CDS History · Ancient India
Society, Land and Trade
Women and property in the Smriti law books, trade with Rome and the sites that prove it, and the old words for kinds of land, assemblies, dress and weapons.
Why this matters
Twelve questions, nine of them HARD. Arikamedu was the answer twice, in 2019 (II) and 2026 (I). The rest test exact meanings: of stridhana, of a land word, of a garment or a weapon.
Concept 1 of 3: Women and property in the law books
The Smriti law books let sons share the family estate and let women keep only certain gifts as their own. That personal wealth, stridhana, was protected even from the husband.
Definition
- The paternal estate was divided equally among the sons after the parents died, with a special share for the eldest.
- A woman could keep the gifts she received at her marriage. This was her stridhana.
- Stridhana could be inherited by her children, and the husband had no claim on it.
- The Manusmriti gives men seven ways of getting wealth: inheritance, finding, purchase, conquest, investment, work and gifts from good people.
- It gives women only six: gifts at the nuptial fire, at the bridal procession, as a token of affection, and from her brother, mother and father.
| Rule | What the Smritis say |
|---|---|
| Paternal estate | Divided equally among sons; a special share for the eldest |
| Stridhana | Gifts a woman received at marriage; hers to keep |
| Who inherits stridhana | Her children; the husband has no claim |
| Men's ways to wealth | Seven: inheritance, finding, purchase, conquest, investment, work, gifts from good people |
| Women's ways to wealth | Six: gifts at the nuptial fire, at the bridal procession, as a token of affection, and from brother, mother and fatherQ CDS 2018 (II): token of affection was the answer; purchase, investment and inheritance are on the men's list. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2022 · CDS (II) 2022 — General Knowledge · Q115Hard
Example 1 · Ancient India · Society, Land and Trade
Which one of the following statements on the issue of ownership according to Smriti literature is not correct ?
The husband had no say over stridhana
Stridhana passed to a woman's children and the husband had no claim on it. A statement that the children needed his permission is false.
Concept 2 of 3: Trade with Rome and links abroad
In the first centuries CE Roman ships came to India for spices and luxuries and paid in gold. Roman pots and coins dug up in south India prove the trade, and Greek visitors left their own impressions of India.
Definition
- India sent Rome pepper, spikenard, tortoiseshell, pearls, ivory and fine cloth.
- Rome paid largely in gold coins: the aurei, found in hoards in south India.
- Arikamedu, near Puducherry on the Coromandel coast, has Roman amphorae (wine jars) and Arretine ware: direct proof of the trade.
- Other ports: Bharukachchha (Broach) in Gujarat, Tamralipti in Bengal, and Muchiri on the Malabar coast.
- Greek visitors such as Megasthenes admired India's fertile soil and able farmers. Ancient Indians also knew the use of manure, but that is a separate fact, not the reason for the Greeks' praise.
- The Roma (Gypsies) are traced to India because their language, Romani, is an Indo-Aryan language.
| Item or place | Fact |
|---|---|
| Arikamedu | Near Puducherry, Coromandel coast; Roman amphorae and Arretine wareQ CDS 2019 (II): asked as the site of maritime links on the Coromandel coast. |
| Aurei | Roman gold coins, found in hoards in south IndiaQ |
| Exports to Rome | Pepper, spikenard, tortoiseshell, pearls, ivory, fine cloth |
| Bharukachchha | A port in Gujarat (Broach) |
| Tamralipti | A port in Bengal |
| Romani | The Roma's language; an Indo-Aryan languageQ |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (I) 2026 — General Knowledge · Q57Moderate
Example 2 · Ancient India · Society, Land and Trade
During the period 100 BCE - 200 CE, valuable evidence of India's maritime trade links has been identified from which of the following sites on the Coromandel Coast ?
Arikamedu is on the Coromandel coast
Arikamedu, near Puducherry, is the Coromandel site. Muchiri was on the Malabar coast, Bharukachchha in Gujarat and Tamralipti in Bengal.
Aurei are coins
Aurei are Roman gold coins, not wine, perfume or pepper. Wine came in the amphorae.
Concept 3 of 3: Words for land, places, dress and arms
Old texts have exact words for kinds of land, local assemblies, clothes and weapons. CDS gives the word and asks for the meaning, so this is a short glossary to learn.
Definition
- Land: urvara is fertile land, maru is desert, nadimatrika is land watered by a river, devamatrika is land watered by rain.
- In the south, the nattar were the assembly of a nadu (a local area) in Chola times. Nagarakkani was land owned by the nagaram, the merchants' assembly.
- A yupa is a sacrificial post; a viragal is a hero stone raised in the Tamil country for a warrior who died.
- Dress: the antariya was an unstitched length of cloth draped round the lower body; the uttariya was an upper scarf.
- Weapons: sharnga, kodanda and karmuka all mean a bow; kunta is a spear.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Urvara | Fertile land |
| Maru | Desert land |
| Nadimatrika | Land watered by a river |
| Devamatrika | Land watered by rain |
| Nattar | Assembly of a nadu in Chola timesQ CDS 2023 (II): 'male serpent deity' was the wrong meaning. |
| Yupa | Sacrificial post |
| Viragal | Hero stone |
| Antariya | Unstitched lower garment draped round the bodyQ |
| Kunta | SpearQ CDS 2025 (I): sharnga, kodanda and karmuka mean bow; kunta does not. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2017 · CDS (II) 2017 — General Knowledge · Q79Hard
Example 3 · Ancient India · Society, Land and Trade
Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :
Code :
| List-I (Type of Land) | List-II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Urvara | 1. Land watered by a river |
| B. Maru | 2. Fertile land |
| C. Nadimatrika | 3. Land watered by rain |
| D. Devamatrika | 4. Desert land |
Devamatrika is rain-fed
Devamatrika land has 'the god for its mother', so it depends on rain. Nadimatrika land has a river for its mother and is watered by the river.
Nattar is an assembly, not a god
The nattar were the assembly of a nadu in Chola times. An option calling it a serpent deity is the wrong pair.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Women and property in the law books5 rows
| Rule | What the Smritis say |
|---|---|
| Paternal estate | Divided equally among sons; a special share for the eldest |
| Stridhana | Gifts a woman received at marriage; hers to keep |
| Who inherits stridhana | Her children; the husband has no claim |
| Men's ways to wealth | Seven: inheritance, finding, purchase, conquest, investment, work, gifts from good people |
| Women's ways to wealth | Six: gifts at the nuptial fire, at the bridal procession, as a token of affection, and from brother, mother and fatherQ CDS 2018 (II): token of affection was the answer; purchase, investment and inheritance are on the men's list. |
Trade with Rome and links abroad6 rows
| Item or place | Fact |
|---|---|
| Arikamedu | Near Puducherry, Coromandel coast; Roman amphorae and Arretine wareQ CDS 2019 (II): asked as the site of maritime links on the Coromandel coast. |
| Aurei | Roman gold coins, found in hoards in south IndiaQ |
| Exports to Rome | Pepper, spikenard, tortoiseshell, pearls, ivory, fine cloth |
| Bharukachchha | A port in Gujarat (Broach) |
| Tamralipti | A port in Bengal |
| Romani | The Roma's language; an Indo-Aryan languageQ |
Words for land, places, dress and arms9 rows
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Urvara | Fertile land |
| Maru | Desert land |
| Nadimatrika | Land watered by a river |
| Devamatrika | Land watered by rain |
| Nattar | Assembly of a nadu in Chola timesQ CDS 2023 (II): 'male serpent deity' was the wrong meaning. |
| Yupa | Sacrificial post |
| Viragal | Hero stone |
| Antariya | Unstitched lower garment draped round the bodyQ |
| Kunta | SpearQ CDS 2025 (I): sharnga, kodanda and karmuka mean bow; kunta does not. |
Watch out for (5)
- The husband had no say over stridhana→ Women and property in the law books
- Arikamedu is on the Coromandel coast→ Trade with Rome and links abroad
- Aurei are coins→ Trade with Rome and links abroad
- Devamatrika is rain-fed→ Words for land, places, dress and arms
- Nattar is an assembly, not a god→ Words for land, places, dress and arms
Test yourself on Ancient India
20 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 20 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.