Q1.
The coins shown in Fig. 11.12 were found during excavations in Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu. Their heads embossed are those of Roman kings. What conclusions can we draw from such a finding?
Answer
Roman gold coins lying in the soil of Tamil Nadu are hard evidence of long-distance trade between southern India and the Roman world.
Four conclusions follow from the find:
- Contact existed. Southern India was not isolated; it was in regular touch with lands across the Arabian Sea and the Mediterranean.
- The trade was by sea. Coinage “helped boost India's maritime trade with the world”, and similar coins turn up in parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu — the coastal trading belt.
- The balance of trade favoured India. This is the conclusion the chapter itself draws. Roman gold flowed into India, which means Indians were selling more to Rome (pepper, spices, textiles, beads, pearls) than they were buying back.
- Coins of a strong power were accepted far away. The chapter has just explained that “the coins of powerful rulers were accepted across various kingdoms and not just their own”. Roman gold coins clearly were.
Why it happens: gold coins were valued for the metal in them as much as for the ruler's stamp. A merchant in Pudukkottai did not need to obey a Roman emperor to accept his gold — the gold itself was the guarantee.
Tip: when a question asks what a finding tells us, look at three things — what the object is, where it was found, and which direction it travelled. Here: gold, found far from home, moving into India.