Five major commercial cities of ancient India are as follows-

1. Pataliputra: Known as Patna today. It was not only a commercial town but also a major centre for the export of stones.

2. Peshawar: It was an important exporting centre for wool and the import of horses. It had a huge share in commercial transactions between India, China and Rome in the first century A.D.

3. Taxila: It served as a major centre on the important land route between India and Central Asia. It was also a city of financial and commercial banks.

4. Indraprastha: It was the commercial junction on the royal road where most routes leading to the east, west, south and north converged.

5. Mathura: It was an emporium of trade and people here depend on commerce. Many routes from South India touched Mathura and Broach.