Question

The chief centre of Indo- Roman trade was _______ .
A) Madurai
B) Arikamedu
C) Muziris
D) Alexandria

Answer 1

Hint: All the Options are main trading cities and three of them are ports. So, when finding the answer look at the part in the question which mentions that it was the chief centre which means the main port that was in charge of the Indo- Roman trade. This city also lay on the Silk Road and was created for the sole purpose of trade, hence it was a strategic placing.

Complete answer: Muziris and Arikamedu were main ports for Indo- Roman trade in India and Madurai has been a big trading centre in India for long. However, they did not control the trade relations between India and the Roman Empire so these options can be eliminated.
With this, Option D- Alexandria is left which is the correct answer. Alexandria was a port city founded by Alexander the Great, with an intention to make Asia accessible trading centres including the Indian peninsula and the Persian Empire beyond the Empire in Greece. Over time it became one of the largest populated cities. At first, the trade market was dominated by private enterprises but over time became a large source of profit for the royal treasury. The trade consisted of primary items like grain, textile and also luxurious items like precious metals such as gold, spices, pearls and rare animals’ leathers. Alexandria also lay on the silk route of trade because of its vast capacities of trade. Even today the city continues to be a trade hub.
Therefore, Option D is correct.

Note: Do not get confused when reading the question since Muziris and Arikamedu are ancient and very prominent trade centres in India during the Indo- Roman trade period. The chief centre indicates the place of origin of the trade and the main place that controlled the Indo- Roman trade.