Location of Indian Bazaars: a future routed in history

Abstract

In the second century CE, the roman senator Pliny the elder was heard calling India “the sink of the world’s gold”, owing to the huge trade already prevalent in India. The vivid depictions of bazaars from distant lands and time periods by prominent travellers, the intricate narratives of the exotic goods traded to the nobility, and the myriad aspirations of the common folk, have since; elevated bazaars/ markets to dynamic spaces. They serve not only as hubs of commerce but also as arenas for social interaction and community engagement. This research paper aims to delve into the historic and geographic evolution of bazaars in India, exploring how trade routes, and transportation networks have influenced their growth over a period of time. The scope of this study is to select several historic markets in India and analyse their history, location and spread with regards to the above mentioned parameters, preferably from their origin to their present day scenario. Given the vast number of markets within India's geographic boundary, a reliance on secondary case studies of well-documented markets and trade routes will be paramount. Qualitative research methods, including surveys involving all stakeholders in marketplaces, as well as data collection from newspapers, articles, previous research papers, and books, will be employed to gather data. This will be followed by a quantitative analysis to derive meaningful results. The outcomes from this research could help to identify the importance of locations, in sustaining markets in the present day context, along with helping generate ideas and frameworks for the future.