汉代海上丝绸之路的西段(一)——印度西南海岸古港穆吉里斯

The Western Maritime Silk Road in Han Dynasty,I:——Muziris, the Ancient Port on the Malabar Coast

穆吉里斯是汉代海上丝绸之路西段最重要的港口之一,在当时丝绸之路东西方贸易中发挥着无可替代的中转作用。胡椒和其他东方物产汇集到穆吉里斯,使这里成为罗马商人的主要货源地。实力雄厚的罗马帝国家族财团派出大批代理商人,从红海沿岸港口出发前往穆吉里斯。这些罗马商人在穆吉里斯形成了临时的商业聚落,他们从事着各种商品的交易,也将罗马文化带到了这里。家族财团—商业代理的长途贸易组织形式,在罗马人的东方商业实践中逐渐传播到印度和中亚,最终为粟特商人习得。

Muziris, a significant port on the western Maritime Silk Road around the beginning of the Christian era,played an irreplaceable role in the Long-distance trade between the East and the West at that time. Pepper and other oriental products assembled in the port. Thus it became the major supplying place for the Roman merchants. The powerful family consortiums in the Roman Empire sent massive merchant agents,departing from the Red Sea ports to Muziris. These Roman merchants formed provisional settlements,who dealed with various kinds of goods while brought here the Roman culture. As a result of the Roman business practice,the family consortium- merchant agent pattern of long-distance trade gradually spread to India and Central Asia,and finally acquired by the Sogdians.