Free trade in south Karnataka, circa 11th century AD

A newly-found inscription in the southern end of Karnataka makes a significant disclosure that the merchants of this part of South India had trade links with as many as 20 states, including about a dozen countries, if not more, as early as in the 11th century.

The stone inscription found at the remote Shivapura village of Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajanagar district a few days ago lists out the places with which the local merchant class had links.

They comprise Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Bali, Mahaa Cheena, Burma, Kabul, Turkey, Iraq, Arabia and Asia continent.

Apart from these countries, a number of then Indian states are mentioned like Andhra, Kerala, Orissa, Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Bengal. The names of five other places are worn out, says archaeologist H M Najaraja Rao.

The 15-line inscription in old Kannada, which relates to gift of a Bhagavathi temple built by the merchant class, throws light on produce-wise trade guilds these Karnataka merchants had set up.

The Ayyavole merchants, as they called themselves, were trading with their counterparts in far off countries, probably in spices, the chief produce of this region, adjoining Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

According to Rao, the guilds were of three merchant class "� producers, who exchanged their produce among themselves and these were mainly small traders, merchants, who were engaged in trading with other merchants, and those who traded with merchants abroad.

According to H T Krishne Gowda, who was also responsible for deciphering the script, this is a significant inscription throwing light on the trade links Karnataka had around 11th century. This inscription became known thanks to a localite B M Basappa.

Rao said that none of the 35,000-40,000 inscriptions traced in Karnataka mentions as many as 15-20 places, including distant countries, where they were engaged in trading in those days.

Further archaeological research will be taken up in this hilly track, the archaeologist added.