Roman mariners knew about the dangers of the Palk Strait which stretched from India to Sri Lanka. Pliny describes how this reef was ‘shallow and not more than eighteen feet deep in most places, but in certain channels so deep that no anchors can hold at the bottom’. The shallow-hulled ships of the Tamils were able to glide over the Palk reefs to reach ports on the east coast of India. Pliny reports that these vessels could carry up to 150 tons of cargo, equivalent to 3,000 wine amphorae. The Indian ships also had a prow at each end so that they could be sailed backwards through tight channels where there was no space to turn.1
Tamil crews sailing through the Palk Straits transported Roman goods onwards to cities and trade-stations on the eastern seaboard of India. The Periplus explains that ‘there is a market on the east coast for all Roman goods and all year round these centres receive Roman cash and other products sent from Limyrike’ (the Malabar Coast).2 Tamil merchants also sailed to ports on the nearby island of Sri Lanka, which at that time was ruled by a powerful rival regime, the Anuradhapura Kingdom.
The Greeks and Romans called ancient Sri Lanka ‘Taprobane’, which was a version of the Sanskrit name ‘Tamraparni’ meaning ‘Copper-coloured Leaf’. During the era of the Periplus, Roman merchants acquired Sinhalese goods from Tamil intermediaries. These goods included ivory, turtle-shell, pearls, gemstones and cotton clothes.3 Strabo knew that Sri Lanka ‘sends great amounts of ivory, tortoise-shell and other merchandise to the markets of India’.4 Pliny was also informed that to, ‘procure pearls Indians go to the islands, the most productive of which is Taprobane’.5
To protect this commerce, the Tamils probably discouraged Roman trade ventures to Sri Lanka. Strabo heard that Sri Lanka extended 500 miles in the direction of East Africa and the author of the Periplus was informed that ‘only the northern parts are civilised and the island extends west almost to Azania (East Africa)’.6 It is possible that some Roman traders had heard accounts of Madagascar and assumed that this African island might be connected to Sri Lanka. Millions of years ago the two islands were part of the same landmass and still share common features. This includes geology and the distinct species of fish that live in the rivers and brackish lagoons.
World History
