Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation
From the third century AD when the Huna invasion ended the Roman Empire, the Indian merchants relied more and more on the:
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
Concept
External shocks to major global powers, such as the Roman Empire, necessitated shifts in Indian maritime trade routes toward alternative prosperous regions.Explanation
The Huna invasions in the 5th century CE disrupted the Gupta Empire and global trade. Consequently, Indian merchants looked East, where maritime trade with regions like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam flourished.Logical Breakup
Logic 1: The collapse of Roman demand due to nomadic invasions led to a decline in Western trade.
Logic 2: Southeast Asia offered new markets for Indian goods, facilitating not just trade but the spread of Indian culture, religion, and language (Indianization of SE Asia).
Logic 3: The Hunas, as skilled warriors from Central Asia, effectively redirected the economic focus of the Indian merchant class toward the Bay of Bengal and beyond.