Ships in Ancient Indian Art
There are a good number of ships represented in ancient Indian art, which are valuable evidence, capable of throwing light on ancient Indian shipping and shipbuilding technology. Some of these representations were referred to by scholars here and there, but no complete and systematic study of these ships was carried out.
Monsoons and the Maritime: Trade in India from an archaeological perspective
Before the discovery of the monsoon winds by Hippalus in AD 45–47, the mariners of the east coast of India were aware of the monsoon wind and currents and used them for maritime trade. The maritime trade from India to Southeast Asia was a seasonal phenomenon. The distribution of Buddhist settlements, discovery of varieties of pottery, beads and inscriptions along the ports and trade centres point to active maritime trade between India and Southeast Asia.
