gems, trade, commerce, early trade, Central Asia, Afghanistan

The Early Historical period, roughly dated between 100 B.C. and A.D. 400, is marked by far-reaching changes in both the economic and social fabric of the subcontinent. Under the Mauryas the epicentre lay in the middle Ganga valley, but in the post-Mauryan period the focus shifted to areas which had hitherto been on the periphery. In the northwest the beginning of the Christian era saw the rise of the Kusana Empire with the major centres being Pushkalavati and Mathura. The Kṣatrapas in the west controlled a greater part of Gujarat, while constantly pushing towards the Deccan. Under the Sātavāhanas there was a spurt in monumental construction in the Deccan, with the major centres being linked to the ports on the west coast through a complex network of routes. Further south, the megalithic culture gave way to the chiefdoms of the Cōḷas, Cēras and Pāṇḍyas in the fertile coastal tracts. This growth of settlements and urban centres was not just spatial, but archaeological excavations document a technological improvement in the structural remains as well. At almost all sites there is an extensive use of brick and tiles and the Early Historical levels are far richer in material remains than those of the previous periods. Inscriptional data from Buddhist monastic sites indicate that the prosperity was not restricted to the elite, but had percolated to occupational castes and groups. There are several epigraphs recording donations to monasteries by a cross-section of specialized workers such as blacksmiths, fishermen, gardeners and so on.