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Trade as Depicted in Jain Texts (With Special Reference to Satthavaha & Savthavahi)
Shruti Pandey
Trade in ancient India
We find ample evidences of large scale trade-both inland and foreign in ancient India as depicted in Jaina canonical literature. The surplus agricultural, industrial and other products were marketed not only locally and internally but also in distant foreign lands. Trade centres developed and merchants as a class grew up.
The Jain texts give a vivid account of the trading activities of the merchants of those times. Local trade was carried on in a regular way. Trade within the state as well as inter-state trade existed. Commodities brought from the village of the same state were called 'sadesgamajadam' and those brought from the villages of other states were known as 'paradesagamahadam'. The Nisitha Sutram gives a vivid description of such trade in the words 'Jam paragamahadam tam duvihamsadesgam, earetti paradesa gamao wa."1
System of trade
We come across different words of trade in Nisitha Sutram2, Bhagavati Sutram3 and Jnatadharmakathanga Sutram, etc. The words, 'vani' connotes selling of
