Digital Rare Book:
The Commerce Between The Roman Empire And India
By E.H. Warmington
First published by The Cambridge University Press, London - 1928

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Book extract:

The firm establishment of Augustus in the principate brought peace and prosperity, and since much trade shifted from the near East to Rome, the Mediterranean Sea had become filled with merchants, and the fashionable world began to demand oriental luxuries on a scale unknown before, brought by Greeks, Scythians, Jews, and Arabians in Greek vessels, true Romans (resident not farther east than Asia Minor) helping them with moneyed capital when it was needed. The main channel for these luxuries through the Mediterranean was the sea-voyage from Alexandria to Puteoli, and so we naturally turn to look at the “province” of Egypt first and to consider the relations of that important territory with India.

Arabia and India became better known through frequent trading; one hundred and twenty ships (presumably Egyptian) left for the East every year, visiting India and the Somali in fleets which brought back precious freights to Alexandria — a city which controlled the trade, distributed cargoes to other regions, reaped double customs-dues, and attracted foreigners to a degree above all other marts. He emphasises the importance of Myos Hormos and Berenice in this traffic. The merchants who visited India, not yet knowing the best use of the monsoons, coasted all the way in small vessels, perhaps sometimes sailing across from Has Eartak to the river Indus. In constant dread of the inhospitable and uncivilised Arabian coast and of the shoals in the Red Sea, they sailed under armed guards and with the help of professional guides down the middle of that long gulf or near its western side and called at Adulis (Zula, the present port being Massowa) chiefly for African wares, then on the east side at Muza (Moklia), and having taken in water at Ocelis (near Celia) near Cap'e Acila at the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb proceeded into the Indian Ocean and found Indians and Indian wares in African marts of the Somali, in Socotra Island, but above all at Arabia Eudaemon (Aden) , a prosperous and wealthy meeting-place of Creeks, Arabians, and Indians. Farther along, in Hadramaut, Cane (Hisn Chorab) and Moscha (Khor Eeiri), both trading with India, invited a call. Leaving out most of the Persian Gulf, men coasted along until they reached Barbaricon on the Indus, where Indian, Tibetan, Persian, and Chinese goods could be obtained.

Further sailing to the south brought them to the Gulf of Cambay and the Saka mart Barygaza (Broach) on the Nerbudda. Local marts along the coast of India could be visited under the supervision of Andhra rulers who controlled much of the western and eastern shores, but the chief goals were the three Tamil States of South India — (a) the Chera Kingdom, controlling generally the sea-coast from Calicut to Cape Comorin, and possessing the famous pepper-marts, Muziris (Cranganore) and Nelcynda (Kottayam), though the latter may have passed already to (b) the Pandya Kingdom, occupying roughly the districts of Madura and Tinnevelly and bounded on the S. and S.E. by the north coast of the Gulf of Manaar to the Palk Strait — a kingdom famous for its pearls of Kollcai; (c) the Chola Kingdom stretching along the eastside of India from the Vaigai, or at least the Valiyar to Nellore and the river Pennar, and famous for its muslins cii). Ceylon, sending its products to these Tamil peoples, was known to but not visited by Roman aobjects who however, according to Strabo, were penetrating to the Ganges by sea in small numbers. He says that their visits to India and the Ganges were rare and hasty, and complains of the unscientific nature of their reports and, as a result, he relies much upon earlier Hellenistic writers, gives no details about the Indian peninsula, and ignores the tributaries of the Ganges. Possibly the Greeks were quite unacquainted yet wth the proper use of the monsoons even for coasting and for sailing to the Indus, though some think otherwise { Roman subjects did not reside yet in India, nor did many Indians visit Alexandria, for Cleopatra gave audience to Ethiopians, Trogodytes, Hebrews, Arabs, Syrians, Medes and Parthians; no Indians are mentioned.

Image:
Roman gold coins excavated in Pudukottai India, one coin of Caligula and two coins of Nero.

Credit: British Museum