COMMERCIAL RELATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST 13
It is a matter of great controversy whether or not the Egyptians had direct trade with India. Hypercriticism has ranged on both sides. Herodotus says that Sesostris whom the Gardiner Wilkin son identifies with Ramses II fleeted out a strong fleet and sailed beyond the straits into the Indian ocean conquering all the coastal countries while his land forces carried their sword as far as the Ganges. [1]
Long before the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, India had commercial intercourse with her and the port of Philoteras was the emporium of that early trade :
“Whether they (the Egyptians) had a direct communication with India at the same early epoch, or were supplied through Arabia with the merchandise of that country, it is not possible now to determine: but even an indirect trade was capable of opening to them a source of immense of wealth; and that the productions of India did actually reach Egypt we have positive testimony from the tombs of Thebes” [2] and “the productions of India already came to Egypt at the early period of Joseph’s arrival in the country is evident from the spices which the Ishmaclities were carrying to sell there : and the amethysts, hacmatile, lapislazuti, and other objects found at Thebes at the time of the Third Thothmus and succeeding pharaohs argue that the intercourse was constantly kept up.” [3]
Culture in all times follows the wake of Commerce. This is more true of ancient times than of the modern. The caravans of the olden times were not only the carriers of wares but also of civilization : they dissiminated and universalized it. This commercial intercourse with India greatly affected the architecture of Egypt so much so that “James Fergusson ( History of Architecture I, 142-3) notes that the great monolith at Axum is of Indian inspiration; “the idea Egyptian, but the details Indian. An Indian ninestoried pagoda, translated in Egyptian in the first century of the Christian era !” He notes its likeness to such Indian temples as Bodh-Gaya, and says, it represents “that curious marriage of Indian with Egyptian art which we would
1 cf. William Robertson “Disquisition on India”,(1812) p. 6.
2 Gardinaer Wilkinson, “ The Ancient Egyptians”, Vol. I. p. 161.
3 Gardiner Wilkinson, “ The Ancient Egyptions”, Vol. I. p. 250.