In prehistoric times, the civilisations of Egypt and Mesopotamia flourished to the west of India, with China to its east. India’s mountain passes provided natural access to Afghanistan, Iran, the Pamirs, Central Asia, and thence to West Asia, the Mediterranean world, and China. Goods from Badakshan and Central Asia found their way to the Sindhu-Saraswati region in the same manner as they did to Sumer and other ancient centres. The Achaemenid Empire and the Greco-Bactrian kingdoms provided an effective bridge between India and the Mediterranean world.

The Indian subcontinent was connected to the West via Kandahar and Bolan Pass, and through the proto-historic route via Makran. The route through the Khyber passed via the Hindu Kush. The latter became the principal route between India and Western Asia. During Vedic times, the significance of these roads was fully realised, and gods were invoked for the protection of these routes. The commercial importance of these routes was acknowledged in the Atharva Veda. Many frequently used routes are mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Pali literature is also an important source for establishing the trade routes.

Before the 2nd Century BCE, land routes between India and the West were more popular than those by sea. The main land routes underwent considerable changes as cities fell and rose, altering the course of these routes substantially. The cities which controlled trade between India and the West were Bactria, Merv,........

© The Pioneer