A rare maritime ledger belonging to the Silhara dynasty has been discovered inscribed on a sheltered rock face in a coastal cave near Ratnagiri. Dating to the late 9th century, the inscriptions detail a comprehensive log of maritime trade, listing exports of sandalwood, medicinal herbs, and fine textiles to the ports of the Abbasid Caliphate.
The text is written in a transitional form of Old Marathi and Sanskrit, providing linguists with a crucial link in the evolution of regional languages. This finding reinforces the status of the Konkan coast as a major international trade gateway during the medieval period of Indian history.