When Roman merchants and soldiers came to Madurai to trade in pepper

Just a furlong away from where Vaigai, Marudhanadhi and Manjalar met at Kunnuvarankottai was built a toll gate ‘chunga chavadi. During the monsoon, the frothing rivers brought rich alluvial soil from their sources up in the Western Ghats. This fertile region had a rich vegetation of coconut groves and traders would rest in the shade after paying the six per cent due to the kings. They would have to shout to be heard above the roaring waters, as they met old friends and made new ones, some who were known as ‘yavanas’ by the local traders

Just a furlong away from where three rivers — Vaigai, Marudhanadhi and Manjalar — met at Kunnuvarankottai was built a toll gate by the Pandya kings, otherwise known as a chunga chavadi. During the monsoon, the frothing rivers brought rich alluvial soil from their sources up in the Western Ghats.

This fertile region had a rich vegetation of coconut groves and traders would rest in the shade after paying the six per cent due to the kings. They would have to shout to be heard above the roaring waters, as they met old friends and made new ones, some who were known as ‘yavanas’ by the local traders. These ‘yavanas’ were the Roman merchants and soldiers who had reached the region to trade in black gold (pepper). A little sprinkle of this spice was all that was needed to give a distinct flavour to the Roman cuisine.

The Roman traders used to take advantage of the monsoonal winds blowing in the Arabian Sea to reach the ports in Kerala. It was a perilous 45-day journey from a port in Egypt to Musiri in Kerala. From there, they would make the journey by road to cross the Western Ghats.

Historian C. Santhalingam of Pandya Nadu Research Centre says their first foray must have been through the Cumbum pass. Excavations in this area had yielded silver coins engraved with the bust of Caesar Augustus. Similar coins were also found in Idukki district of Kerala.

Another route these merchants would have taken was the one passing through Thandikudi. Located at an altitude of about 1,500 metres above sea level, it is 45 km from the chunga chavadi at Kunnuvarankottai. Though these routes would have been treacherous as they curved their way around the thick shola forests that covered these ghat sections, it was the lure of pepper that kept these traders going. With a climate just perfect for growing pepper, these vines grew in abundance and residents were always on the lookout to sell their excess produce. Civilisation does not always have to flourish on the banks of a river and Thandikudi is a case in point. The region saw a flourishing habitation much before the Iron Age and the dolmens still stand to testify to this fact.

Yet another route that saw a heavy flow of commercial traffic was the one that wound itself through the Shencottah Pass. According to Mr. Santhalingam, this route was taken by traders of precious stones. Wealthy Romans adorned themselves with pearls sourced from Korkai and other precious ornaments from the region.

And all these routes ended in one place: Madurai, the city built in the form of a lotus on the southern banks of the Vaigai. The capital of the Pandyas was built around the Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple, which many believe was built in the first Century CE. Like the unfurling petals of the lotus, various streets, exclusive for trades, radiated from the centre. There were Nagakadai Veedhi, Ezhuthu Karai Veedhi and Chitrai Veedhis. This was where the commercial heart of the kingdom rested. Various poems of the Sangam Literature talk of how the tall and burly ‘yavanas’ rubbed shoulders with the local inhabitants in the bustling metropolis. The ‘yavanas’ brought with them their rich and glossy pottery known as Arretine Ware which was much sought after by the kings. They also brought with them gold. Some historians say they introduced the people to wine made from grapes. The Pandyas, the Cholas and the Cheras were rulers who encouraged trade and commerce.