“Traces of Trade and Commerce in Ancient India and Iran: Deriving Business Models from Civilizational Interactions.”

Varad Rajan Bhanage

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.65248

“Traces of Trade and Commerce in Ancient India and Iran: Deriving Business Models from Civilizational Interactions.”

Author(s)	Dr. Varad Rajan Bhanage
Country	India
Abstract	Ancient civilizations provide the early foundations of modern business concepts through their economic systems; however, their systematic analysis within management and business studies has remained limited. This research study presents a comparative examination of trade and commercial activities in ancient India and ancient Iran (Persia), with the objective of extracting the fundamental elements of the business models practiced in these civilizations. The study is based on a critical analysis of historical texts, archaeological evidence, documentation of trade routes, and secondary scholarly sources. The findings indicate that in ancient India, commerce developed under a decentralized, network-based model, where trade guilds, merchant communities, and local markets formed the core of economic activity, while the role of the state was largely confined to regulation and facilitation. In contrast, ancient Iran exhibited a centralized, state-sponsored business model, in which royal administration, standardized taxation, currency systems, and robust infrastructure enabled long-distance trade. Despite the differences in their commercial structures, both civilizations shared prominent principles such as trust, ethical trade practices, institutional governance, and sustainability. Theoretically, this study extends business model theory by situating it within a historical context, and practically, it offers valuable insights for contemporary business practices, supply chain management, and policy formulation. In this way, the research establishes an effective scholarly bridge between ancient economic wisdom and modern managerial thought.
Keywords	Ancient India, Ancient Iran, trade and commerce, business models, civilizational interactions, historical business systems, institutional economy, trade routes, non-Western management thought.
Field	Business Administration
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-12-31
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.65248

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“Traces of Trade and Commerce in Ancient India and Iran: Deriving Business Models from Civilizational Interactions.”

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