Chennai:
As many as 120 trading ships crossed Red Sea every year from Alexandria to ‘Muziri,’ now called Pattanam in Kerala, during the 1st century AD. Historians in the city said the concept of globalisation was not something newly invented.
Historians and chroniclers from Chennai said seafarers from Greek and India in earlier centuries were master navigators.
“The ancient methods of sea navigation were remarkable and several observations made by Greek sailors during the 60 AD give us a different perspective of Indian rulers. Till the first century, traders and seafarers considered the entire Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea as the Erythrean sea,” said eminent historian K.R.A. Narasiah, who delivered a lecture on the topic ‘Periplus of the Erythrean sea’ (Guide to the Red Sea) on Thursday at the state archaeology department.
Highlighting how Sangam literature had captured the trade between the west and east, he said, “During the first century AD, the kingdoms were highly prosperous and several foreigners had made the sub continent their home since at least 2,000 years ago.”
Interestingly, seafarers used the Ganga for navigation, according to historians. “The ships were smaller in size and were not heavy. Through Gangesh these ships carried goods till Pataliputra, now Patna,” he added.
Historians also said several mysteries are yet to be uncovered. “‘Periplus of Erythrean Sea’ was gleaned from assorted records from diaries of early ancient Greek sailors.
It was first translated by famed historian Wilfred H. Schoff in 1912, and his work is widely accepted as the most precise translation of what transpired in trade between these great nations during 60 AD,” said Prof. C. Somasundara Rao, retired professor of history, Andhra University.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Prashanth Vijayakumar / September 20th, 2013