UPSC Prelims · General Studies

Ancient, medieval & culture

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History of India: ancient and medieval / Post-Mauryan India and the Sangam age

Crafts, guilds and trade (200 BCE to 300 CE)

Guilds (shreni): fixed wages, rules, standards and prices; judicial powers over members; banking role; not state-registered
Indo-Roman trade: Periplus, monsoon route, Arikamedu, Roman coin hoards, spices, textiles, Bharuch and Sopara
Silk Route linkages, Taxila, Mathura, Ujjain; peak of ancient urbanisation
Dynastic coinage: Indo-Greek portraits, Kushana gold, Satavahana lead; monetisation

Where to study

Theme 2 Kings, Farmers and Towns, pp. 1-25 (printed 28-52)
Theme 2 Kings, Farmers and Towns, 6. Towns and Trade (guilds or shrenis), p. 16 (printed 43)
Theme 2 Kings, Farmers and Towns, 6. Towns and Trade (Silk Route, Periplus, The Malabar coast), pp. 16-18 (printed 43-45)
Theme 2 Kings, Farmers and Towns, 6. Towns and Trade (coins), pp. 17-18 (printed 44-45)

Lesson 6 Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period, pp. 95-109 (printed 91-105)
Lesson 6 Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period, 6.4 Trade; Contours of International Trade; Muziri papyrus document; Foreign merchants (yavanas), pp. 102-104 (printed 98-100)
Lesson 6 Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period, Contours of International Trade, pp. 101-103 (printed 97-99)
Lesson 6 Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period, Art and Literature; Contours of International Trade (coinage), pp. 100-103 (printed 96-99)

ch. 8 Vital Villages, Thriving Towns, Cities with many functions (shrenis), p. 8 (printed 86)
ch. 8 Vital Villages, Thriving Towns, The Story of Barygaza; A closer look: Arikamedu, pp. 6-10 (printed 84-88)
ch. 8 Vital Villages, Thriving Towns, Cities with many functions (Mathura), pp. 7-8 (printed 85-86)

ch. 9 Traders, Kings and Pilgrims, The story of the Silk Route, pp. 3-5 (printed 93-95)