NCERT 6 HISTORY CHAPTER 9

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9. TRADERS, KINGS AND PILGRIMS


  • South India - famous for gold, spices, pepper (black gold) and precious stones
  • Roman gold coins found in South India - a lot of trade exist, sailors used the monsoon winds to cross the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal 
    NEW KINGDOMS ALONG THE COASTS
  • Kaveri - the most fertile river valley
  • Muvendar in Sangam poems - Tamil word meaning three chiefs, head of the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas (powerful in South India around 2300 years ago)
  • They had two centres of powers (one, inland and one, on coast) totally six cities, of these two were very important
  • Puhar / Kaveripattinam - port of Cholas, Madurai - capital of Pandyas
  • Around 200 years later - Satavahanas became powerful in Western India
  • Important ruler - Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni
  • known as lords of Dakshinapatha (literal meaning - the route leading to the South, also used for entire southern region)
     THE STORY OF THE SILK ROUTE
  • The techniques of making silk first invented in China around 7000 years ago
  • Techniques guarded as secret for thousand of years, then Chinese people went to distant lands, the path they travelled called as Silk route
  • About 2000 years ago, the knowledge of silk spread further west, wearing silk became the fashion amongst the Roman rulers
  • expensive and dangerous roads, kings tried to control the route as they could collect taxes, tributes and gifts from the traders
  • Best- known rulers who controlled silk route were Kushanas around 2000 years ago, their centre of power were Peshawar and Mathura
  • They issued gold coins and silk route extended to the mouth of the river Indus
    THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM
  • Famous Kushana ruler - Kanishka, ruled around 1900 years ago, organised Buddhist council
  • His court poet, Ashvaghosha composed a biography of the Buddha, the Buddhacharita, began writing in Sanskrit
  • Mahayana Buddhism developed, its two features were statues of Buddha made in Mathura and Taxila (earlier shown in sculptures by using certain signs)
  • Bodhisattavas (people who attained enlightenment) remained to teach and help other people instead of isolation and meditate in peace
  • Theravada Buddhism - older form of Buddhism, more popular in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia including Indonesia
     THE QUEST OF THE PILGRIMS
  • Pilgrims - who undertake journeys to holy places for worship
  • Chinese Buddhist pilgrims - Fa Xian ( came to the sub-continent about 1600 years ago), Xuan Zang (about 1400 years ago), I-Qing (about 1450 years ago) visited places associated with Buddha
  • Pilgrims left an account of their journey, Xuan Zang carried back to China (600 manuscripts, statues of Buddha, made of gold, silver and sandalwood)
     THE BEGINNING OF BHAKTI
  • Bhakti - person's devotion to his or her chosen deity
  • Bhagavad Gita - idea of Bhakti, included in Mahabharata 
  • Deity - Shiva, Vishnu, and goddesses (Durga), human being, lion, tree or any other form
  • deities were placed within special homes (temples)
  • Bhakti inspired expressions in art - sculpture, poetry and architecture
  • Bhakti - [Sanskrit word bhaj (to divide / share)- two way relationship between the deity and the devotee (Bhakta or Bhagavata)]

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