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TRADE AND COMMERCE
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TRADE ROUTES
Routes in early Hindu Period. --The early nick-cut remains at
Ajanta. at Patna near Chalisgaon. at Chandor, and at Nasik,
make it probable that, as far back as the second and first centuries
before Christ, trade routes between north and south India passed
close to those places. In the third century A. D., the author of
the Periplus (247 A. D.) mentions that trade crossed Khandesh
from Broach to Paithan on the Godavari and to Tagara ten days
fun her eas [Mc Crindle's Periplus, 125-26.]. If the statement that it lay ten days to the cast
of Paithan is correct, the trade probably passed eastwards through
Khandesh, leaving the district either near Patan or near Ajanta.
The road, though very difficult, was passable for wagons [Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Vol. XII, 1880.].
Routes during Muslim Period.—During the 15th and 16th centuries one line of traffic ran north and south, from north and Central India through the Simrol pass by Asirgad to Ajanta and the south; the other ran west to the coast, the route known as the Asirgad road, through Burhanpur, Savda, Jalgaon. Paldhi, and Borkhand, to Nasik and the Thal pass [ Ibid.]. During the 17th and 18th centuries the bulk of the great traffic between the inland countries and the coast passed through Khandesh.
Routes during British Period [ Ibid pp. 206-7.].—During the early years of the 19th century, Maratha misrule almost destroyed the trade of Khandesh. In 1826 the chief routes were: Dhulia-Amalner-Chop-da. Parola-Erandol-Savda-Burhanpur, Bhadgaon-Pachora-Ajanta and Mehunbare-Gavtala-Aurangabad. A more detailed description of the various roads is given in the chapter on Transport and Communications.
An interesting sidelight on the prosperity of this tract is the importance of the transit trade. Formerly the Tapi valley was the natural outlet for the rich products of Central India and Berar tract. For the major part, trade followed this route to Gujarat and Konkan coast during the Moghal and Maratha periods. But the route lost its economic advantage with the rise of the Bombay port and the construction of the Great Indian Peninsula railway route to Central India and the north.
Present-day routes of trade.—The district is served by a network of railway routes and roads. The Bombay-Itarsi and the Bombay-Nagpur lines of the Central Railway traverse the heart
of the district. The Bhusawal-Jalgaon-Surat route, the Chalisgaon-Dhulia route, and the Pachora-Jamner route serve as trade arteries to the main railway line. The Jalgaon district is served by the undermentioned highways: Surat-Dhulia-Jalgaon-Nagpur road (National Highway). Bombay-Chalisgaon-Nagpur road, Jalgaon-Ajanta road. Shirpur-Rever-Burhanpur road, and Dhulia-Aurang-abad road, all of them being State Highways.
Bhusawal. Jalgaon and Chalisgaon function as entrepot for the district. Bhusawal lies on the main lines of the Bombay-Itarsi and the Botnbay-Nagpur routes of the Central Railway and the Bhusawal-Jalgaon-Surat route of the Western Railway. It is connected by roads and highways to various towns. Jalgaon also lies on the main line of the Bombay-Itarsi route and has become a very important wholesale and retail trade centre. Chalisgaon is the junction of the Bombay Itarsi and the Chalisgaon-Dhulia routes.
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