OVERSEAS TRADE

AND
COMMERCIAL
ACTIVITIES OF
THE CHOLAS
INTRODUCTION
 During the 9th century AD, there were many
kingdoms in South India. One of the most
prominent dynasties in Indian history is the Chola
dynasty.
 The rulers of this line founded during the 9th
century AD as a powerful empire which
dominated a large part of the peninsula right till
the early part of the 13th century AD.
TRADE
 Trade and commerce flourished under the
Cholas. Trade was carried on with West Asia and
China and South-east Asia.
 Trade with China reached unprecedented volume
during these centuries. Foreign trade provided an
additional incentive to an already developing
local market.
 There existed a brisk internal trade in several
articles carried on by the organized mercantile
corporations in various parts of the country.
 The metal industries and the jewellery art had
reached a high degree of excellence.
 The manufacture of sea-salt was carried on under
government supervision and control. Trade was
carried on by merchants organized in guilds.
 The guilds described sometimes by the terms
nanadesis were a powerful autonomous
corporation of merchants which visited different
countries in the course of their trade.
 They had their own mercenary army for the
protection of their merchandise.
 There were also local organizations of merchants
called "nagaram“ in big centers of trade like
Kanchipuram and Mamallapuram.
MARITIME TRADE
 Maritime trade and commerce flourished under
the Chola Empire. The Imperial Cholas tried to
enhance their maritime strength by gaining
control over all strategically important coastlines.
 They captured the Southwest Coast of India and
almost the entire Indian east coast up to the
mouth of Gangas. They also seized the Maldives,
Sri Lanka, and the Andamans.
 All these military activities ultimately lead to the
commercial relation with the Chola Empire. The
Cholas also had commercial relation with the Sri
Vijaya and Cambodia.
 The inscriptions of Rajendra I indicates the
relationship between the Cholas and South East
Asian rulers.
 The expanding maritime activities must also be
seen in the context of increasing diplomatic
This is
activities at that time. the
Anchor
 The Chinese had sent envoys to the countries of of an
south in the late 10th century indicating their Unknow
n LOLA
interest in an increase of trade. class
Chola
ship,
excavat
ed by
the
Indian
Navy
divers
off the
coast of
Poombu
har.
TRADE WITH ROME
 Early Chola ruler had trade relation with the
Rome and Greek merchants. The merchants were
visited the ports of south India. They came in
quest of species and cotton cloth for which south
India had become famous in the ancient world.
There were Roman warehouses in south India
 Rome received fine cloth, pearls, species,
sandalwood, gems, and drugs from south India.
 A great number of Roman coins were found in
south Indian Territory, which indicates the
Roman trade relation with India.
 Large numbers of Roman gold coins have been
discovered form the coromandalam coast and in
Tondaimandalam and Pandimandalam regions.
 Apart from gold coins Roman also exported wine
to Tamil country.
 The early literatures of Tamils provide a vivid
picture of the trade activities. The Tamil
literatures also speak about the ships of the
Yavanas (Greeks). Periplus has listed out the
market towns of the Dachinabadas (Deccan) in
his work.
TRADE RELATION WITH CHINA
AND OTHER COUNTRIES
 The Merchants of the Chola period participated in
maritime trade since ancient times. The Cholas
excelled in foreign trade and maritime activity,
extending their influence overseas to China and
Southeast Asia. The annals of the Sung dynasty
of China and the accounts of the medieval
travelers like Ibn Khurdadbeh, Abu Zaid,
Alberuni, Marco Polo, etc. give testimony to a
brisk maritime contact between south India and
the South East Asian countries.
 The Cholamandalam and its coastal regions were
very with commercial transaction with the China
and Arabia. Mamallapuram, Saliyur, Korkai,
Quilon, etc. were important port city, busy with
the overseas trade.
 They exported the articles like pearls, elephants,
cardamom, cotton, pepper, perfumes, ivory,
coral, etc. to the foreign countries. Horses were
imported from the Arabian Peninsula.
 According to Benjamin of Tudela, the ships
entering the Chola ports were required to pay
tolls.
 The Cholas tried to encourage trade with China
by sending embassies to the country.
 Roads were built across the Chola country which
not only facilitated the movement of goods for
trade but also of troops during wartime.
 The trade and commercial relationship between
the Tamil country and China was prosperous in
the medieval period of south India.
 Towards the end of the ninth century, southern
India had developed extensive maritime and
commercial activity.

Chola
Port at
Kambh
oja
 If we summaries that the Cholas had trade
relation with the following countries:
 Persia
 China
 Arab
 Kambhoja
 Burma
 Java
 Sumatra
 Ceylon
 Maldiev Islands
 Rome
INDUSTRY
 Many industries such as cottage industry, metal
works, sea-salt manufacturing, textile industry
etc. were developed during the Chola period.
 The Cottage industries flourished extensively in
the Chola period.
 The metal workers had expertise knowledge of
metallurgy and produced images and utensils in
gold, silver, bronze, copper, brass etc. It is said
that the “jewelers art reached its high water-
mark under the Cholas”.
 The manufacture of sea-salt was carried on under
the supervision of the Chola state. Marakanam,
Kanyakumari, Variyur and Ayturai were
important salt manufacturing centers, which was
widespread industry all along the sea coast.
 Kanchipuram was an important center of textile
industry.
 There were merchant guilds in important cities.
Merchandise was sold in markets both through
barter and coins.
CHOLA PORTS
 There were many port towns during the Chola
period. The Chola inscriptions portray the Chola
ports and its international trade activities.
 Kaverippumpattinam, otherwise known as
Puhar, a Coromandel Coast port (dating to the 1st
century AD) was described in classical Tamil
works, was very active in maritime trade.
 From that port town the Chola merchants
exported and imported the commercial goods.
These goods were charged duty before they were
carried to ships and were marked with the tiger
emblem of the ancient Chola king.
 Nagapattinam another port town of the Chola.
The resident merchants of the port town actively
engaged in commerce at Nagapattinam, which
was commercial oriented port, had trade
relationship with the South East Asian countries.
 It is noted in Chola inscriptions that the kings of
Sri Vijaya had cultivated their commercial
dialogue with the Chola kings during the reign of
Rajendra I.
CONCLUSION
 If we look at medieval Tamil country particularly
the Chola country (from c. 900 to 1300 AD) as a
stage in the evolution of trade and commerce. We
can see continuous institutions and changing
structure of trade and merchant activities.
 The most important feature of the economic
history of the Chola period was that well-defined
commercial organizational forms and institutional
practices were current, testifying to the
functioning of trade as a special economic
activity.