Kalinga Ancient Trade Routes

Barua

Probable Scholars say

Barua was a port the Greek geographer Ptolemy wrote about long ago. It stood where a small river reaches the sea, in what is now Andhra Pradesh.

Barua was a port that the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy wrote about. It stood where a small river reaches the sea. The spot is now in Andhra Pradesh, near the modern town of Sompeta. Historians think Barua was an important trade centre in ancient times. [Patra, 2014, p. 123]

For scholars

Only one source was read here, so the tier stops at Probable. The link to Ptolemy’s writing comes from this source’s own summary. It has not been checked against a direct edition of Ptolemy’s text. The original source behind this account is a 1918 district manual, which was not read directly here. [Patra, 2014, p. 123]

Facts

Coordinates
18.85°, 84.58°
[Patra, 2014]
  1. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014
Modern name
Near Sompeta, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh
Also known as
Barwah
Region
kalinga

Routes through Barua

  • Sonapur to Barua

    Sonapur and Barua were both small ports further south along the same old coast. A Greek geographer wrote about places like these long ago.

    [Patra, 2014, pp. 118, 121-123]
    1. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014 , pp. 118, 121-123 (p. 118 sets out the general model of short coastal hops. Sonapur (pp. 121-122) and Barua ('Barua or Barwah ... from the accounts of Ptolemy ... one of the important trade centres', p. 123) are treated as neighbouring ports on the same ancient coast.)

  • Barua to Kalingapatnam

    Barua and Kalingapatnam both sat where small rivers meet the sea. Kalingapatnam was the bigger of the two, and its name means 'town of the Kalinga people'.

    [Patra, 2014, pp. 118, 123]
    1. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014 , pp. 118, 123 (p. 118 sets out the general model of short coastal hops. Barua ('now in Andhra Pradesh, 6 km from Sompeta', p. 123) and Kalingapatnam, at the Vamsadhara mouth, are discussed together as neighbouring ancient ports on the same stretch of coast.)
Scholar notes

Only one source was read, capping the tier at Probable. The Ptolemy identification behind the 'early-historic' tag is Patra's summary, not independently checked against a Ptolemy edition. Ultimate source is Maltby's 1918 Ganjam District Manual, cited by Patra but not read directly in this session.

  1. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014 , p. 123 ('Barua or Barwah ... lies in Lat. 18 deg 51' N and Long. 84 deg 35' E ... 33 miles south of Berhampur ... now in Andhra Pradesh, 6 km from Sompeta.' 'From the accounts of Ptolemy ... the port-town of Barua was one of the important trade centres ... during the ancient period.')