Kamboja-Dvaravati Route

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Kamboja-Dvaravati Route was the name of an ancient high road running from the port of Dwarka in Anarta (Gujarat) in western India to Kamboja Mahajanapada located in parts of north-east Afghanistan and southern Tajikstan. It was the second most important ancient caravan route which linked ancient India with the nations of the north-west. The route has been used by the invading hordes from north-west, the traders, ascetics, monks, missionaries and robbers alike through out the recorded history.

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[edit] Petavatthu Evidence on Kamboja Dvaravati route

Ankuravatthu section of the Petavatthu Jataka suggests that there was a direct long trade-route between Dwarka (Dvaravati) in Kathiawar and the country of the Kambojas [1].

This trade route has been existing from the times of the Indus Valley Civilization. From what we know of the ancient routes, the hub for the branching of various routes was Bahlika (modern Balkh). The Uttarapatha-route from Tamralipiti-Patliputra-Varanasi-Kausambi-Mathura-Sakali-Takshila-Pushkaravati-Kapisi and Bamian- terminated here; so also the Davaravati-Kamboja route ended here, and then both of these Northern and Southern routes from India restarted towards the Kamboja in (Pamir & Badakshan) to pick up with the Silk Road to China [2].

The Kamboja-Dvaravati trade route originated from the sea port of Dwarka, and running through Anarta country, it swiped Madhyamika located to south of Aravalli and reached the Indus River. There it turned north and passed through Roruka, the capital city of Sovira, where it bifurcated into two routes.. the one turning east and following river Sarasvati led to Hastinapura/Indraprastha, while the second branch continued northwards and finally joined the northern high road (Uttarapatha) at Pushkalavati. There-after, the composite route reached Bahlika or Bactria following through Kabol and Bamian. At Bahlika, it turned eastwards to traverse through Kamboja in (Pamir & Badakshan) to finally pick up with the historical Silk Road leading to Nanking in China.

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names states that the country (Kamboja) was evidently on one of the great caravan routes and there was a road direct from Dvaraka to Kamboja [3].

[edit] Ancient Kambojas as documented traders

Evidence suggests that ancient Gandhara and Kamboja (modern Afghanistan) had been in direct economic and political intercourse with western India including Surashtra/Gujarat since pre-Christian times. This commercial intercourse between Kamboja and Saurashtra appears to have led to the adoption of similar kind of socio-political constitutions both by the Kambojas and the Saurashtras.

  • Kautiliya Arthashastra lists Kamboja with Saurashtra and says that same form of politico-economic constitutions (varta-shastr.opajivin) obtained in these two ancient martial republics. It attests both of them as living by agriculture, trade and by warfare [4].
  • The Brhat-Samhita of Varaha Mihira also attests the Kamboja as shastra-vartta nation i.e living by warfare, trade, agriculture and cattle-culture [5].
  • Mahabharata also attests the fact that the Kamboja lived by warfare and varta [6].

i.e the Kambojas ferocious like Yama, the god of death (in war), and rich like Kubera, the god of wealth, in material wealth.

These references sufficiently verify the trade or commercial aspect of ancient Kambojas and show that the merchants from Kamboja were engaged in trade with outside nations. The naming of western highway road as Kamboja-Dvaravati Caravan Route bears ample witness to this fact.

[edit] Ancient literary evidence and Archaeology

Buddhist sources like Apadana refers to one Arahant named Bahiya Daruciriya born in Bharukachcha (Bhroach) who had engaged himself in trade voyages in a ship. Seven times he sailed from upper Indus downwards, and across the sea as far as Suvarnabhumi and returned safely home [7].

This ancient Buddhist evidence attests that besides Kamboja-Dvaravati land road, river Indus was also used as a water trade route by upper Indus nations of Kamboja and Gandhara to sail down to Arabian Sea.

Archaeological evidence in Gujarat reveals the existence of many land-locked ports including the one called Kamboi in Surashtra [8].

It is also stated that the port of Vallabhi (Kambay or Khambat aka Gajni) was a flourishing sea port of Saurashtra which had been used for conducting sea trade with southern India, Sri Lanka, eastern India, Burma, Suvarnabhumi and Indo-China peninsula during the times of Maitraka rulers of Vallabhi.

This Kamboi of Saurashtra is attested as Kamboika as early as in 10th C. AD records [9].

Kamboika itself derives from Sanskrit Kambojika [10]. Kambojika is one of Pali names for Kamboja. There is evidence of ancient Gandhara port also, located in Saurashtra country near Bharukachcha, which again implies western Indian connections with north-western nations of Gandhara/Kamboja etc.

These references show that ancient nations of Kamboja and Gandhara (Afghanistan) had been in an extensive commercial and political intercourse with western India through the well known ancient Kamboja-Dvaravati Trade Route.

[edit] Sea Ports and Sea trade

The traders from Kamboja, Gandhara and Kashmira reached Saurashtra/Gujarat following Dvaravati-Kamboj trade route, where important sea ports became accessible to them for further trade by sea with western world like Rome, Greece, Egypt and Arabian nations on the one hand, and with southern India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Suvarna-Bhumi and the nations of Indo-China peninsula, on the other.

Most important sea port fed by Kamboj-Dvarvati tade route was Barygaza or Bharukachha (modern Bhroach) on river Narbada in Gujarat.

The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea makes mention of several sea ports beginning with Barbaricum at the mouth of river Indus, followed by Barygaza ( modern Bhroach), Soparaka (Sopara), Calliena (Kalyan) and Muziris (Kerala) located along the west coast of India downwards.

Geographer Ptolemy [11] also refers to Barygaza port as a great commercial center situated at the estuary of Narbada.

Ptolemy also refers to Syrestrene (Surashtra) which the author of Periplus mentions as a sea-board of Arabia. Yuan Chwang calls it Sa-la-ch'a and refers to it as the highway to the sea where all the inhabitants utilized the sea and were traders by profession (Yuan Chwang, p 248). Saurashtra had been a great center of trade where merchants from various nations used to flock ([12].

Ancient Jaina and Buddhist texts also attest heavy trade activities that went on at western Indian sea ports, some of which had become the official residences of international traders.

Jain canonical texts quote Bharukaccha as donamukha where goods were carried both by land and water routes [13].

Brhatkalpa attests the port of Soparka (Sopara) as great commercial center and residence of numerous traders [14].

[edit] Ancient International Trade and Afghanistan

The numerous precious objects discovered in course of excavations at Bamian, Taxila and Begram (Kapishi) bear powerful evidence of close trade-relationship of Kamboja/Gandhara (Afghanistan) land with ancient Phoenicia and Rome in the west and Sri Lanka in the south.

[edit] Ancient Afghanistan vs Western world

There is good archaeological evidence of Roman trade (0 C.E. to 200 CE) coming into Gandhara/Kamboja and Bactria through the Gujarati peninsula. Archaeological finds of objects like frescoes, stucco decorations, statuary and other rare stuff from ancient Phoenicia and Rome in places like Bamian, Kapishi (Begram), Taxila in Afghanistan bears powerful witness to ancient trade between Afghanistan and these ancient western civilizations [15].

Frankincense was imported into Barbaricum for exchanging it with Chinese silk coming via Bactria/Kamboja. Lapis lazuli from Badakshan (Kamboja) and green turquoise from Hindu Kush (Kamboja) was exported to western countries from ports of Barbaricum and Barygaza. The imports were mostly Yavana (Greek or European) women, coral of various colors especially red, figured linen from Egypt, wines in small quantities, frankincense, decorated silver vessels for presentation to the rulers, gum, stone, and opaque glass, etc. These goods were then exported via inland routes to South Asia and beyond to Tibet, China, Afghanistan (Kamboja) and the Central Asia.

The Roman gold coins were imported from Rome and were usually melted into bullion in Gandhara. However, due to state of balance in trade, very little gold came from Rome after 70 AD. Raw silk, silk yarn and silk cloth from China were brought on foot through Bactria/Kamboja to Barbaricum/Barygaza as is evidenced by The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea [16]. The trade obviously utilised Kamboja-Dvaravati route or else the river Indus for carrying out trade activities with upper Indus countries.

The commerce of the western Indian coast is attested to be very lucrative and Barygaza (Bhroach) and Soparak had trade entrepreneurial settlements or stations established in the Gulf also. These merchants reaped enormous profits from the Indo-Roman trade and are stated to have paid high rates of interest as evidenced by the Vienna Papyrus of mid-second century A.D [17] .

[edit] Ancient Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka and Southeast countries

During archaeological finds, numerous coins, beads and the intaglios belonging to Bactria and Afghanistan have been discovered in Sri Lanka. A fragment of a Gandhara Buddha statute in schist was recently unearthed from the excavations at Jetavanarama in Anuradhapura. The finds of lapis lazuli (of Badakshan type) from Sri Lanka conclusively connect that island with Badakshan in Afghanistan, the home of lapis lazuli (part of Ancient Kamboja). The presence of north-west Kambojas in Sri Lanka is powerfully attested by several ancient cave inscriptions as well as by ancient Buddhist texts. The ancient epigraphic inscriptions found in Anuradhapura powerfully attest the existence of Kamboja corporations and a Grand Kamboja Sangha in ancient Sinhala island, as early as third century BCE [18].

Also, the Pali text Sihalavatthu of about the fourth century CE, attests that a group of people called the Kambojas (p 109) were in the Province of Rohana on the Island of Tambapanni i.e Sri Lanka [19].

Ancient Buddhist references sufficiently attest that the nations from north-west including the Kamboja, Gandhara, Kashmira, Sindhu, Sovira etc were in trade loop with western Indian sea ports and huge trade ships regularly plied between western Indian ports and Southern India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Suvarnabhumi and Indo-China peninsula. [20].

Several Iranian records speak of an embassy from Sri Lankan king to Iranian emperor Anusharwan (531-578). Sri Lankan King is reported to have sent the Persian emperor ten elephants, two hundred thousand pierces of teakwood and seven pearl divers.

Dr Don Martino observes: "The traders from north-west Kamboja had been conducting trade in horses with Sri Lanka following west coast of India since remote antiquity" [21].

Dr E. Muller also writes ".... (with time) the Kambojas had adopted the Mussalman creed and used to trade all along the west coast ofIndia from Persian Gulf down to Ceylon and probably further-East......" [22].

Ravana, the pre-historic king of Sri Lanka is said to have in his stable the horses from north-western countries including Indus Valley, Aratta, Kamboja and Bahlika etc [23] [4].

The above literary evidence again seems to verify ancient links of northwest Kambojas with Sri Lanka.

The ancient Buddhist texts also attest that there was regular trade between Bharukaccha, Sopparaka (Sopara) and Suvannabhumi [24].

The distance between Ceylon and Suvannabhumi (Malay-Peninsula) is said to be seven hundred leagues and with a favourable winds it could be covered in seven days and nights [25].

This reference shows that the Suvarnabhumi and the lands of Indo-China were within easy reach of the adventurous traders from Kamboja/Gandhara group after they had reached Ceylon.

According to Chinese Buddhist record, Guna Varman, grandson of the king of Kabol, arrived in China by way of Ceylon and Java in AD 424 and made his way to Capital of the Sung Dynasty of China [26]. This ancient evidence abundantly shows that (1) there were Hindu kings in Kabol more than two centuries before Hiuen Tsang arrived in about 631 AD when he also found a Kshatriya king upon Kabol throne [27]. See link: [5]. (2) This ancient evidence also powerfully proves that Kabol, the land of the Kambojas was in direct intercourse not only with Ceylon but also with Malaya/Java and further beyond with Indochina and China as well.

'The diffusion of Indian Civilization and its "great tradition" to the extreme south of the peninsula occurred in the earliest stages not by land but by sea....In the half millennium before Christ there was sea traffic between the coasts of Gujarat and Sind, and Ceylon, which laid the basis for the development of civilization in that island...... The earliest attractions of the far southern coasts were pearls and gems, which brought merchants, and ultimately the script, religions and the dynastic traditions..... Hiun Tsang refers to the international trading activities of the Simhalas. Several early Brahmi inscriptions in Ceylon mention the Kamboja merchants in Sinhala...'. [28].

Apparently, the Kamboja-Dvaravati trade route had played key role in the promotion of these international commercial and political activities.

No doubt, we find powerful signatures of ancient Kambojas in Sri Lanka, Bengal, Burma and in Cambodia.

The chief export products from Kamboja to various nations were horses, ponies, blankets embroidered with threads of gold, Kambu/Kambuka silver, zinc, Mashapurni, Hingpurni, Somvalak/Punga, walnuts, almonds, Saffron, raisin and precious stones including famed lapis lazuli, green turquoise and emerald etc.

[edit] References

  1. ^ (The Puranas, Vol V, No 2, July 1963, Dr D. C. Sircar).
    Yassa atthaya gacchama Kambojam dhana-haraka |
    ayam kamdado yakkho imam yakkham nyamase ||
    imam yakkham gahetvaana sadhuken pasaham va |
    yanam aropayitvana khippam gacchama Dvarakam||
    — (Ankuravathu section of Petavathu Jataka, verses 257-258).
  2. ^ The Puranas, Vol V, No 2, July 1963, Dr V. S. Aggarwala
  3. ^ Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, Vol I, 1960, G. P. Malalasekera, p 526
  4. ^
    Kamboja. Sauraastra.ksatriya.shreny.adayo vartta.shastra.upajivinah || 11.1.04 || .
  5. ^
    Panchala Kalinga Shurasenah Kamboja Udra Kirata shastra varttah || 5.35ab ||.
  6. ^
    Kambojah.................yama vaishravan.opamah...|| MBH 7.23.42 ||
  7. ^ Apadana, (P.T.S), II. 476.
  8. ^ Ancient Ports of Gujarat, A.R. Dasgupta, Deputy Director, SIIPA, SAC, Ahmedabad, M. H. Raval Ex. Director, Directorate of Archaeology, Ahmedabad.
  9. ^ G. Buhler, Indian Antiquary, VI, 1877, pp 191-92
  10. ^ (Kamojika => Kamboyika => Kamboika: Dr Kamboj).
  11. ^ Ptolemy's Geography, p 38.
  12. ^ Life as depicted in Jain canons, p 273, Bombay, 1947, J. C. Jain; Geographical Data in Early Purana, 1972, p 321, Dr M. R. Singh.
  13. ^ Life in ancient India as depicted in Jain canons, p 273, J. C. Jain.
  14. ^ Brhatkalpa Bhashya, I, 2506.
  15. ^ Peter T Blood, Lib of Congress, Federal Research Division, 1997.
  16. ^ Rome Beyond the Imperial Frontiers, M. Wheeler, p. 156
  17. ^ The Indian Ocean in Antiquity, p. 295, J. Reade; A Resurvey of Roman Contacts with the West, H. P. Ray, Ed. Baussac and Salles, p. 103.
  18. ^ Dr S. Parnavitana, Dr J. L. Kamboj and others; [1], [2].
  19. ^ Ships and the Development of Maritime Technology on the Indian Ocean, 2002, pp 108-109, David Parkin and Ruth Barnes.
  20. ^ cf: All Gratitude To Myanmar, S. N. Goenka, Vipassana Newsletter Vol. 7, No. 10 Dec 97. [3].
  21. ^ Epigraphia Zeylanka, Vol II, No 13, p 76.
  22. ^ Jouranal of Royal Asiatic Societry, XV, p 171, E. Muller
  23. ^ Weber 1871: 29f.; Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 122, No. 2, Indic and Iranian Studies in Honor of Stanley Insler on His Sixty-Fifth Birthday (April- June, 2002), pp. 361-373, Asko Parpola.
  24. ^ Jataka Fausboll, Vol II, p 188; Apadana. Vol II,.p 476; Manorathapurani, Anguttara Commentary, Vol I. p 156.
  25. ^ Manorathapurani, Anguttara Commentary, Vol I. p 265.
  26. ^ Journal of Royal Asiatic Society, April 1903, p 369, M. Anesaki.
  27. ^ The Sun and the Serpent, 1904, p 125, Charles Fredrick Oldham.
  28. ^ Extracts taken from: The Beginnings of Civilization in South India, Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 29, No. 3 (May, 1970), pp. 603-616, Clarence Maloney.


[edit] See also

Kambojas
Gandhara
Silk Road
Uttarapatha
Dakshinapatha

[edit] Book and Periodicals

  • Ankuravatthu section of Petavatthu Jataka.
  • Barhatkalpa Bhasya I.
  • Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, 1960, G. P. Malalasekera
  • Dipavamsa, IX
  • Mahavamsa, VI
  • Classical Accounts of India.
  • Ptolemy's Geography.
  • Purana, Vol V, No 2, July 1963.
  • Ships and the Development of Maritime Technology on the Indian Ocean , 2002, David Parkin and Ruth Barnes.
  • The Archaeology of Seafaring in Ancient South Asia [Cambridge World Archaeology], 2003 Himanshu Prabha Ray, Norman Yoffee et all.
  • Life of Ancient India, as depicted in the Jain Canons, 1947, J. C. Jain.
  • Ancient Kamboja, People and the Country, 1981, Dr J. L. Kamboj.
  • Bhakati Cult and Ancient Indian Geography, Ed Dr D. C. Sircar.
  • On Merchants and Monsters: Common Motifs in Tales from Medieval China and 19th-century Bukhara, by Siamak Adhami

[edit] External links

  • All Gratitude To Myanmar: [6]
  • International Relations in Ancient and Medieval Lanka: [7]
  • The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: [8]
  • International Trade Of Sindh From Its Port Barbaricon (Banbhore) 200 BC to 200 AD:[9]
  • A Tribute to Hinduism - Seafaring in Ancient India: [10]
  • Early Indian Trade and the Traders: [11]
  • Parthian Stations by Isidore of Charax: [12]
  • On Merchants and Monsters: Common Motifs in Tales from Medieval China and 19th-century Bukhara:[13]
  • The Beginnings of Civilization in South India: Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 29, No. 3 (May, 1970), pp. 603-616, Clarence Maloney
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