Muziris papyrus
Topic: Sangam Age and Early South India · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Muziris papyrus is a Greek document from c. 2nd century CE, written on papyrus, an early kind of paper. It is now kept in Vienna. It records a loan agreement made in Egypt for a ship's cargo carried from Muziris, a port on the Chera (Malabar) coast, to Alexandria. It shows how large and valuable trade between India and Rome had become.
Example
The papyrus names the cargo of a ship called the Hermapollon. It included ivory, Gangetic nard (a perfumed plant oil) and fine textiles, worth a huge sum. Roman coin hoards found in south India point to the same busy trade.
Don't confuse with
- The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: the Periplus is a sailor's guide from c. 1st century CE that describes ports and goods in general. The Muziris papyrus is a business contract for a single cargo.