Transportation and Markets

In old Asia the few roads which existed were generally for political rather than economic purposes. In China good roads were provided for government dispatch carriers and in Japan the great feudal lords had fine solid roads over which to make their frequent journeys to the shogun’s capital. But India had even less of such means of communication. Most of the people lived in isolated villages, and except for a few articles of small size and high value, such as drugs, silks and precious stones which are easily transportable, and a few bulkier commodities more universally used yet in small quantities, such as iron and salt, they were dependent almost entirely upon local produce. There was little specialization among communities and hence little movement of either goods or persons. Taking the crops from the fields, and a small share of these to nearby trading centers, was the chief movement of goods and this could be effected on the heads of men or the backs of animals. For the few longer distances and larger scale movements, bullock carts were used in the dry season. In a few regions, especially in Bengal, the many rivers and bayous connected with the mouths of the Ganges and the Bramaputra provided local and fairly long distance carriage by water. Also the Ganges and the Indus systems in the north and west, and the Kistna and the Godavari in the south, furnished access for small craft to parts of the interior. During Moghul times there were a few dirt roads connecting the local capitals, and the British did little road building until after they became rulers. A digest of evidence presented to the British Parliament in 1830–31 reads as follows ¹ :

It may be said that there are no roads or bridges whatsoever in the Madras territory. None exist beyond the town of Madras; the rivers are usually crossed on rude rafts of split bamboo and earthen pots. In Coimbatoor the roads are remarkably good; there are very few parts of India where they are so.