India’s Historic Trade Route: The Golden Road of Antiquity
India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
In a recent interview, renowned historian and author William Dalrymple shed light on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), emphasizing its historical significance as an ancient trade route that may have eclipsed the Silk Road in terms of importance during the classical period.
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Dalrymple, whose upcoming book, ‘The Golden Road,’ is slated for release in 2024, challenged the popular perception of the Silk Road, noting that the term was coined by the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in the 19th century and only entered the English language in the 1930s, gaining widespread recognition over the last two to three decades.
IMEEC
The IMEEC, introduced on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, has sparked discussions about its potential to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Dalrymple contends that the IMEEC isn’t a new route but rather a revival of a significant historical trade pathway that facilitated East-West commerce through the Red Sea for millennia.
Dalrymple clarified that during the classical period, the main East-West trade did not revolve around China but instead focused on India, with trade routes passing through the Red Sea. Historical records support this assertion, with Roman geographer and economist Pliny lamenting the significant outflow of gold from the Roman world to India due to extensive Indian exports.
Roman demand for Indian goods such as silk, gemstones, spices, and ivory led to a trade balance heavily favouring India. This is evident from the discovery of more Roman coins in India than in any country except Italy.
Three Key Reasons
Dalrymple highlighted three key reasons why this ancient trade route wasn’t as widely recognised as the Silk Road: limited research focusing on hard data, a lack of promotion of Indian scholarly writings, and the emergence of new evidence from Egypt. The romantic allure of the Silk Road captured the public imagination, overshadowing the wealth of historical data and archaeological findings from the Indian trade route.
Recent excavations in locations like Muziris in Kerala, Arikamedu outside Pondicherry, and Berenike in Egypt have provided compelling evidence of ancient trade connections between India and the Mediterranean. Notably, the discovery of a Hindu triad in Egypt and the Muziris Papyrus, a historical shipping invoice found in Egypt, have shed new light on the extent and significance of this trade.
The Muziris Papyrus, now housed in a museum in Vienna, represents a remarkable historical document, including details of container contents, insurance, and legal provisions. The revenue generated from Roman customs duties on goods from India was substantial, possibly covering a third of the Roman Imperial Budget.
In closing, Dalrymple affirmed that India has unwittingly or knowingly rediscovered a historic trade route that may have surpassed the Silk Road in importance during the classical period, spanning roughly a millennium. The IMEEC, with an estimated cost of $20 billion, will serve as a modern conduit for trade between India, the Middle East, and Europe, reconnecting with the rich historical legacy of this ancient trade network.
As we explore this rich historical narrative, it becomes clear that the Golden Road of antiquity has once again emerged as a vital economic link between nations, rekindling the spirit of cross-continental trade and collaboration.
Tags: AncientCommerceBeltAndRoadInitiativeBerenikeBritish HeraldCrossContinentalTradeEastWestTradeEconomicLinkGoldenRoadHistoricalConnectionsHistoricalTradeIMEECIndiaMiddleEastEuropeEconomicCorridorIndiaTradeHistoryMuzirisNewsRedSeaTradeSilkRoadTheGoldenRoadTradeCollaborationTradeLegacyTradeRoutesWilliamDalrympleworldnews