UPSC Prelims 2020 question on Gupta Ports Ghantasala Chaul

Indian examples of Ancient submerged Port Towns: In India evidences of ship building, port and warehouses installations are datable to Harappan culture. The important Harappan and late Harappan ports were Lothal, Lakhabawal, Kindarkhera, Kuntasi, Megham, Prabhasa, Todio, Amra. The excavations of these sites have yielded antiquities of Bahrain island, Persian gulf, Egypt and Mesopotamia cities.

The same maritime traditions continued even during the lifetime of Buddha, the Mauryas, the Gupta and in later period. During historical period India had trade and cultural contacts with Egypt, Rome, Greeks, Arabs, China and all most all Southeast Asian countries through these ports.

The ports on the west coast were Barygaya, Suppara, Calliena, Semylla, Mandagore, Palaepatme, Malizigara, Aurranobbas, Byzantine, Naura, Tyndis, Muziris and Nelcynda.

The ports on the east coast were Tamralipti, Charitrapur, Paluru, Dantapur, Kalingapatnam, Pithunda, Sopatma, Ghantasala, Poduca, Puhar, Korkai and Camara.

Merchants thronging sea-port towns like Mamallapuram, Puhar, and Korkai handled busy customs trade. Ghantasala, Kadura and Chaul were thus well-known ports handling foreign trade during the Gupta period.

Hence option (a) — ports handling foreign trade — is the correct answer.