Consider the following aspects of medieval trade between the Arunachal hill tribes and the Ahom kingdom: 1. Annual fairs held at designated foothill duplex markets facilitated barter exchange between hill produce and valley commodities. 2. Salt was among the most heavily regulated and sought-after commodities supplied by the Ahom administration to hill communities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Both statements are correct. Foothill markets, often called duars, served as vital commercial hubs where hill tribes exchanged musk, medicinal herbs, wax, and woven goods for rice, cotton cloth, and salt. Salt was a scarce and precious commodity in the hills, making its supply through state-controlled mechanisms a powerful diplomatic leverage for the Ahom rulers. These economic arrangements minimized border friction and fostered interdependent trading ecosystems.