The “Golden Bird” in History and Literature: Trade Networks and Economic Prosperity in Ancient India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56062/Keywords:
Ancient trade, shreni (guild), Silk Route, ‘Golden Bird’ (sone ki chidiya), maritime routes (jal marg).Abstract
The real agenda of the entire investigation is to know the mechanism of India's emergence as the ‘Golden Bird' (sone ki chidiya) of the world when many other civilizations were still unorganized in the process of exchange. We have all heard that India was once a country of marvelous riches, but that riches did not fall down from the sky; it was the real income of our fathers' hard work, perseverence and marvellous commercial sagacity. This scholarly research examines the organization of the craftsmen and traders of the ancient world, as well as the nature of the markets and fairs in villages and the customs by which they conducted their business with distant, unknown lands. The paper follows the path from the Indus Valley Civilisation to the ‘Golden Age’ of Gupta dynasty, analyzing how the world's wealth was attracted to India. In non-technical language, it illustrates the skill of Indians artisans and the bravery of the Indian traders to secure India's sovereignty in the world markets. The final premise is obvious—with that old commercial muscle, there is no one who could stop India from regaining its pre-eminence in the world.
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