1. There were merchants dealing with specific products like food grains, cloth, gold and jewellery in the markets of the big Cities.
2. Merchants were also involved in overseas trade, as well as overland trade.
3. Thus, the circuits of trade became more specialised with institutionalised arrangements to support the expanding commercial activities.

From Rome, the main imports were coin, topaz, antimony, coral, crude glass, copper, tin and lead and wine.

1. The Indo-Greek kingdom was ousted by the Sakas followed by the Parthians and the Kushanas.
2. The Sakas appointed kshatrapsor provincial governors to administer the territories.

1. The cultural influence of the Greeks is evident from the capitals of monuments at Pataliputra.
2. Many historians argue that the elaborate administrative institutions of the Mauryan Empire drew inspiration from the administrative systems of the Persians and Greeks.
3. The eventual rise of Indo-Greek kingdoms in western India strengthened these cross-cultural influences and gave rise to a distinct school of art.

1. Tamil region is more than probable that they exchanged their salt for other goods and necessities, rather than selling the salt for money.
2. However, the extent of the overland and overseas trade, as well as the descriptions of the city markets in the literature would imply that money was the main medium of exchange.

1. Boats came in from the interior carrying rice and took back fish, which indicates a kind of barter trade in the primary consumption goods.
2. At the same time, sacks of pepper were brought to the market and were exchanged for gold, which came in the ships, which in turn, was transported on barges to the shore.

1. Two major developments changed the contours of trade between Europe and India towards the beginning of the Common Era.
2. By the end of the last century BCE, Rome emerged as the superpower of the Mediterranean world, displacing the Greek kingdoms, and the republic became an empire in 27 BCE under Emperor Augustus.
3. Rome was the largest and, probably, the wealthiest city in the world commanding huge resources realised through conquests in Europe and North Africa.
4. The wealth of Rome greatly increased the demand for various products from India.
5. Especially the spices and textiles of the Tamil country, resulting in a great expansion of trade.

1. This regular interchange of ambassadors and correspondence, as well as the extension of the Mauryan Empire till Afghanistan, facilitated regular trade from India to the West as far as Egypt
2. Trade was carried on by the overland route via north-west Afghanistan (Bactria) and also partly by the coastal route along the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.
3. A variety of luxury goods, including ivory, tortoise shell, pearls, indigo and other dyes.
4. aromatic substances like spikenard or nard (a fragrant oil from the Gangetic region) and malabathrum (leaf of cinnamon, used as an aromatic) and rare woods were exported from India.
5. Thus, The rise of Indo-Greek kings in Western India strengthened trade and cultural contacts.