Identified with modern Tamluk in Bengal, which ancient port was the main east coast harbour for sailing to South East Asia in the first millennium?

Introduction / Context:
Ancient ports of India are an important part of both history and geography syllabi. They reveal how trade routes connected the Indian subcontinent with South East Asia and the wider world long before modern shipping. On the eastern coast, one ancient port identified with the present town of Tamluk in West Bengal played a major role as a gateway to South East Asia during the first millennium of the Common Era. This question checks whether you can correctly name that port.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The site is modern Tamluk in Bengal. • The time frame is the first millennium. • The port was a main harbour on the east coast for sailing to South East Asia. • Options list Kaveripattinam, Tamralipti, Muziris, Sopara, and Poompuhar.

Concept / Approach:
Ancient literary and archaeological sources identify Tamluk with the ancient port of Tamralipti or Tamralipti, sometimes spelled Tamralipta. This port was a major outlet for trade routes from the Ganges valley and other regions to South East Asia and possibly beyond. Buddhist texts, travel accounts, and inscriptions mention Tamralipti as a key maritime centre. While Muziris and Kaveripattinam were important ports on the west and south east coasts respectively, they are located in present day Kerala and Tamil Nadu, not Bengal. Sopara and Poompuhar too lie elsewhere. Therefore, the correct answer for the port associated with modern Tamluk is Tamralipti.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Link modern Tamluk in West Bengal with its ancient counterpart as described in historical sources. Step 2: Recall that Tamralipti is frequently mentioned as an ancient port in eastern India on the Bay of Bengal. Step 3: Compare the location of each option: Kaveripattinam and Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu, Muziris in Kerala, Sopara in Maharashtra. Step 4: Notice that only Tamralipti fits both the geographic clue Bengal and the role of east coast port for South East Asia. Step 5: Select Tamralipti as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Research articles and historical summaries on Tamralipti state that it was an ancient port city located in what is now Tamluk in West Bengal. They describe how from at least the third century BCE to the early medieval period, Tamralipti served as a major gateway for maritime trade between eastern India and regions such as Sri Lanka and South East Asia. These accounts emphasise its importance as a departure point for merchants and Buddhist pilgrims. No similar tradition identifies Tamluk with Muziris, Kaveripattinam, Sopara, or Poompuhar, confirming that Tamralipti is the correct name.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• Kaveripattinam is linked to the ancient Chola port on the Tamil Nadu coast, not to Bengal. • Muziris was a famous west coast port in Kerala associated with Roman trade, not an east coast Bengal harbour. • Sopara is an ancient port near modern Nalasopara in Maharashtra on the western coast. • Poompuhar, also known as Kaveripattinam, lies in Tamil Nadu and is not identified with Tamluk in Bengal.

Common Pitfalls:
• Confusing east and west coast ports because many ancient names are similar or appear together in lists. • Mixing up Tamralipti with Muziris, since both are famous for overseas trade and Buddhist connections. • Ignoring the specific clue modern Tamluk in Bengal which directly points to Tamralipti.

Final Answer:
The ancient port identified with modern Tamluk in Bengal and serving as a major east coast harbour for sailing to South East Asia was Tamralipti.