The present study is an attempt to reconstruct the condition of trade and urbanisation under the Western Gangas (c. fourth to early eleventh century ce), the founders of the first indigenous state in southern Karnataka. Primarily based on the inscriptions issued by them, the study tries to trace the processes leading to the emergence of urban centre under the Western Gangas. It is argued that the Western Ganga rule did not coincide with any phase of decline in trade and commerce, as argued by the proponents of Indian Feudalism model. The state under the Western Gangas contributed to the process of urbanisation in a number of ways. The state restructured the economy of the territories under its control by promoting agrarian expansion, creating new networks of revenue collection and its redistribution. The demand for the goods and services created by the state and its agents, particularly religious establishments, necessitated their movement at intra-regional and inter-regional levels, and thus resulted in the expansion of the already existing centres of exchange as well as the creation of new ones. In other words, the process of urbanisation in the region may be attributed to the processes related to agrarian growth and the emergence of a complex indigenous power structure. The argument has been substantiated with the help of the study of urban centres, namely Perura, Kovalalapura, Manyapura, and Talavanapura.

中文翻译：

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中世纪早期南卡纳塔克邦的贸易和城市化：如西恒河铭文所反映

本研究试图重建卡纳塔克邦南部第一个土著国家的创始人西恒河（公元 4 世纪至 11 世纪初）下的贸易和城市化状况。该研究主要基于他们发布的铭文，试图追溯导致西恒河下城市中心出现的过程。有人认为，正如印度封建主义模式的支持者所认为的那样，西恒河的统治与贸易和商业的任何衰退阶段都不一致。西恒河下的国家以多种方式为城市化进程做出了贡献。国家通过促进土地扩张、建立新的税收收集和再分配网络，对其控制下的领土进行了经济结构调整。对国家及其代理人，特别是宗教机构创造的商品和服务的需求，需要它们在区域内和区域间的层面上流动，从而导致现有交换中心的扩张以及创建新的。换言之，该地区的城市化进程可能归因于与农业增长相关的过程以及复杂的本土权力结构的出现。在对城市中心（即佩鲁拉、科瓦拉拉普拉、曼亚普拉和塔拉瓦纳普拉）的研究的帮助下，这一论点得到了证实。从而导致现有交换中心的扩展以及新中心的创建。换言之，该地区的城市化进程可能归因于与农业增长相关的过程以及复杂的本土权力结构的出现。在对城市中心（即佩鲁拉、科瓦拉拉普拉、曼亚普拉和塔拉瓦纳普拉）的研究的帮助下，这一论点得到了证实。从而导致现有交换中心的扩展以及新中心的创建。换言之，该地区的城市化进程可能归因于与农业增长相关的过程以及复杂的本土权力结构的出现。在对城市中心（即佩鲁拉、科瓦拉拉普拉、曼亚普拉和塔拉瓦纳普拉）的研究的帮助下，这一论点得到了证实。