NCERT Book Class 6 History Traders Kings And Pilgrims

CHAPTER 10

TRADERS, KINGS AND PILGRIMS

Jagini at the market

Jagini looked forward to the fair in the village. She loved to see and touch the pots and pans of shiny steel, bright plastic buckets, cloth printed with brilliant floral designs, and clockwork toys, all of which came from the city. The men who spread out their wares came in buses and trucks and went back at the end of the day. Why were they always on the move? She wondered. Her mother explained that they were traders — people who bought things where they were made, and sold them elsewhere.

How to find out about trade and traders

You read about the Northern Black Polished Ware in Chapter 9. This fine pottery, especially bowls and plates, were found from several archaeological sites throughout the subcontinent. How do you think it reached these places? Traders may have carried them from the places where they were made, to sell them at other places.

South India was famous for gold, spices, especially pepper, and precious stones. Pepper was particularly valued in the Roman Empire, so much so that it was known as black gold. So, traders carried many of these goods to Rome in ships, across the sea, and by land in caravans. There must have been quite a lot of trade as many Roman gold coins have been found in south India.

Can you think of how and why these reached India?

A poem about trade

We can find evidence of trade in the Sangam poems.

Here is one which describes the goods brought into Puhar, an important port on the east coast: “(Here are brought)

Swift, prancing horses by sea in ships,

Bales of black pepper in carts,

Gems and gold born in the Himalayas,

Sandalwood born in the western hills,

The pearls of the southern seas

                    And corals from the eastern oceans

                    The yield of the Ganga and the crops from the Kaveri,

                    Foodstuffs from Sri Lanka, pottery from Myanmar,

                    And other rare and rich imports.”

Make a list of all the things that are mentioned. What would they be used for?

Traders explored several sea routes. Some of these followed the coasts. There were others across the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, where sailors took advantage of the monsoon winds to cross the seas more quickly. So, if they wanted to reach the western coast of the subcontinent fromEast Africa or Arabia, they chose to sail with the south-west monsoon. And sturdy ships had to be built for these long journeys.

Let’s recall

1. Why did kings want to control the Silk Route?

2. What kinds of evidence do historians use to find out about trade and trade routes?

3. What were the main features of Bhakti?

Let’s discuss

4. Discuss the reasons why the Chinese pilgrims came to India.

5. Why do you think ordinary people were attracted to Bhakti?

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 6 History Traders, Kings And Pilgrimsb