What were the Trade Hazards faced by the merchants?

There is no doubt that there was general in on the routes. Enemies of commerce liker thieves, and wild animals infested the rout caused loss of life and property to the trade success of a journey depended much up physical strength and the abilities of, before starting on a trade journey offered oblations to Indra for speed, energy strength.

The forest routes, infested with of robbers, were detrimental to the cause of activities. Robbers sometimes lived collector villages ready to waylay the merchants. They through the desert were almost like a voya the sea.

The traders were led by desert pilots guided the caravans by studying the movement the stars. Roads and facilities for journey however, considerably improved during Mauryan period. Under the Kautilyan administration, road-making became an important fun of the state, as it came to be considered a source of state revenue. Trade routes were too looked after and protected bysamaharta and they became safe for regular traffic.

Megasthenes refers to some officers who constructed roads, at every ten stadia set up a pillar to show by-roads and distances. Though the ship was side red one of the six injurious things, the hope profit motivated people to take to maritime trade as a sure source of wealth.

Mid-ocean routes we not regarded as safe after seven days of journey and shipwrecks generally occurred after se days. While plying in mid-ocean, the crows of great help to navigators in showing the direction. Routes and directions were also determined by mariners by watching the movement the stars. A superintendent of ships (was in charge of maritime taxes and the coastal and sea routes from the pirates.