SANGAM PORTS & TRADE

SANGAM PORTS & TRADE

· Ptolemy lists six coastal places in TN to which he appends the word ‘emporium’.

· Three of these, Musiri, Korkai and Kavarippattinam are known from anthologies to have been chief ports of three early kingdoms.

· Another city, called either Perimula or Perimuda, is described as “the greatest emporium of trade in India”. It was on the Vaigai delta near Rameshwaram.

· A walled city called kapadapuram was situated around tambraparani delta.

· Akkadu village in Tanjavur has been suggested to have been the Arkatos of Ptolemy which was also the second capital of the Cholas.

· Musiri of anthologies was known as Muziris of the Greeks.

· A subsidiary capital, Tondi has been identified with Ponnani.

· Greek records also mention Vaikkarai, Nilakanta and Netravati as ancient port towns in Kerala.

· Pantar in the South of Kerala and Puli (around Tuluva) were ports of the Sangam period.

· Kaveripumppattinam was known to Ptolemy as Khaberis (Puhar of literature).

· Vellaiyan-Irrupu (“white man’s settlement”) is located near Kaveripattinam.

· Kalaiyur, located near Kaveripattinam has yielded a structure which was identified as a dock by S.R. Rao, Korkai, a port of the Sangam period, was a pearl market and the seat of the Pandyan vice-royalty.

· Manabalipuram may have been Ptolemy’s mélange (Mavilankai) which is said to have been an emporium.

· It is also identifiable with the port of Nirpayarrurai mentioned in Perumpanarruppadai.

· Marakanam, north of Pondicherry, appears to have been a harbour and is identified with Sopatma of the Periplus and Eyil of Sirupanarruppadai.

· The mouth of the Vellaru was an Arab ship building port.

· The place called Agarlu in the periplus was situated near Tondi on Palk bay (different from Tondi in Kerala).

· It exported pearls and muslins.

· The end of the peninsula, called Kodi, was one of the earliest points of the South known in the north (Arthashastra) and was used by the Greeks as a fixed point of navigation.

· Nearby was situated Pasika mentioned in the Arthashastra as a source of pearl.

· Muthupettai, west of the Vaigai delta, was a pearl market.

· Tirucendur, South of the Tambraparani delta, has a well known temple of murukan, said in myths to protect the Pandyas from incursions from the sea.

· This is probably the same as Sentil of Tirumurukarruppadai and is certainly one of the earliest Pandyan sacred spots.

· Somewhere nearby was the early Pandyan capital of Kapadapuram, and also on the coast in the same region was South Madurai.

· These are supposed to have been the first two Pandyan capitals and the sites of the first two literary academies, Kanniyakumari (Cape Comorin) is mentioned as early as Eratosthenes which the Greeks used as a fixed point for navigation. Ptolemy lists it among the ports.

· Bandar and Kodumanam were other ports with a wealth of seaborne imports, Bandar being noted for its pearls and Kodumanam for rare jewels.

· Mention is made of the abundance of quartzite precious stones in the hills of the Chera country.

· Pepper, ginger, rice, sandalwood, ahil, almug, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, ivory and pearls, gems like beryl (an aquamarine gem) and corundum, cotton and cotton fabrics were the main commodities, which were in great demand in foreign countries.

· Monkeys, deer, peacocks, cheetahs, tigers and elephants were also in demand.

· Kapin (Kavi in Tamil) and Tukim (peacock, Tokai in Tamil) are Hebrew words and these were exported to the western world.

· Similarly, Greek Oruza for rice is derived from Tamil Arisi, English ginger is derieved from Latin Zingiber which in turn was derieved from Tamil Injiver, the Tamil Chiruttai became cheetah in English, cardamom was from kurundam and sandal was derived from Sandana or Sandu.

· We find large hoards of Roman gold coins of the Augustan age in many parts of South India which provide evidence of the brisk trade between Tamilaham and Rome.
· The direct trade route between Tamilaham and Arabia, Egypt and Rome had been well established by the date of the periplus.

· Trade with Rome in the first century AD was so lucrative to the Tamils that the Pandyan king sent two embassies to Augustus (20 BC) to win his favour.

· We have reference to the inability of others to enter the western sea where the Chera led his gold-giving ship.

· One text mentions the ships of titan Veliyan bringing gold.

· Pliny’s reference to an Indian ship carried off to the German coast by wind is also given as evidence.

· Recent excavations on the red sea coast have brought to light graffiti in Tamil Brahmi characters, probably the two names Chatan and Kanan.

· Inscription’s dated to the first century BC from Sri Lanka mention a Damila Vaija, Damila Navika and a Damila Gahapati showing their association with horse trade.

  · A Jataka (480) also mentions Kaveripattam in the Damila country.