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ON THE ANCIENT 1 



both remains the same. The greater number of European 

 inhabitants in this country has produced a large influx of 

 European merchandise, which originally intended for the use 

 of Europeans has found its way also into the household of 

 natives. As one of the most valuable new import articles 

 we may mention stationery, while the list of the export 

 articles is not materially altered, after including in it cotton, 

 coffee, tea and tobacco. 



That the most numerous and useful articles of Indian 

 products belong to the vegetable kingdom is, from what has 

 been mentioned before pretty clear, and this fact at once 

 assigns to India its proper position, i.e., India is essentially 

 an agricultural country. 



The great European discoveries in science have also affected 

 Indian commerce, but here it is not our intention to discourse 

 on this topic. 



The exchange of material goods, though being the obvious 

 object of commerce, cannot take place without causing a 

 material change in the habits and ideas of those who come 

 thus in contact with each other. Paltry prejudices are 

 abandoned, the human mind expands in toleration, as it does 

 in knowledge. The great historian of ancient Greece 

 ascribes the civilization of Greece and the rapid growth of 

 Greek literature to the free trade which existed between 

 Egypt and Greece since the days of the Saidic dynasty. 



If we apply these observations to India, we shall find that 

 though the Hindus supplied to other nations the most precious 

 products of their native country, they received back not only 

 their money's worth in gold and silver, but also, and what 

 is more valuable, a knowledge of the great scientific researches, 

 made by their more advanced neighbours. 



When the Aryans began to stir in their old home near the 

 Hindu-Kush, about 2,500 years before Christ, Turanian, 



