Ancient Indian Highways - Dakshinapatha

Dakshinapatha was an important ancient trade route of India like Uttarapatha. Dakshinapatha linked northern towns with those in south. In Buddhist literature the Dakkhinaptaha goes from north to south as follows: Sravasti > Prayag > Vidisha > Ujjaini > Mahismati > Patistthana. Dakkhinapatha has also been referred to as 'southern region' or 'Janapada' through which this highway passed.

Map showing India in 600 BCE taken from Samyukt Nikaya in Hindi translated by Bhikhu Dharmrakshit and Bhikhu Jagdish Kashyap published in 1954. The map shows five regions - Uttarapatha, Madhaydesa, Aprantaka, Pashchadesa and Dakshinapatha 

The word Dakshinapatha is made up of two Sanskrit words दक्षिण+पथ for south+road and is written as दक्षिणापथ: or दक्षिणपथ. Buddhist literature in Pali mentions it as Dakkhinaapatha or दक्खिनापथ indicating both 'south road' and 'south region'. 

Earlier the area between Ganga and Godavari was generally being called as Dakshinapatha. Later around first and second century CE Dakshinapatha got extended to include extreme south like present day Tamilnadu and Kerala also. 

In Sabha Parva of Mahabharat ( Book II Chapter 28 Section xxx English version) it is mentioned that '..... thus Sahdeva marched towards the southern direction and subjugated and extracted tributes from the Paundrayas, the Dravidas, the Udrakeralas, the Andhras, the Talavanas, the Kalingas, and the Ushtrakarnikas'. 

Buddhist Pali language literature Samyukta Nikaya mentions an ascetic named Bavari ( बावरी ) who went from Magadh to the banks of Godavari and established a monastery in between kingdoms of Assaka and Alaka. Later sixteen students of Bavari met Buddha ( 563-483 BCE ) and asked questions on the goal of his teachings and how to attain the goal. Recent archaeological researches link a ancient brick mound at Bavapur Kurru in Telangana to Bavari. 

Kingdom of Avanti is mentioned in some places as Avantidakkhinapatha or Dakkhinupathe Avantirattha. In another book Sumangala Vilasini  Dakkhinapatha is said to be a Janapad south of Ganga - Gangaya dakkhinato pakatajanapadam. 

In Cullavagga, Khandaka Dakkhinapath has a reference in a story ..... Long ago Sir, certain merchants of Dakkhinapatha went, for the sake of their traffic, to the country of east..... Another story of Sona Kutukanna appears in Vinay Pitaka in which venerable Bhikhu Katyayana is mentioned as Mahakaccana ( of ) Avantidakkhinapatha. 

Uttarapatha in thick black line from Rajguha to Takshashila and Dakshinapatha in yellow line from Sravasti to Pratishthana via Prayag, Vidisha and Ujjaini

Apparently the Dakshinapatha existed and was known to traders much earlier than 8th or 7th century BCE. There were smaller link routes also which connected hinterland to Dakshinapatha. Important among these was connecting route to Bharukachcha port presently known as Bharuch on Gujrat coast. Bharukachcha opened avenues of trade via this sea link to western Asia. 

Vedic texts divide Indian sub-continent in 3 parts Aryavarta, Madhya Desha and Dakshinapatha. Panini ( approx 500 BCE ) in his work Ashtadhyayi mentions kingdoms of Kalinga, Asmaka and Dakshinapatha. Satvahanas ( late 2nd century BCE to early 3rd century CE ) were called as Lords of Dakshinapatha. 

Dakshinapatha finds mention in Greek 'periplus' also. Periplus is voyage around an island or an account of such circumnavigation. First century CE book 'Periplus of the Erythraean Sea' also mentions routes of trade and merchandise to be traded with including Dakshinapatha. A sketch of a map is as under. 

Map of the 'Periplus of the Erythraean Sea' from Wikipedia, written sometime in 1st CE. Showing trade routes and merchandise available for trading at different places. Dakshinapatha is mentioned here as Dakinabades, Bharukachcha as Barigaza, Ujjaini as Ozene, Paithan as Paethan etc. 

Over a period of time, many changes in the route took place. Our modern National Highways NH 44, NH 30, NH 34 and NH 35 partially cover, touch or cross the ancient Dakshinpatha.

For further reading: 1. Geography of early Buddhism by B. C. Law, 2. A History of Pali Literature by B. C. Law and 3. Early Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks by Jason Neelis.