Trade Pandyan dynasty

silk road map showing ancient trade routes.

roman , greek traders frequented ancient tamil country, present day southern india , sri lanka, securing trade seafaring tamil states of pandyan, chola , chera dynasties , establishing trading settlements secured trade south asia greco-roman world since time of ptolemaic dynasty few decades before start of common era , remained long after fall of western roman empire. recorded strabo, emperor augustus of rome received @ antioch ambassador south indian king called pandyan. country of pandyas, pandi mandala, described pandyan mediterranea in periplus , modura regia pandyan ptolemy. outlasted byzantium s loss of ports of egypt , red sea (c. 639-645) under pressure of muslim conquests. sometime after sundering of communications between axum , eastern roman empire in 7th century, christian kingdom of axum fell slow decline, fading obscurity in western sources. survived, despite pressure islamic forces, until 11th century, when reconfigured in dynastic squabble.