- In the Tamil region, large land owners were known as Vellalar, ordinary ploughmen were known as uzhavar, and landless labourers, including slaves, were known as Kadaisiyar and adimai.
- In the northern part of the country, the village headman was known as the grama bhojaka.
- Grama bhojaka was often the largest landowner.
- Grihapatis were other independent farmers who own small land.
- Dasa Karmakara were men and women who did not own a land.
- Some of the earliest works in tamil, known as Sangam literature, were composed around 2300 years ago. These texts were called Sangam because they were supposed to have been composed and compiled in the assemblies (sangams) of poets that were held in the city of Madurai.
- Jatakas were stories that were probably composed by ordinary people, and then written down and preserved by Buddhist monks.
- Mathura has been important settlement for more than 2500 years.
- Mathura was also a center where some extremely fine sculpture was produced.
- Mathura became the second capital of the Kushanas.
- Mathura was also a religious centre - there were buddhist monastries,Jaina shrines and it was an impotant centre for the worship of Krishna.
- Northern black polished ware was found in the northern part of the sub continent, usually black in colour and has a fine sheen.
- Many crafts persons and merchants formed associations known as shrenis.
- The shrenis of crafts provided training, procured raw material and distributed finished product.
- The shrenis of merchants organised the trade.
- Shrenis also served as banks.
- Rules for spinning and weaving were mentioned in the chapter 8 of Arthashastra.
- Arikamedu(in pondicherry) was a coastal settlement where ships unloaded goods from distant lands.
- Massive brick structure, Pottery from the mediterranean region such as amphorae(tall double handled jars that contained liquids such as wine or oil) and stamped red glazed pottery, known as Arretine Ware, which was named after a city in Italy, Roman lamps, glassware, gems were found at Arikamedu.
Source:6th NCERT History chapter 9