Happy new year to all of you and a Warm welcome to my blog in the new year. To start the year with a global sense sounds more interesting. However, the global nature of business during ancient period and its relevance in modern terms is more suitable to reflect to improve current crisis situation.
The literature about international business and globalisation starts global trade period widely with the voyagers such as Christopher Columbus (1492), Vasco da Gama (1497). However, looking at the history of ancient Indian kingdom there is a general sense that the global trade or transnational trade is so common even during ancient period.
For example consider the pandya dynacity of India. Historical evidences says that they had extensive trade links with the Southeast Asian maritime empires of Srivijaya and their successors. The Pandyas excelled in both trade and literature. They controlled the pearl fisheries along the south Indian coast, between Sri Lanka and India, which produced some of the finest pearls known in the ancient world. According to Hiuen-Tsang, the Pandya country was a depot for sea pearls, its people were black, harsh and of different religions. This can be termed as the modern pluralistic nature of governance. Hence we can interpret that the management style followed in ancient period is pluralistic in nature which is more common in modern day's term. They were very good at trade. Roman trading centre was located on the Pandyan coast at the mouth of the Vaigai river, southeast of Madurai. Hence it can be interpreted that joint ventures and strategic alliances are more common among people of ancient kingdom in globalising their business.
Pandyas also had trade contacts with Ptolemaic Egypt and, through Egypt, with Rome by the first century, and with China by the 3rd century. The 1st century Greek historian Nicolaus of Damascus met, at Damascus, the ambassador sent by an Indian King "named Pandion or, according to others, Porus" to Caesar Augustus around 13 CE (Strabo XV.1-4, and Strabo XV.1-73).
Now it can be argued that the notion of global trade is not a new concept for India. I personally feel that there is no difference between export of software or export of pearl. Even during modern days the city of Tuticorin is called as the pearl city of Tamilnadu.
The literature about international business and globalisation starts global trade period widely with the voyagers such as Christopher Columbus (1492), Vasco da Gama (1497). However, looking at the history of ancient Indian kingdom there is a general sense that the global trade or transnational trade is so common even during ancient period.
For example consider the pandya dynacity of India. Historical evidences says that they had extensive trade links with the Southeast Asian maritime empires of Srivijaya and their successors. The Pandyas excelled in both trade and literature. They controlled the pearl fisheries along the south Indian coast, between Sri Lanka and India, which produced some of the finest pearls known in the ancient world. According to Hiuen-Tsang, the Pandya country was a depot for sea pearls, its people were black, harsh and of different religions. This can be termed as the modern pluralistic nature of governance. Hence we can interpret that the management style followed in ancient period is pluralistic in nature which is more common in modern day's term. They were very good at trade. Roman trading centre was located on the Pandyan coast at the mouth of the Vaigai river, southeast of Madurai. Hence it can be interpreted that joint ventures and strategic alliances are more common among people of ancient kingdom in globalising their business.
Pandyas also had trade contacts with Ptolemaic Egypt and, through Egypt, with Rome by the first century, and with China by the 3rd century. The 1st century Greek historian Nicolaus of Damascus met, at Damascus, the ambassador sent by an Indian King "named Pandion or, according to others, Porus" to Caesar Augustus around 13 CE (Strabo XV.1-4, and Strabo XV.1-73).
Now it can be argued that the notion of global trade is not a new concept for India. I personally feel that there is no difference between export of software or export of pearl. Even during modern days the city of Tuticorin is called as the pearl city of Tamilnadu.
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