(i) "Kautilya's Arthasastra" describes economy in Mauriyan time. This brought out history of marketing practised some 2,000 years ago.
(ii) According to Kautilya, trade in Medieval India was centralised.
(iii) Since the commodities produced could not be sold in the location of production, the state designated certain places for selling the commodities.
(iv) It levied duties on goods brought into the city and could be sold after payment of duty.
(v) Kautilya gave importance for the state in relation to treasury, taxation, industry, commerce, agriculture and conservation of natural resources.
(vi) Kautilya's Arthasasthra focused on creation of wealth as the means to promote the well being of the state.

Port towns like Tondi, Korkai, Puhar and Muziri were developed by Pandiya kingdom.

1. Trade in Sangam period was both internal and external but it was conducted by means of barter (pandamattru).
2. Trade was one of the major means of linking various regions in the medieval period.
3. Sangam work refers to great traders, their caravans, their security force, markets, marts and guilds of such great traders.

Big cities like Poompuhar had two towns called 'Maruvurappakam' (inland town) and Pattinapakkam (Coastal town) had market and bazaars where many merchants met one another for the purpose of selling or buying different kinds of commodities and food stuff.

(i) The word "vaniyam" or "Vanipam" would have had a Dravidian origin. 
(ii) The early Tamils produced their products and goods in their lands and bartered their surplus and that is how trade came into existence. 
(iii) The word "Vanigam" has been widely used in sangam literature like Purananuru and Thirukkural.