ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the earliest trading contacts between India and Sri Lanka and various other parts of South and South-East Asia. The earliest date of trading connections between India and the larger regions of South Asia can be traced to as early as the 4th century BCE. The first evidence of connections with India and Sri Lanka can be traced to trading contacts with eastern India, followed by various parts of South India. The activities of the port in the region of Kalinga – corresponding to the present region of Odisha – dominated trading connections to a great extent in ancient times, and the maritime activities of the Odisha region can be traced as far back as 350 BCE.
