- Rise of new kingdoms and towns led to an increase in agriculture and trade. It resulted in the growth of new towns.
Rapid Increase in Agricultural Production:
Growth of Crafts and Craftsmen:
- Art and specialties flourished in every village.
- Each village had weavers, dyers, potters, smithies, wicker bin weaver, goldsmiths, wood workers and other skilled skilled workers.
- Silk weaving, dyeing, coin-minting, ivory-carving, material making and globule making turned into the well-known occupations.
- Archeological sources indicate extremely fine stoneware called the Northern Black Polished Ware.
- Most skilled workers composed themselves into organizations called Shrenis.
Increase in Trade:
- The rise in agriculture production and artworks led to surplus generation. This surplus in towns was provided to towns.
- All this prompted development of exchange/trade.
- Merchants and traders took an interest in both the internal and external exchange.
- All trading groups were organized into organizations.
- Use of money gave rise to punch marked coins.
- Taxes gathered from trade acted as a vital source of income for the ruler
How did People Live:
- Very little information is available about the life of the people.
- The main sources to know about them include stories from books, the accounts of sailors and travelers and sculptures which show scenes from the daily life.
The Second Urbanization: Town and Cities:
- Large-scale agriculture production, development of crafts and expanded exchange and trade led to rise of new towns and urban cities.
- It led to development of urban focuses and is known as the Age of Second Urbanization.
- Some critical towns of this period were Vaishali, Ujjayani, Hastinapur, Pataliputra, Mathura, Arikamedu, Bodh Gaya, Rajagriha and Kaveripattnam.
Functions of Towns:
- Each town was renowned for some specific movement.
- Some towns were religious while others were authoritative.
- Several towns like Sopara were exchanging towns.
- Two such celebrated towns were Mathura and Arikamedu.
- Mathura was the second capital of Kushanas and a center of sanctuaries religious communities, arts and crafts. The Mathura School of Art became here.
- Arikamedu was an essential focus centre, a port and a middle for fare and import. Dealers from Rome came here.
Life of People of Tamil Nadu: Under the Cholas and the Pandyas:
- Most individuals lived in towns and were agriculturists.
- Towns were close to the drift.
- Trade went similar to Rome and China.
- People like diversions, recreations and betting.
- The organization was going by a lord. There was even a general get together known as the Sabha.
- The most well-known God was Murugan (Kartikeya in North).
- The Chola Kingdom was arranged between the Pennar and the Velur streams and its focal point of energy was Uraiyar, a popular cotton focus.
- The Pandyha kingdom with its capital at Madurai was known for its pearls. It is said by Megasthenes and the Sangam writing.
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