May 23rd, 2009 
Aman As in the earlier periods, agriculture remained the economic basis of the society. It was an age of agricultural expansion but the progress in this direction seems to have been on traditional lines. Land revenue amounting to certain portion of the produce was charged by the state from the farmers. There existed irrigation facilities and the agricultural produce included wheat, barley, rice, beans of various varieties, oil seeds and sugar of the Pundra cane variety, vines and pomegranates were grown in orchards while the cumin was watered by means of Persian water wheels. Because of abundance of the raw materials, skill and enterprise of the artisans and craftsmen, various industries flourished in the country. Cloth manufacture was the principal industry which offered employment to a large number of people. The other important industries were sculpture, inlaying, ivory work, printing, smith craft, lathing, carpentry, melting of metals etc. the country seems to be self sufficient in weapons of war which were built all over the country. Technical sciences were utilized for smelting metals. The famous iron pillar at Meharuli is an excellent example of Indian metallurgical skill. It was originally erected at Vishnupada, a mount on the bank of the river Beas. It is over 23 feet high and 16.4 inches in diameter and in spite of centuries of exposure to weather, it has not yet rusted and inscriptions remains today as clear as when it was cut. The literary works of the period contain numerous references to manufacture of gold and silver ornaments such as rings, bracelets and necklaces. The unification of northern India and the benefits of peace and order bestowed by the Gupta rulers, and later by Harshavardhan gave a great impetus to both internal and overseas trade. Fahien observed that a great northern trade route ran from Central Asia to the interiors of India and this of course passed through the North West frontier province and Punjab. The principal items of export were spikenard and musk gathered from the Upper Indus Valley. China silk and ivory were imported respectively from China and Ethiopia. The development of trade and industry brought economic prosperity and led to rise of standard of living, particularly of the upper classes. New cities came into existence. The large cities further developed into trading centers. Some of the important cities were Taxila, Shakala, Mulasthana, Simhapura, Sthaneswara, Sanghavala, Jalandhar, and Srughana. The Gupta Kings [...]
Posted in 
