.svg)
6
edits
Tamralipta: Difference between revisions
robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)
->Citation bot (Alter: pages, url. URLs might have been anonymized. Formatted dashes. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by AManWithNoPlan | #UCB_webform 760/850) |
(robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date= | {{Short description|Ancient port city of Bengal, India}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date= | {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} | ||
[[ | {{Use Indian English|date=March 2022}} | ||
'''Tamralipta''' or '''Tamralipti''' ({{lang-pi|Tāmaliti}}) was a city in ancient [[Bengal]], located on the [[Bay of Bengal]]<ref>{{ | {{Infobox Former Country | ||
|conventional_long_name = Tamralipta | |||
|common_name = Tamluk | |||
|era = [[Ancient India]] | |||
|status = | |||
|year_start = | |||
|year_end = | |||
|p1 = | |||
|s1 = | |||
|image_map = South Asia historical AD375 EN.svg | |||
|image_map_caption = Tamralipti shown in eastern India, c. 375 CE | |||
|today = [[West Bengal]]<br>[[India]] | |||
}} | |||
'''Tamralipta''' or '''Tamralipti''' ({{lang-pi|Tāmaliti}}) was a port city and capital of [[Suhma Kingdom]] in ancient [[Bengal]], located on the coast of the [[Bay of Bengal]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Haraniya |first=Krutika |date=2017-06-25 |title=Tamralipti - The Ancient Copper Port |url=https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/lost-cities/tamralipti-the-ancient-copper-port |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=www.livehistoryindia.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[Tamluk]] town in present-day [[Purba Medinipur district|Purba Medinipur]], [[West Bengal]], is generally identified as the site of Tamralipti.<ref name=":2">{{cite book |author=Dilip K. Chakrabarti |title=Archaeological Geography of the Ganga Plain: The Lower and the Middle Ganga |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OEZe-wAIiKIC&pg=PA125 |year=2001 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-7824-016-9 |page=125 }}</ref> | |||
It | It was located near the [[Rupnarayan River|Rupnarayan river]]. It gets its name from the Sanskrit term "Tāmra," or copper, which was mined nearby at [[Ghatshila|Ghatsila]] in the Singbhum region of the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]] and traded through this port. During the [[Gupta dynasty]], Tamralipta was the main emporium, serving as a point of departure for trade with Ceylon, Java, and China, as well as the west. It was linked by roads with the major towns of that time, i.e., [[Rajgir|Rajagriha]], [[Shravasti]], [[Pataliputra]], [[Varanasi]], [[Champapuri|Champa]], [[Kosambi|Kaushambi]], and [[Taxila]].<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Congress |first=Indian History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RBdDAAAAYAAJ |title=Proceedings |date=1988 |publisher=Indian History Congress |pages=22 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Tamralipta with | Tamralipta was surrounded in the south by the [[Bay of Bengal]], east by the river Rupnarayana, and west by the river Subarnarekha. The Bay of Bengal, along with these incredible waterways, and their innumerable branches, built up an affluent and easy water navigation framework that cultivated commerce, culture, and early contacts with people from other parts of the world. The origins of Tamralipta are obscure. Many historians date its settlement to the seventh century B.C., but archaeological remains indicate its continuous settlement from about the third century B.C. Several literary sources, archaeological finds, epigraphy, and numismatic evidence are studied to construct the history of Tamralipta.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Schendel|first=Willem van|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Y2bBQAAQBAJ|title=A History of Bangladesh|date=2009-02-12|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-316-26497-3|pages=16|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Tripati|first1=S.|last2=Rao|first2=S.|date=1994-01-01|title=Tamralipti: The Ancient Port of India|url=|journal=Studies in History and Culture|volume=2|pages=33–39}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=History {{!}} Purba Medinipur {{!}} India |url=https://purbamedinipur.gov.in/history/ |access-date=2022-03-18 |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
===Literary Sources=== | |||
In early Indian literary works, Tamralipta, with its other "dialectical variants," was mentioned.{{Refn|i.e., Tamralipti, Tamalitti, Tamalitta, Damalipta, Tamraliptika, etc.<ref name=":0"/> Abhidhānachintāmani confirms that, Dāmalipta,Tāmralipta,Tāmalinī,Stambhapura and Vishnugriha are synonyms to Tāmraliptī.{{Sfn|Ramachandran|1951|p=226-239}}|group=n}} It was also mentioned by the Greek astronomer-geographer Ptolemy, the Roman author and philosopher Pliny, and the Chinese monk travellers Fa-hien, Hsuan-tsang, and Yi Jing.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Chattopadhyay |first=Rupendra Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5aRmDwAAQBAJ |title=The Archaeology of Coastal Bengal |date=2018-01-19 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-909180-5 |pages=40–45,69 |language=en}}</ref> The Kurma-vibhaga segment of the Atharva-veda Parisista incorporates the primal testimony to Tamralipta in Indian literary sources. The [[Mahabharata]] distinguishes this ancient city from [[Suhma Kingdom|Suhma]], but a later work, [[Dashakumaracharita]], adds "Damalipta" within the Suhma Kingdom. It is said that Tamralipta was the capital of Suhma. In the [[Raghuvamsha]], it is described as being located on the bank of the river Kapisa. The [[Kathasaritsagara|Kathsaritsagara]] observes Tamralipta as an important maritime port and trading center. Some Pali literature identifies it as "Tamalitti" or "Tamalitthi" and describes it as a port. Tamralipti is mentioned numerous times in the [[Arthashastra|Arthasastra]] as an imperative center of maritime exchange. The [[Brihat Samhita|Brihat-Samhita]] distinguishes "Tamraliptika" from "Gaudaka" and mentions the sailing of ships from [[Yavana]] to the port of "Damalipta".<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Puri|first=Baij Nath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cz8uAAAAMAAJ|title=Cities of Ancient India|date=1966|publisher=Meenakshi Prakashan|pages=110|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Choudhury|first=Pratap Chandra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EE1uAAAAMAAJ|title=Assam-Bengal Relations from the Earliest Times to the Twelfth Century A.D.|date=1988|publisher=Spectrum Publications|pages=67|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7" /> Ptolemy mentions "Tāmralipta"{{Refn|In the map of the Greek geographer Ptolemy, "Tāmralipta" appears as Tamalities.|group=n}} as a significant town and royal residence. Pliny denotes Tamralipti as 'Taluctae'.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> The earliest meticulous description of Tamralipta appears in Buddhist literature.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Darian |first=Steven G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0obUy_W9NREC&pg=PA138 |title=The Ganges in Myth and History |date=2001 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-1757-9 |pages=138 |language=en}}</ref><ref group="n">Tamralipta had a deep connection with Buddhism.It is said that Bodhidrum was sent to [[Ceylon]] from Tamralipti.[[Jataka tales|Jataka]] often mentions trade and missionary voyages from Tamralipta to Suvarnabhumi (Myanmar/Southeast Asia). {{Citation |last=Pandit |first=Shashwati |title=Bargabhima temple: seeking an unknown mystery. |date=2021 |pages=1599}}</ref> In the early fifth century CE, the Chinese Buddhist monk [[Fa-Hien]] reported seeing twenty Buddhist monasteries in Tamralipta.<ref>{{cite web |title=New twist from excavations |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/538184/twist-excavations.html |website=Deccan Herald |language=en |date=2 April 2016}}</ref> Fa-Hien traces Tamralipta, as situated on the seaboard. Whereas [[Hiuen-Tsang]] describes that Tamralipta{{Refn|Hiuen-Tsang denoted Tāmralipta as "Tan-mo-li-ti".|group=n}} was situated on a creek relatively away from the main Bay of Bengal. According to Hiuen-Tsang, this port town spanned approximately 250 miles and served as the point of convergence of the land and sea trade routes. According to him, the main exports from Tamralipta port were indigo, silk, and copper.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Sengupta |first=Nitish |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TI8GQioaoL4C |title=Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib |date=2011-07-19 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-530-5 |language=en |quote=}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> In {{Circa|675}}, the Chinese Buddhist monk [[Yijing (monk)|YiJing]] reached the east coast of India. He spent five months in Tamralipti and learned Sanskrit. Yijing travelled up the Ganga from Tamralipti to the Buddhist monastery complex of Nalanda, which was the home of thirty-five hundred monks at that time. According to [[Mahavamsa]], an epic history of Sri Lanka, it was the exit point for [[Prince Vijaya|Ruler Vijaya's]] voyage to conquer Sri Lanka and the Buddhist mission propelled to Sri Lanka by the Mauryan emperor [[Ashoka]].{{Refn|In Mahavamsa Tamralipta is denoted as "Tamalitti".|group=n}} Tamralipta is mentioned in [[Dipavamsa]] as well. The [[Vanga Kingdom|Vanga]] is referred to as possessing the city of Tamralipta in one of the Jaina Upangas called Prajñāpanā.<ref group="n">The Prajñāpanā denoted Tāmralipta as "Tamalitti".</ref> According to the Jaina texts, Tamralipta was the capital of the kingdom of Vanga. Tamralipta is mentioned as one of the Jaina ascetic orders in the Jaina [[Kalpa Sūtra|Kalpasūtra]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schmiedchen |first1=Annette |title=Medieval Endowment Cultures in Western India: Buddhist and Muslim Encounters – Some Preliminary Observations |journal=Mondes de l'Asie du Sud et de l'Asie Centrale |date=2019 |page=7 |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03012318/document}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Paine |first=Lincoln |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6vglAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT265 |title=The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World |date=2014-02-06 |publisher=Atlantic Books |isbn=978-1-78239-357-3 |pages=265 |language=en}}</ref>{{Sfn|Ramachandran|1951|p=226-239}}{{Sfn|Bhaumick|2001|p=7-8}} | |||
{{ | ===Archaeological finds=== | ||
<!--Archaeology is the study of former societies and peoples through the examination of their structures, tools, and other artefacts. This section is dedicated to this research.--> | |||
Archaeological explorations have unveiled a chronology of habitations extending back to a period in which stone axes and rudimentary pottery were in use. Excavations in the Indian state of West Bengal have revealed a steatite seal with hieroglyphic and pictographic signs, thought to be of the Mediterranean root. Terracotta figurines, spindle-whorls and earthenware are accepted to be from [[Crete]] and [[Egypt]]. Findings in Tamralipta unearthed potteries characterized by rouletted ware, grey ware, redware, black polished ware, and northern black polished ware. The excavation carried out by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI) discovered rammed floor levels and ring wells. Coins and terracotta figurines dating back to the [[Sunga]] period (3rd century B.C.) have been discovered during excavations at a site in Tamralipti.{{Refn|The Tamluk Museum's holdings include terracotta sculptures of yaksis, animals, and plaques showing the daily lives of ordinary men and women. The famous Yaksi figurine is now preserved in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.|group=n}} A brick-built stepped tank, dating back to the 2nd–3rd century A.D., was unearthed among the ancient structural remains of Tamralipta.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" /> Excavations at [[Moghalmari]] confirmed the presence of Buddhist vihars in the area, which was mentioned by Chinese travellers Fa Hien and Hiuen Tsang.<ref>{{Cite web |last=CHATTOPADHYAY |first=SUHRID SANKAR |title=Unearthing a culture |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/heritage/unearthing-a-culture/article4372313.ece |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref> | |||
===Epigraphy and numismatic evidence=== | |||
<!--Numismatics is the investigation of coins, tokens, paper currency, and other related items. The analysis of inscriptions and epigraphs is known as epigraphy. This section is dedicated to this research.--> | |||
Coins with engraved boat symbols, issued by the Satavahana Kings, were found on the Andhra coast. Punch mark coins with similar motifs were also excavated from different sites in Bengal.{{Refn|Two types of cast coins are found: 1. the rectangular type and 2. the round type.{{Sfn|Ramachandran|1951|p=226-239}}|group=n}} This evidence confirms brisk maritime activity in Bengal. The Roman gold coins found in Tamralipta indicate contact with the Romans. The terracotta seals, protected in the Tamralipta museum as examined by Mukherjee, are inscribed in the Kharoshti Brahmi script of the early centuries of the Christian era. The vessel depicted on the seal of [[Bangarh]] is a bowl-shaped sailing boat filled with corn. The bows of the vessel at both ends are decorated with "Makaramukhas". A seal found at [[Chandraketugarh]] has a boat with a single mast portrayed on it and bears the Kharoshti-Brahmi inscription. The ship motif found on the coin of [[Gautamiputra Yajna Satakarni|Gautamiputra Yajna Satkarni]] and the boat motif painted in the cave of Ajanta are identical to this vessel. An archaeological excavation in [[Birbhum district|Birbhum]] unearthed several pieces of evidence, including coins and other artefacts.<ref name=":3" />{{Sfn|Ramachandran|1951|p=226-239}} In an inscription from Java, the merchant Budhagupta is mentioned as a resident of Raktamrittika.{{Refn|Raktamrittika mahavihara is presently situated in the Chiruti region of the Murshidabad District.<ref name=":0"/>|group=n}} Most likely, Budhagupta sailed down the Ganga and took a ship from Tamralipta. The Dudhpani rock inscription of Udayman is probably the last South Asian inscription that contains the record of Tamralipta as a port city in 8th-century C.E.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KoBDAAAAYAAJ |title=Journal of Ancient Indian History |date=1994 |publisher=D.C. Sircar |pages=162 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> | |||
===Interpretation=== | |||
The textual references have prompted academics to identify Tamralipti as one of the most prominent hubs of trade and commerce of early historic India.{{Refn|Tamralipti used to be the principal trade hub of the large territory between China and Alexandria.<ref name=":5"/>|group=n}} According to Darian, with the rise of the [[Maurya Empire|Mauryan Empire]], Tamralipti rose to universal popularity as the chief harbour of the entire basin. Ships from Ceylon, Southeast Asia, western India, and the Middle East used to arrive at this port.<ref name=":5" /> The brick-built stepped tank, found in an archaeological excavation, indicates the prosperity of Tamralipta.<ref name=":3" /> At least from the beginning of the Christian era until the 11th or 12th century A.D., Tamralipti was an important port for the sea-borne trade of Bengal.<ref name=":7">{{Citation |last=Chowdhury |first=A.M |title=INTEGRAL STUDY OF THE SILK ROADS |date=1991 |pages=4–5}}</ref> Three significant routes of foreign exchange were transmitted from Tamralipti : one to Burma and beyond through the Arakan coast; a second to the Malaya peninsula and the Distant East via Paloura, near Chicacole; and a third to South India and Ceylon through Kalinga and the Coromandal coast.{{Sfn|Ramachandran|1951|p=226-239}} Tamralipta appears to have been connected by distinct routes with Pataliputra and Kausambi. The southern route, passing through Tamralipta and proceeding to the coastal region of Orissa, also reached as far as Kanchi in the south. Through the southern route, extra inland trade corridors in Kalinga were connected with Tamralipta. Tamralipta had multidirectional connections with diverse geographical locations of South Asia. It served as a gateway to countries such as Indonesia and as a departure point for excursions to Sri Lanka.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /> Archaeological finds suggest the overseas connection of the Tamralipti with the Romans.<ref name=":3" /> According to the evidence of Kan-Tai (Fu-nan-chuan), a regular maritime route existed between China and Tamralipti in the middle of the third century A.D.<ref name=":7" /> A comparison between the Chandraketugarh terracottas and those recovered from Tamluk would imply that the former contained significantly more indigenous motifs, whereas at the latter site, several non-indigenous motifs have been unearthed. The existence of the Kharoshthi script in some of the inscriptions at Chandraketugarh suggests close interaction with the north-western part of the subcontinent, where this script was prominent.<ref name=":6" /> According to Sengupta, the difference in descriptions of the location of Tamralipta as made by Fa-Hien and Hiuen-Tsang indicates a profound geographical change that had occurred in between their visits.<ref name=":6" /> According to Chattopadhyay, in comparison to Chandraketugarh, the settlement aspects of Tamralipti addressed by the area of Tamluk on the right bank of the Rupnarayan, a feeder of the Bhagirathi, are as yet unclear.<ref name=":0" /> The existence of Painted Grey Ware and Northern Black Polished Ware in the places near the waterways of Ghaghara, Ganga and Yamuna indicate the utilization of riverine channels for the ancient commerce networks.<ref name=":3" /> According to Dasgupta, Despite the undeniable significance of Tamralipta, little is known about its rulers and administration. According to him, both Fa-Hien and Hiuen-Tsang, the two Chinese travellers who stayed in Tamralipta, never revealed anything about the state organization or administration.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dasgupta |first=Biplab |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YRRnRK8lEYEC&pg=PA12 |title=European Trade and Colonial Conquest |date=2005 |publisher=Anthem Press |isbn=978-1-84331-029-7 |pages=12 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
===Causes of decline=== | |||
Man-made issues such as political disorder, taxes, and foreign attack, as well as natural factors such as alteration in the courses of rivers, siltation, and erosion, have all contributed to the progressive deterioration of the Tamralipta port. The Saraswati river flowed through various courses until the seventh century A.D., when it discharged through the Rupnarayan estuary. Tamralipta was located on the right bank of the Rupnarayan river. The Saraswati branch that connects it to the Rupnarayan has been identified on a recent satellite image, and a map is being prepared. Fergusson also described this channel. The eastward flight of the flow from its off-take at Tribeni, as well as rapid sedimentation, contributed to the collapse of the channel. Since 700 A.D., the Saraswati had abandoned its allegiance to the Rupnarayan and migrated eastwards, opening a new outlet along the [[Sankrail]], resulting in the decline of the port of Tamralipta. [[Saptagram]] (colloquially known as Satgaon) emerged as a prominent port, following the demise of Tamralipta.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Rudra |first=Kalyan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uelTDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA87 |title=Rivers of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta: A Fluvial Account of Bengal |date=2018-04-02 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-76544-0 |pages=87 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
* [[Vanga]] | * [[Vanga]] | ||
* [[ | * [[Pundravardhana]] | ||
* [[Samatata]] | |||
* [[Medinipur]] | * [[Medinipur]] | ||
==Notes== | |||
{{reflist|group=n}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 20: | Line 51: | ||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
* | {{Refbegin}} | ||
* | *{{Cite book |last=Bhaumick |first=Manoranjan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TCFuAAAAMAAJ |title=History, Culture, and Antiquities of Tāmralipta |date=2001 |publisher=Punthi Pustak |isbn=978-81-86791-27-1 |language=en}} | ||
*{{Cite journal |last=Ramachandran |first=T. N. |date=1951 |title=Tāmraliptī (Taṁluk) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3248590 |journal=Artibus Asiae |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=226–239 |doi=10.2307/3248590 |jstor=3248590 |issn=0004-3648}} | |||
*{{Cite journal |last=Duraiswamy |first=Dayalan |date=2019-01-01 |title=ANCIENT SEAPORTS ON THE EASTERN COAST OF INDIA: THE HUB OF THE MARITIME SILK ROUTE NETWORK |url=https://www.academia.edu/40704995 |journal=Acta Via Serica}} | |||
{{refend}} | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| Line 30: | Line 64: | ||
{{Purba Medinipur topics}} | {{Purba Medinipur topics}} | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Capitals of Bengal]] | ||
[[Category:Lost ancient cities and towns]] | [[Category:Lost ancient cities and towns]] | ||
[[Category:Ancient Indian cities]] | [[Category:Ancient Indian cities]] | ||
[[Category:Purba Medinipur district]] | [[Category:Purba Medinipur district]] | ||
[[Category:Maritime history of India]] | [[Category:Maritime history of India]] | ||