Modes of Transportation in Early Medieval Western India

The aim of the article is to peep into the various modes of transportation used during the early mediaeval period (c. 600–1300 ad ) in Western India (particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat) for the easy movement of both commodities of exchange and people. The early mediaeval period in Western India is remarkable for its dynamic upsurge in trade and commercial activities. Since trade during this period was not merely confined to the inland regions, we see a marked increase in the movement of people involved in the trading business along with commodities of exchange to distant places (foreign lands) by both land and sea routes. Moreover, travelling in those times was not an easy affair, as it involved much hardship, and the threat of robbers and pirates. The present study is primarily based on literary and epigraphical sources of early mediaeval centuries.