ABSTRACT
The maritime trade is not limited to exchange of goods alone. In the ancient world deprived of passenger ships, cargoes were the only mode of transportation in the Indian Ocean. Not only traders, but also Buddhist monks, nuns, philosophers, artists and diplomats as well travelled together; and as a result, not only goods, but also philosophical thoughts and iconographies were exchanged. As a result, Buddhist iconographies developed in a cross-fertilized context, ingenuously incorporating the sentiments and aesthetics of their respective populations. Instead of reproducing stereotypical prototypes, they created new forms of art leaving some traces of the aspirations of the donor-traders, enabling us to understand the growth of the maritime networks.
