silver,lapis lazuli,cornelian,basalt ,chlorite,marble,and limestone. Only
limestone is locally available. All others are imported .North and south Uruk had pottery
but no Uruk pottery is so far discovered in gulf (pp11 Q. J.Oates and D.T.Potts Shereen
Ratnagar OUP ).Ninevah on the left bank of upper Tigris an important center on route
from North Iran,Anatolia,and Gulf on excavation show artifacts of Uruk type.
At Muscat the discovery of a plank boat (construction and repair)around 3100 BC with
bitumen mixture heating was seen and this is the time of decline of Yadavas of Gujarat
and loss of Dwaraka in India.
The westernmost Harappan center is Sukhthagon-Dor which is fortified to prevent
invasion from west and a local culture of 4th millennium BC exist there (before Uruk
period and before Krishna).Prehistoric Baluchistan (kekaya)link with Turkemania
(quettaware)is established. At Mehrgarh also the connection is seen. There along with
lapis,carnelian,gold,silver ornaments, ornaments of shank shells from the sea of south
India and south East Asia had been identified showing how wide the trade relations were .
Mesopotamia:-
Arid region. In 3000 BC the seed harvest ratio was 1:70.due to annual floods of two
rivers. The stock rearing of sheep and goat was known. In 2600 BC .One temple had
14000 goats and sheep. Wool industry flourished (1Kg wool /animal).Moving pastoralists
were part of economy and sharing of trade goods. In March /April the spring shearing of
wool ,they enter silled zones and exchange wool for necessary goods. Harvests over, they
graze and fertilize fields by droppings. The trees were poplar and willow ,tamarisk, and
date palm. It gave charcoal of bad quality and used for roof beams for ordinary houses. No
wood of strength and durability existed for cart frame, boats and ships and for temple
pillars. These were from far off places and through sea route. Standing at the head of the
gulf south Mesopotamia traded with east and south East .In their writings we find that
Ur,Lagash and Akkad were proud of foreign ships visiting their coasts. They say the
foreign ships brought wood and metal to them through water transport. In ancient times
Ur was one of the southern cities and Jacobson says(1960.185) the water body as a
marshy lake ,seen south of Ur was in ancient times a part of gulf .
The trade relations of Mesopotamia with South Asia is proved by archeological findings
and exchange of several articles including seals, weights and measures and trefoil
figurines on ox/bulls, Indian bull figurines, cylinder seal of rhinoceros with a bead on its
face, of elephants ,ghariels and a lapis lazuli amulet showing two Indian elephants, and
two seals with water buffalo of India which is not a feature of Mesopotamia.
But the ships bringing wood from Dilmun and copper for which barley,cedarwood and
flour were exchanged is mentioned in texts showing the nature of daily use materials
exchange .On Nippur statues in the time of sargon,and from the historical account of
curse of Akkad we have important information about the nature of trade relation with
India.
The Akkadian dynasty of Sargon had three generations .Son of Sargon was Manishtusu
and his son Narain Sen who defeated a Magan king. The names of the kings are definitely
Indian especially the first and the third.
Jacobson has read the historical text of curse of Akkad and given an English translation
quoted by Rathnagar in her book. I will just quote a few lines from it here.
1.Sumerians ,Martu nomads, and Meluhhas came to Akkad.
From Sumer’s own stones
Barges were towed
The Martu of the highlands
Men who knew not grain
Were coming to her with perfect bulls.
Perfect kids
The Meluhhans,men of the black mountains
Were bringing down
Strange goods to her from them.
That means the barges were of Sumer’s stones but the ships were foreign. The Martu is
the Sanskrit Maruthu or winds (49 types of winds )and the monsoon winds bring
high fertility for grains .They brought to them grains and bulls (ploughing bulls)and their
children which were perfect breeds in every way. they also brought strange unfamiliar
goods from the Meluhha country which is the country of black hills.
2.BC 2125 epic inscribed on cylinder A and B Gudea of building a temple and
acquisition of materials for it:-
The Elamites came to the king from Elam
The Susaine from Susa
The Magan,Meluhha in the mountains
Loaded wood upon their shoulders for him
And gathered to build Ningarisu’s home.
3.Carnelian they were lavishing on him from Meluhha.
4.Gifts before the deity:
Chariot,special type of maces,weapons
Copper,tin,slabs of lapis lazuli,
Refined silver,pure Meluhha carnelian
He set up in a huge copper pail.
5.Statue A inscription:- Diorite from Magan mountains which the statue was covered.
6.Statue B inscription:-Diorite come from Meluhha together with gold in its ore state.
7.Statue D inscription:- Magan,Meluhha,Gubin and Dilmun sent wood .They let their
timber cargoes sail to Lagash.
Meluhha is blessed with large cattle and trees
.
8.The speckled dogs of Meluhha was brought to Ibbi-Sin of Ur as a .gift.The area was
also a source of carnelian beads. (This gives us the clue to the fact that Meluhha country
or Mlechadesa in Sanskrit was Kekaya of India. The gifts of King of Kekaya to Dasartha
through Bharatha ,his grandson included speckled spotted fierce dogs of a superbreed
variety special to Kekaya.To this date such mastiff dogs are special for the region.
The UR dynasty and its empire fell in 2004 BC and we find the trade contact till that date
from Indian Kekaya .
But was Kekaya or Baluchistan a black mountain which grew lot of trees which gave it a
greenish/bluish black color? No. But the organized trade and commerce of India made it
possible to get wood from the Sahya and transport it by ships with help of monsoon
winds and the black people of Mlecha country(Krishna )were known as a single
community from entire Sindhudesa to southwestern India.
We cannot consider the Gulf coast taking part in this ancient trade .Because Akkadian Ur
fell by 2004 BC and the Arabian coast of gulf was uninhabited till the oil was struck and
the Bahrain culture starts in 1500BC and Kuwait culture starts in 2000 BC well after the
SUMERIAN/AKKADIA civilizations fell. But in 1900 Dilmun (Bahrain)had sent Indian
ivory,carnelian,gold and fisheye(mother of pearl specific for Bahrain and Gulf
coast)lapis,copper,wood of good quality, wooden objects,Guhlu etc none except fish eye
is the product of gulf but of India.Guhlu from Dilmun is translated as antimony. The term
resembles Guggulu a medicinal substance for heart diseases is my observation.
What was taken back by Dilmun for exchange of such costly things from
Mesopotamia.? The answer is very significant. For such superior quality articles,Dilmun
ships took back inferior quality wool, and garments, leather goods, silver and sesame oil.
Articles from Dilmun to Ur Source of ref information(archeological)
1 Carnelian UET V
2Semiprecious stones UET 3 .672; UET V ,;UET 1244
3.Ivory and Ivory objects UET 3;UET V;Urik archaic text DP 237;513;518,RTC 26,VS X1V 30,38,194,UET V UET V 796 Expecting a very large quantity
4.Copper
5 Silver D.T.Potts 1990 227 says susa texts dt 1720 BC 17.5 Manna silver
6Lapiz lazuli UET V Texts
7.fish eye same
8.red gold Same Tablets
9.white corals same
10.wood of good quality UR ,Gudea statue D ,Cylinder A,UET V
11.Dates Enki,Ninhurag
12.Bitumen for ship repair YOS 5 ,Larsa pd text
This shows Bahrain or Dilmun was acting as an entre port for trade of Sumer,Akkad and
India (west Asia)and was not a trading partner for them. For acting as entrepot they
received the inferior quality articles from Mesopotamia and probably from India they got
some grains or food material and clothes for day to day use and the art of repair of ships
was taught for mutual help.Cylinder A passage mentions transport of wood and huge
amounts of food grains. In the deluge myth of Akkad,Zinsudra escapes deluge and
allowed to live in Dilmun ,a place where the Akkadian sun rises and called the land of
Crossing.(to east of Akkadia and the crossing point or entre port of India and
Mesopotamia in sea trade. Before 2000 BC there was no fresh water in Bahrain and
people could not settle there. In a 3000 BC profession text ,a tax collector is mentioned
showing that the export trade was well organized and state controlled by the trading
partners. The Magan contact is mentioned from Akkadian period only and not in
Sumerian period. Oman has copper which is mentioned only after Akkadian period. The
reason for this is:-
1.Dilmun may not be a specific geographic name for Bahrain only ,but included other
islands also
2.Dilmun acted as a middle man since they were using the weights and measures of
Harrappa and IVC and did not have weights and measures of their own.
Why is the Maruths of the highlands of India called the men who don’t know grains and
the black men of the black mountains of Mlechadesa said to have brought good wood and
well-bred plough bulls and calves for agricultural use?
The answer is simple. The Upper highlands of Baluchistan (kekaya) and
Gandhara(Afghanistan)were not cultivable lands and had only limited pastural
life. Stretches of uninhabited land near settlements with artisans living and manufacturing
goods was the picture. They needed grain and it was supplied by organized trade from the
fertile southern regions of India, The manufactured goods reached through trade routes all
over the world. The South East of Bampur Valley lies Baluchisthan and North East is
Kerman region to Seisthan.SE Zagroz zone is Soghun valley through which flow Dozdan
river to gulf of Oman in the vicinity of Minab which is a fertile district and if one walks
for 5-6 days through this riverbank, one can reach the sea coast from Yahya
Tepe.Downstream the Soghan valley 24 Km southeast of Dolatabad lies the copper
deposits and large quantities of slag is visible. Steatite specifically chlorite is seen in 4
locations here .Therefore from Neolithic to Sussarian times Tepe Yahya had human
settlements and in early 4th millennium BC thirty settlements were in Dolatabad.By the
time of Yahya IVC period most of these settlements were abandoned. In Yahya period
1V c ,a storage building complex where the consignments were stored and dispatched
existed .They stored lapis lazuli, solid foot goblets with flat base unlike the hollow conical
foot and conical cup forms of Barber 1 period. The sequence of organization and
transport of culture and materials is from east to west and not from west to east or
downwards from north. The South provided food and raw materials and available
minerals along with rich forest products and gold and the northern India and North
west provided great manufacture centers of copper, chlorites ,and other minerals and
metals and metallurgy became specialized and export quality. The entire trade from
Kanyakumari to Gandhara and Kekaya was well organized through sea and land routes
and this made the land self sufficient and could give surplus to Babylon and Akkad and
Sumeria through organizes state administration. The concept of a organized ekarashtra is
seen in Mahabhagavatha and The ekarshtra is Brahmanda(universe)itself and Bhartha
was only part of this ekarashtra and was sharing its valuable products for cheap things
which she did not need but the entrepots needed in exchange. By the development of
organized specialized professional excellance and knowledge and sharing by co-
operation she had learned and taught a new system of successful administration based on
confederation of self-sufficient republics of several panchayaths and nagara .
The Helmand civilization and Gaandhara:-The Helmand river originate from the
Hindukush mountainous highlands and form the Hamun-I Helmand in Seisthan.One of its
tributaries Arghandab flows through Kandahar and meet Halmand west of Kandahar.The
seat of Shahr-I Sokhta and Helmand civilization is this part.
The names Hamun-I and Shahr-I strikes a familiar chord in our memory, because the
name of the Gandhara prince who accompanied Gandhari to Hasthinapur was Sakuni ,a
unnatural name which looks quite different from other names of the epic and if written as
Sakun-I it is a Gandhaara name .The Hamun lake the only fertile region of Iran is
changing dimensions year to year and climate is bad for agriculture. The notorious winds
of 120 days (from May to October)creates havoc on soil,vegetation,sand particles act as
abrasive ,erode soil, strip the plants of their leaves etc.The whole stretch of lands from this
to Nepal is the land of the Northern Maruths ,as described by Akkadians ,but the Nepal is
geographically different from Iran and has cultivable lands though a land of winds.(Many
of the places are having the suffix of Hawa or wind attached ).This stretch of land is on
the silk route .The wheat and cattle(animal husbandry)was practiced and mats
,weaving, wool spinning etc were occupation of people .Quartz,alabaster,flint
,marble,calcite,are available in Seisthan ,the seat of Sassanian and Parthian
kings.(Sassania is from Sasaadha and Parthian is from Bharatheeya and these are
corrupted local usages).Silver, lead and malachite pebbles(same as in Mundigark)is seen
in the south. To the east the Helmond leads to Kandahar and Mundigak
settlement.Helmand river is not navigable in any part and hence the transport is only by
land route.
One important archeological find is that in grave 10 of Shakr-I –soktha which is the
limits to Baluchisthan(Kekaya)one finds shreds of nal pottery and vases and a collection
of Shank shells from south Asia on the surface of the mountains showing that it was a
confluence place for three civilizations Central Asia,South Asia and west Asia. The total
area of Shahr-I soktha is only 151 hectares and the other settlements are only the size of
small villages not more than 2 hectares. The time span is from 4th millennium BC to end of
2nd millennium .Only 2000 years did that civilization exist. It was not continuous as
Indian ,but had features in common with Indian and was acting as a boundary and
transport center for trade and commerce .Shahr-I soktha has scarce evidence of long
distance export –import and only connection is with S.E.I ran .On the other hand
Mundigarh near Khadahar which has an agricultural production stretch of present
Afghanisthan and old Gandhara ,was the node of a very ancient caravan route from
Herat,Indus plains,Sibi,Quetta,Kabul and Ghazni.It is not in the fertile Kandhahar plain
but 50 Km North ,separated from a hill spur and the routes used by
pastoralists(Idaya/Yaaadava) who go to Gandhara plain for the winter sojourn.(Rathnagar
pp 67).The eccentric location and an important deposit of Galena gave importance to
Mundigarh.The layers of occupation predates Shahr-I soktha by 1000 years. But it became
an urban center only in 3000 BC -2000 BC with a defensive rampart and a palace.(That
was the time of Mahabharatha and Krishna and of the rise of Kuru race and sons of
Gandhari).The people used metal,stone,seals,and a work shop and two carved ivory
artifacts are excavated from here which does not exist in Shahr-I soktha
.
Iranian Baluchisthan (The Bampur valley)with mountain ranges ,plateus,winding river
basins,low troughs is a desolate zone of base rock and sanddunes.The size and number of
human settlements are limited .The major diet is fish from a perennial river .Pastoralism
,seasonal migration for high pastures on Makran ranges and Sarawan plateau still exists
as prehistoric times. The only surplus they have is wool and ghee. The household
equipment is minimal. Palm leaves used for making huts,tents,mats etc.On North Bampur
valley opens to river Damian’s tributary near Irahshakr and here there is cultivation and
on its east margin lie Katukan .On east is Bampur and Mashkel,once a part of the Seistan
empire.
River Halil Rud from Kerman area, and to south towards Makran ,empty into Hamun-I
Jaz Murian ,a low trough at center of which is the famous salt lake.Bampur river empty
into salt lake from east. Thus the natural route of communication existed between Kerman
,Makran,Halil Rud and Bampur.In SE direction, the Halil Rud-Bampur route continue to
Serbaz and then Kej valley and on NE to Rakshan and Mashkel valley. An old route
connect Bampur to Char Bahar ,which is an important settlement and harbour on Makran
coast .On the north a route leads to Seistan.
Thus copper traveled to west of Halil Rud near Faryab,lead to Kuh-I –Jebel Bariz,both
copper and lead to slope of Kuh-I Tuftan,and copper to Northern slope of Srhadd from
here.Mundigark and MohenjoDaro was in constant contact with Bampur and this caraven
route and intermediate centre of distribution. This connection continued even during
Buddhist period as we see the Buddhist idols of that period in plenty here.
Now we have seen how the land routes of India and Babylon/Akkadia was established and
how the ancient caraven routes connected the two sides of the globe.Now we have to
locate the Magan mentioned in Sumerian/Akkadian manuscripts,because Sargan was
receiving boats and ships from Magan,Meluhha and Dilmun and Dilmun is the entre-port
Bahrain ,and Meluhha is the Mlechadesa called Sindhu-Souveera in Sanskrit.
Sargon’s son Manishtusiu sailed across the lower sea and defeated 32 towns of Magan
and cleared the way for metal and silver mines ,quarried black stone of mountains of lower sea, loaded it on ships at the quay of Agade.Narain Sen,his son, subjugated Magan
,captured its EN(ruler)quarried diorite in mountains and cursed the sea and defeated
Magan ,and washed weapons in lower sea according to his inscriptions.Gudeas statue
inscriptions say Na4 esi from Magan was taken in Magan ships of wood.(This is same as
diorite/dolerite).Gudeas statues are made of it. It is dark hard takes lustrous sheen when
polished. It was used for Akkad and Lagash architecture and came from Magan.In
Ninurtha myth it is said a special mace was made for him with diorite from Magan which
has silver around it.Gudea made his own statue with it and kept in temple.
Magan is a land of sailors and merchants according to the description but none of 3rd
millennium cultures of Iran had substantial maritime and shipbuilding
knowledge.Chahbar was the only natural harbour on the whole of Persian coast .Magan is
said to be a land of mines and copper came from there to Sumer.What else came from
Magan?
Haluppu wood for furniture ,chariots but not for ship-building.
Mesu wood for vehicles and furniture only. Not good for ship-building
Darius inscription call it Yaka in old Persian language which is equivalent to Yaksha in
Sanskrit(The yaksha wood from land of Yaksha,Kubera who is a ruler of Himalaya
,including Nepal upto Lanka in south according to Ramayana ).It came from Gandhara
and Karmaana(Kerman)and is Dalbergia Sissoo called Yax or Jag in local
Kerman.Yaka/Mesu is Sissoo.Magan reed is bamboo which grows in Makran and
bamboo pieces for export is excavated from Harappa.
Sar-Ma-Gan is onion, garlic and asafetida of India traded between India and Gulf through
Kerman where it is grown for trade. Red ocher is another.
Magan is old Persian Maka /Makaran (Mahaa/Mahagrihan)and the present Mehrgarh
.Ivory from Kerala and Karnataka went to west and barley and wool came from west
through Makran and Makran /Magan thus formed an important link for commerce and
trade. Grave 8 of Shusin(read as Susena) in 2030 BC ,just 1000 yrs after Dwaraka
sank, there had been a floods and famine in India and Magna received 70-600 gur (21000
to 180000 liters)and barley from Ensi of the town .In the reign of the last ruler the
dynasty records a merchant who took delivery from temple of Nouna of consignments for
purchase of Magan copper and wood in exchange of fish, garments ,hides and sesame
oil. The texts say lapis lazuli came from Mehluhha and Aratta valley but not from
Magan.Arattaka desa is mentioned in all ancient Sanskrit texts as part of India and it was
a yadava country..And Mlehchadesa is that parts of India where the people do not follow
the Vedic injunctions correctly and speak a mlechabhaasha or prakrithic regional
language. In Akkad period and UR 111 texts reference to a man Lu-ma-gan(or Mr
Magan,man of Magan )is seen.It was a trade center subjugated by Akkadians and a trade
partner for Sumerians from where Magan came. In India also mention of MaagaBrahmana
is seen as experts in astronomy, and philosophy as well as architecture .Harappan people
had strong links with this area and both Harappa and Maagan were part of India
itself. There are settlements along the major avenues of commercialization and Makran is
called the land of passage.Physiographically the route runs East-west and Southwest to
North east .During Alexander’s period coastal Makran was not suitable for caravan traffic
but was possible from Kej valley(in Makran) to Bampur and Sarbaz valley and this east
west routes natural eastward extension was Mashkai (Mushkai)valley
,Nal,Khuzder,Bela(east)across Nal river to Jhan pass by two day caravan journey. From
Khuz der to east through Mula pass reach southwest edge of Katchi plains(Katch or
Brighukatcha plains start here)Then turn southeast you are in Mohenjodaro.So
Mohenjodaro was the centre of the Brighuvansi and their generations of rulers. From
Bela to south through Sounmini bay another route runs to Harappan settlement at Balakot
towards the coast of Brighukatcha.Several kulli settlements lay astride land routes
between lower Indus plains and Harappan part of Makran.Rainfall being low and
unreliable population density is less in Makran.Pasturalist nomadism is the
livelihood. The northern Las Bela is fertile and has incidence of sedentary cultivation in
Baluchistan .In kulli culture including Nindowari stone boulders not locally available is
used for architecture ,of stone terrace and platforms ,granaries,fortifications.Why such
fortifications for mobile pastoralists? The common houses of Makran and south
Baluchistan is of mudbrick and mat even today. From where did the stone come? From
where did the labor to mobilize them come?Nindowari in Makran is a Harappan site
and that settles the doubts and the mercantile and co-operative life of Kulli(Baluchistan)
or kekaya and Harappan(Bharatha race)people which has literary/archeological evidence
from Ramayana/Mehrgarh times .The cart transport is by donkey/camel due to rugged
surface of land routes. And fodder for animal caraven is difficult to obtain. The
fortification of Harappan port settlement in Makaran show some anticipation of threat
from some one. Was it from Iranian Baluchistan during times of hardships? The
Harappan merchants in the fortified city were residing there to get copper from mines
between Hiari and Bela.Their weights and measures in the kulli sites were for that
purpose. The Harappan Mesopotamian trade like ivory, carnelian beads, and silver did not
touch the Kulli sites. Therefore it is evident that Harappan people used Kulli sites as a
periphery of their empire. And as in the village and town planning of India ,the
periphery of their empire also was guarded by people of the outcaste who eat meat and do
tanning and animal scavenging and are good messengers in times of danger to the interior
,and the inhabitants were the Mlecha of Indian language and Meluhha of the Outside
world of Akkad and Sumer.
The Harappan ports of Makran excavated are:-
1.The most westerly Sutkagen dor 650 Km west of Lower Indus ,and thus belongs to
Sindhudesa ,the Mlecha land of India.The king of this area was Brihadratha and his son
Jayadratha during Mahabharatha days and Jayadratha was husband of Dussala ,the
princess of Hastinapure and niece of Prince of Gandhara ,Sakun-I .So they were not a
different race .
Coastal Makran the uninhabited desert and hilly ,cliffy, swampy arid clay plains and bad
water ,170 mm rain/annum and failing rains every 3 years grows only dates ,jower and
barley. No perennial wells ,only a few natural springs exist .Houses are mat made. Fish is
eaten and fed to livestock .For dates they get back bread and barley .
2.Tiz .This is a natural harbour located away from monsoon winds reach and hence they
could not use monsoon winds for sea travel and had no first hand awareness or
experience of monsoon winds/sea route by winds. But it was a port. The materials from
southern ports reached here and were taken in exchange for the copper ,wool ,dates etc
and then transported to other areas.
3.Dasht-Sukthagon Dor of Harappans.
4.15 Km north of Pasni ,the Harappan site of Sotka Koh.
5.From Sonmani Bay an old route reach 12 Km inland in a Harappan site Balakot with
fresh water in deep wells and cultivation with well water irrigation. And 25 Km inland is
another Harappan site Khaira Kot. ( One thing which I notice is that the fortified cities and
ports have a name Dor which resembles Dwaraka with same meaning as doorway ,and
the suffix Kot to Baala( name of Devi)and Khaira (for artisans or kammala )resemble the
suffix Kozhikod or koodam (meaning a center where people meet /kooda or koodastha
/kozhikoodam in sangha literature,Irunjaala koodal/chithiraikoodal etc ).
The Harappan sites communicated through boat traffic all the year round and into the
vicinity including Mesopotamia westward which did not know shipbuilding as their own
texts show.
6.Gwador bay and Pasni.The best ports of Makran .now in Pakistan. Well sheltered and
with the seasonal Desht river that is tidal for 20 Km .The exclusive Sutkagon dor
Harappan site with fortified walls used these ports .Sotkan Koh and Sutkagan dor are on
top of a natural rocky elevation(Girigurga).The Giridurga and the
Mahagriha(Mehrgarh)of Kekaya is mentioned in Ramayana when the messenger of
Vasishta traverse the route to reach there .
Balakot is small .The lowest levels are pre-Harappan .High levels are Harappan
period. Shell industry of bangles, unfinished articles, and bivalve shells in abundance
noticed. Distance from sea shore of these Harappan sites.
Sutkagon dor 48 Km
Sotka koh 12 Km
Balakot 9 Km
Makran also show early microlithic pre-Harappan and protoelamite sites showing their
antiquity.
Harappan civilization is in the stretch of land comprising NW FP ,west Punjab, Rajasthan
upto Aravally from eastern limits of an arid semiarid belt across SW Asia and share
geographical features with west Asia ,and is a transitional zone and is on the western
borders of monsoon India .
In west Asia rain is between November to April. Wild sheep and wild wheat grow in dry
winter areas. During this time a high pressure stream enters NW India from west Asia
,one branch of it follow the south flank of Northern mountain ranges. Beneath it low
pressure troughs or waves and small winter rainfall follow.
.
Friday, May 28, 2010
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