Uttarapatha
Topic: India's International Trade and Tourism · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 8 "How the Land Becomes Sacred"; Class 7, Ch 2 "India and Her Neighbours"
Meaning
Uttarapatha was the ancient northern trade route of India. It ran from Gandhara and Taxila in the north-west, across the Ganga plain, to Pataliputra and Tamralipti on the Bay of Bengal. It joined the Central Asian trade networks of the Silk Route. Along with goods, it carried Buddhism and new ideas, so it mattered for culture as well as trade.
Example
Taxila, near present-day Rawalpindi in Pakistan, stood at the north-western end of the route. Tamralipti, near present-day Tamluk in West Bengal, was its port on the Bay of Bengal.
Don't confuse with
- Dakshinapatha: the southern route, which ran from Kaushambi through Ujjain to Paithan in the Deccan. Uttarapatha ran east to west across the north.