Other Indian Ports Listed in the Periplus That May Have Traded in Spices
Eleven ports are listed in the Periplus between Barygaza and Muziris, but firm evidence for export of spices from them is scant. The Periplus does mention that any Greek ships landing at Calliena would be taken to Barygaza under guard – this surely implies that there were Greek ships landing there, at least on occasion.
Based on current cultivation of native spices it is reasonable to expect that ginger and turmeric were grown or at least harvested in the hinterland of this area and may have been available for trade.Table 5 | Indian Trading Ports Referred to in the Periplus
| Port in Periplus | Modern Location | Product | Comment |
| Ports between Barygaza and Muziris | |||
| Sopara | Nala Sopara, 25km north of Mumbai | Sandalwood (via coastal commerce) | Dates to sixth century BCE. Trade with Rome, Arabia, Africa, Egypt. Roman amphorae pieces found in 1993. Declined after third century CE. |
| Kalliena | Kalyan, upstream on Ulhas River from modern Mumbai | Cloves, sandalwood, sesame77 | Significant city-port. Periplus (§52) notes: ‘Calliena, which in the time of the elder Saraganus became a lawful Market-town; but since it came into the possession of Sandares the port is much obstructed, and Greek ships landing there may chance to be taken to Barygaza under guard.’ |
| Semylla | Chaul, south of Mumbai | May have received spices from inland sources78 | |
| Mangadora | Mandad, c. 32km south-south-east of Chaul on Mandad River, a branch of the Rajapuri Creek (wide and deep, protection from monsoons) | Timber | Nearby rock-cut caves at Kuda have Brahmi inscriptions dating to first century CE. Discovery of Roman amphora handle in 2018. |
| Pala Patma | Dabhol (Debel), c. 76km south of Mandad, on the north bank of the Vashishthi River, or Palshet, a further 16km south79. | Important Muslim trading centre in medieval times, but early history poorly documented. | |
| Meligara | Shirgaon-Ratnagiri, c. 225km south of Mumbai – shelter and rivers penetrating interior. Alternatively Jayagada or Rajapur (Schoff)80 | ||
| Byzantium/Byzantion | Vijayadurg (Schoff) – at mouth of the Vaghotan River c. 48km south of Ratnagiri81 | ||
| Togarum | Devgad, some 20km further south along the coast on Devgad River estuary. Safe, land-locked natural harbour | ||
| Aurannohoas | Malvan, 35km south of Devgad82 | ||
| Naura | Mangalore83 | Important trade port mentioned in Periplus. | |
| Tyndis | Ponnani? | Featured on Peutingeriana map (copy of fourth to fifth century CE). Periplus (§54) noted that ‘Tyndis is of the Kingdom of Cerobothra [the Cheran king]; it is a village in plain sight by the sea’. | |
| Ports beyond Muziris/Nelkynda to the south and east | |||
| Comari | Cape Comorin, the southernmost tip of India | Harbour mentioned in Periplus. | |
| Camara | Kaveripattinam (and others), now Poompuhar84 | Pepper, malabathrum, nard – assumed available in Camara, Poduca and Sopatma due to comment in Periplus (§60) that ‘there are imported into these places everything made in Damirica’. The Tamil Pattinappalai of the early centuries CE refers to pepper from the west coast, aquila and sandalwood among other products85 | The excavated site of Puhar or Poompuhar has yielded submerged wharves and pier walls and artefacts dating to several centuries BCE. Former site extensive (30 sq. miles).86 Identified by Ptolemy as Khaberis.87 R. Chakravarti stated it received goods from Southeast Asia and West Indian Ocean and was outlet for goods in demand in Med.88 Casson mentioned in Tamil literature, westerners known.89 |
| Arikamedu/Poduca | (Near) Pondicherry, situated on south-east coast of India | Pepper, malabathrum, nard | Roman trading post, first identified in modern times by L. Faucheux, expanded on by R. E. M. Wheeler.90 Brick structures, Roman ceramics, amphorae and other items dating from the first century CE, but only four Roman coins. Significance of Roman influence may have been overplayed.91 Occupied from at least the second century BCE until the seventh or eighth century CE. |
| Sopatma | Chennai (i.e. Madras as inferred by Schoff) | Pepper, malabathrum, nard | Spices may have been exported via east coast ports to eastern markets, though probably on a smaller scale than that headed west from the Malabar coast. |
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