The Rich Land and the Traditions of the Past

From writings and snippets of information scattered far and wide, one gets a picture of India in the pre–Christian era and Medieval times as being a country blessed with skills, crafts, material goods and a variety of spices and foods. Megasthanese, the Greek visitor in Mauryan times (320 BC) (McCrindle, 1972, 1974), Huen Tsang (AD 640), Fa-Hiaen from China in the first millennium and in the eleventh century, Al-Baruni Khwarizmi (born in AD 973) of Persian origin who came from the court of Sultan Mahmood of Gazni (in AD 1030) and wrote Enquiry into India in Arabic, titled ‘Tarikh'ul Hind’ (Ahmed, 1988), Marco Polo passed through India during his travels between AD 1271 and AD 1294 from Venice to China and back and recorded his observations in the History of the World (Yamashita, 2001a and 2001b), Babur scrupulously maintained his journal the Babur Nama (Hiro, 2006), all testify to the wealth of the land. Before the British came, the Imperial Mughal court patronised the skills and crafts of the artisans and their goods were considered luxury items. There were region specific goods and produce and special food items available on trade routes. Almonds, spices, raisins and other dry fruits and high-grade salt were much in demand. Food grains, ghee, cooking oils, sugar etc., moved on river transport routes. Hereditary traders traveled all over India trading in salt, sugar, oilseeds and oil etc.