International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 1, January 2014 1 ISSN 2250-3153 Balance and Decline of Trade in Early Andhra: (With special reference to Roman contacts) Dr. G. Mannepalli * Faculty Member,Dept. of History & Archaeology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh Abstract- The history of early Indian trade also shows a distinct A few words may be said here with regarded to the influence preference for the study of long-distance trade-both over land of the ocean upon the life of the Andhra people close association and overseas –the study of exports and imports, especially their with the sea made the inhabitants of the coastal regions fearless possible identifications on a modern map. The other common and adventurous sailors. The idea conquering the sea always feature in this historiography is to present urban centers almost haunted them and the result was the discovery of a number of invariably as thriving commercial canters and to hold places hitherto unknown to them. Going there both as colonists commercial exchanges as the principal causative factor towards and traders they also widened the geographical horizon of Indian urbanization. Without belittling the importance of this civilization. Levi (pre -Aryan and pre- Dravidian) has pointed out conventional narrative approach to the history of trade; it must be that the sea-routes to the East from the ports of South India had emphasized that an understanding of trade and urban centers can come in to common use many centuries before the Christian era. hardly be delinked from the agrarian sector. Significantly Trade relations with the West also opened well before said era. enough, the expansion “agro-cities” has been used to characterize This maritime trade was regulated by the wind currents, better early Indian urban centers. The trade between Andhra and known as monsoonal wind currents ,which are specially Roman Empire, Andhra was the much beneficiary compare with important and are perhaps unique in their effects.(Vincent- Rome. Because of this trade Buddhism, urban centers were commerce of ancient India)The monsoon whose regular action flourished in that period. was known to Indian sailors from very early times, was discovered for the west some time about the middle of the first Index Terms- Exports, Imports, Port towns, Monsoons, Sea century A.D.and since then it dominated the navigation of the winds, Balance of trade Arabian sea and the Bay of the Bengal till the invention of steamship of the 19th century . The monsoonal wind current, likewise, governed sailing over the Bay of Bengal. For a period I. INTRODUCTION of well over five months, the direction and route of sailing were ndhradesa as one of the regional hubs of the vast net-work determined by these winds and navigators of the Indian Ocean A of international commerce must have experienced a great who had closely studied the action of these phenomena were able amount of material prosperity, herself having accomplished to make full use of them. production of merchandise so as to actively participate in it. As such, the Roman connection is increasingly seen as a powerful Objectives of the paper factor in the urbanization of ports of Peninsular India in the early 1) To identify the trade evidences of Early Andhra. historic period (S.J. Keay, 1996-97). In spite of the subject 2) To identify the sea winds of early times. having been studied by so many eminent scholars and 3) To identify the ports and Marts of Early Andhra distinguished archaeologists, whose works will be briefly 4) to identify the Exports and Imports of Early Andhra reviewed in the following section as to have set the model for the 5) How Andhra was benefited with Roman contacts present study, the subject promises opportunities for studies afresh. Trade relations between India and Roman Empire Andhra Pradesh is one such state in the Indian Union, with Political upheavals in the country did not affect the trade its own individuality in matters of language, civilization and between India and other countries. It was carried on as before on culture, worthy of historical study with useful purpose, and hence international routes and there was great improvement in the sea the study has been taken up, keeping in mind the need for a trade and as we shall see later on, On account of his profitable balanced study in accordance with the principles of trade India was the recipient of large amount of Roman gold. historiography, explained above. However, the fact that no part When the political changes were taking place in Northern India, of the country is so much individual as to flourish absolutely the Satavahana dynasty was increasing its strength in the deccan. independent of others, and no region could remain aloof from In the poeriod of Simuka and his younger brother Krishna, the others to the extent of without influencing, or getting influenced satavahana empire was extended up to Nasik,and in this way as by others, is never to be ignored. Hence, the present study is not they profess in their later inscriptions, they had in reality become strictly limited to the region of Andhra Pradesh as a water-tight the rulers of the Deccan. The Satavahana king compartment and adequate importance has been accorded to VasishtaPutraPulumavi(circa137-155a.d) was the son-in law of corresponding developments in the regions around, of the same Rudradaman.Even then by defeating his son-in-law Rudradaman time. annxed some parts of his empire.Another great king of Satavahana dynasty was SriYajnaSatakarni. Who according www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 1, January 2014 2 ISSN 2250-3153 Rapson issued the ship type coins found in the cholamandala markets, the Chinese records also give the profit as tenfold or a between Madrasand Cuddalore. ( E.J.Rapson 1908) professor hundred-fold. May people have brought this traffic was V.V..Mirashi (1941) on the strength of a complete coin of this economically harmful to the Roman Empire in the long run. The type has ,however, proved that these coins were issued by Roman products failed to balance the Indian imports, and SriYajnaSatakarni.On the reverse of this coin appears a double exportation of money, discouraged even from Italy in first mated ship below which a fish and a conch shell symbolize the century B.C. was freely allowed to altogether foreign lands under sea. The ship raked at both ends is equipped with mats, ropes and Augustus and his successors. We must consider the use of wealth sails. There is no doubt that this ship symbolizes the Indian by the Romans and estimate whether the exportation of money, overseas trade which was in full swing in the Satavahana period. silver and gold was detrimental of the Empire. It is a fact that as But as professor Mirashi‟s coin was found in the Guntur district early as 62A.D. the ruinous system of depreciation had begun; of AndhraPradesh it informs us that ship type coins were in silver alloy from 5% to 20% added before the death of Nero currency in that region as well. The ship type and Roman coins increased to 30% under Trojan 50%; and more under Severus, from the Cholamandala inform us that there was a very intimate until finally after 218 A.D. the denarious ceased to be a silver commercial relation between India and Roman Empire. coin and there was a return to the system of payment in kind. The One inscription, mention has been made of the Mahachaitya aureus too was depreciated but gold which played a different part at Kantakasela.There is no doubt that this Kantakasela of in the international economics from silver did not become so Ptolemy which he places just after the mouth of the Krishna of scare. the same. Discovery of the inscriptions from a villaged named Before the Roman Empire begin, was rather than commerce Ghantasala in the Krishna district on the Eastern coast datable to distributed wealth gained by slave -labour, and though war circa 300 A.D. makes the identification of Kantakasela easy. The Republican Rome became rich by the plunder of the East with its first inscription mentions the great sea caption Sivaka which hoarded wealth and possession of the mines of Spain and other supports the view that in the early centuries of the Christian era. regions. Roman capitalist‟s speculators and Money-lenders came Ghantasala was an important port. In the second inscription the to regard money as the only riches and valuable only in ancient name of Ghantasala is given as Kantakasala(Ancient exchange; hence the new wealth was spent not upon productive India 1949) these references leave no doubt that in the early enterprises. There was no economic reserve-that was fault we centuries of Christian era Kantakasala was a big port situated on must not accuse the Romans of blindly meeting their economic river bank of the Krishna River which carried on trade with the collapse as thought it were caused only or primarily because of ports of Srilanka and other countries. The first two their Indian trade. centuries after Christ; we have indicated that close relations Chowstow rightly points out that history has shown reached between Roman subjects and Indian races. And have examples of preponderance of import over export without watched the activities of Syrians and Egptian,Greeks backed disastrous consequences, though he appears to think that the private capital. We have indicated the collapse of this direct trade serious part of Roman-Indian trade was flow of gold to the East; a sign of the economic and political disintegration of the Western this certainly was continuous as finds of coins in India show, but empire and reversion of control in to the hands of Persians, the drain of silver, though apparently checked in time, was more Arabians.