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CH-10 Traders, Kings and Pilgrims

This document summarizes traders, kingdoms, and pilgrims in ancient India between 200 BCE to 500 CE. It discusses how traders utilized monsoon winds and sea routes to trade gold, spices, and precious stones. Powerful kingdoms like the Cholas and Pandyas ruled along river valleys and coasts, becoming wealthy. The Silk Route allowed trade between India and China, with kings trying to control portions for taxes. During this period, Buddhism spread across India and Asia, with monks building cave monasteries. Pilgrims also traveled to holy sites alongside traders, and the Bhakti movement of individual devotion to gods like Shiva and Vishnu grew in popularity.

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Priya Chugh
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409 views2 pages

CH-10 Traders, Kings and Pilgrims

This document summarizes traders, kingdoms, and pilgrims in ancient India between 200 BCE to 500 CE. It discusses how traders utilized monsoon winds and sea routes to trade gold, spices, and precious stones. Powerful kingdoms like the Cholas and Pandyas ruled along river valleys and coasts, becoming wealthy. The Silk Route allowed trade between India and China, with kings trying to control portions for taxes. During this period, Buddhism spread across India and Asia, with monks building cave monasteries. Pilgrims also traveled to holy sites alongside traders, and the Bhakti movement of individual devotion to gods like Shiva and Vishnu grew in popularity.

Uploaded by

Priya Chugh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 10

Traders, Kings and Pilgrims

Traders
Traders carried goods from place to place and sold them in the markets.
They travelled by land in caravans and across seas in sturdy ships and
explored many sea routes.
The monsoon winds were utilised by traders to reach their destination
quickly.
South India was a centre for trade as gold, spices and precious stones were
traded with the Roman Empire.
Kingdoms along the coast
Kings who controlled the kingdoms along the river valleys and the coast line
became very rich.
The Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas were the three families that became
powerful in South India 2300 years ago.
Important cities were Kaveripattinam, the port of the Cholas and Madurai,
the capital of the Pandyas.
The chiefs received gifts from people instead of taxes and went on military
expeditions.
The Satavahana dynasty became powerful in western India around 200 years
later.
Satavahana rulers were also known as lords of the dakshinapatha, literally
meaning the route leading to the south. Their most important ruler was
Gautamiputra Satakarni.
Silk route
Silk making techniques were first invented in China 7000 years ago.
The path followed by Chinese silk traders was known as the Silk Route.
Kings tried to control portions of the Silk Route in order to fetch taxes,
tributes and gifts.
The Kushanas, who ruled over central Asia and north-west India, were the
most famous of such rulers.
The major centres of power of Kushanas were Peshawar and Mathura.
They were also the earliest rulers of the subcontinent to issue gold coins.
Buddhism at this time
The most famous Kushana ruler was Kanishka, who organised a Buddhist
council, where scholars met and discussed matters.
The poet Ashvaghosha, who composed a biography of the Buddha called
Buddhacharita, lived in his court.
A new form of Buddhism, known as Mahayana Buddhism, developed during
this time.
It included creation of statues of the Buddha in places like Taxila and
Mathura.
Belief in Bodhisattvas or people who attained enlightenment also gained
ground and spread in places like Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan.
Cave monasteries were built near the Western Ghats for the meditation of
Buddhist monks.
Theravada Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and other
parts of Southeast Asia including Indonesia.
Pilgrims
Pilgrims were the men and women who undertook journeys to holy places
in order to offer worship. They often accompanied traders in ships and
caravans.
The most famous accounts of this time were provided by Chinese Buddhist
pilgrims- Fa Xian, Xuan Zang and I-Qing.
Bhakti
Worship of deities like Shiva, Vishnu and Durga became very important
during this time.
Bhakti, which denoted a person’s devotion to his or her chosen deity, became
the way of worshipping.
The idea of Bhakti is present in the Bhagvad Gita, a sacred book of the
Hindus, which is a part of the Mahabharata.
People who followed the Bhakti system, emphasised devotion and individual
worship of a god or goddess rather than performing rituals like sacrifices.
The idea of bhakti was expressed through art, sculpture and poetry.

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