Description
About The Book
Gujarat, situated in a strategic point on the Western Littoral, the presence of a large coastal belt and its related advantages has hastened the development of trade in this region. It has been a major attraction as a meeting point for the traders and foreigners alike who utilized and exploited its wealth. Gujarat being a torrid region, the merchants went out of their way to exchange goods which were not produced or available there. Thus barter system came into being within the village settlements, which was a distinct exchange. The new technologies brought about the surplus of the products which helped in trade and led to emergence of urban trade centers.
The book aims at providing regional perspective based on empirical studies of specific important cities within a socio-historical and cultural context highlighting many dimensions of trade for the growth of this region. It examines the aspects of industrial and mercantile activity along with character, composition and role of merchants in the society of Western India during 3rd century B.C. to 7th century A.D. This analysis of Western India trade facilitated us to understand the pattern of commercial activities in adjoining regions of the Indian subcontinent on one hand and the outside world on the other.