As global power equations continue to shift in 2025 say expert watching the developments. The world economy is increasingly being described as multipolar rather than dominated by a single superpower. In this evolving context, historians and economists are drawing parallels with the second century CE, when global economic influence was shared among multiple centres - the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean, Han Dynasty China in East Asia, and the Indian subcontinent as a vital connector in long-distance trade networks. Within this Indian subcontinent, the Tamil region emerged as one of the most dynamic economic engines of the ancient world, a role that adds further depth to the historical comparison.

In the second century, the Roman Empire controlled Mediterranean commerce, Han China anchored East Asia with its manufacturing and population strength, while the Indian subcontinent functioned as a bridge linking East and West. The Tamil region - corresponding to present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of South India - played a decisive role in this system. Tamil ports such as Korkai, Muziris, Arikamedu and Puhar were among the busiest maritime hubs of the ancient world. Sangam literature, Roman records and archaeological finds attest to large-scale exports of pearls, cotton textiles, spices and precious stones, while gold and silver coins from Rome flowed into the region. This made the Tamil country not merely a participant but a driver of global trade, integrating the Indian Ocean economy with West Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean.

Trade during this period was not incidental but institutionally supported. Tamil polities maintained secure ports, market regulations and inland trade routes linking agrarian hinterlands to coastal trade centres. Cities like Madurai, the Pandya capital, functioned as major commercial nodes supported by agricultural surplus, skilled crafts and organised markets. The economic strength of the Tamil region thus reinforced India’s position as a key connector in the ancient multipolar world.

Fast forward to 2025, and the global system again shows signs of multipolarity. BRICS - comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and expanded members - represents a growing economic pole outside the traditional Western bloc. China has emerged as the manufacturing core of the grouping, while India increasingly plays the role of a strategic connector linking the West, Eurasia, Africa and the Indo-Pacific. Other BRICS members contribute energy, minerals, food security and regional influence, collectively reshaping global trade and finance.

Within modern India, the southern states - particularly Tamil Nadu - continue to reflect echoes of their historical economic role. Tamil Nadu today is one of India’s leading contributors to manufacturing, exports, ports, automobiles, textiles and electronics, and hosts some of the country’s most integrated industrial and logistics ecosystems. Its ports remain critical gateways to Southeast Asia and the wider Indian Ocean, reinforcing India’s position in global supply chains much as ancient Tamil ports once did.

Yet, the comparison between the second century and 2025 has its limits. Rome and Han China were unified political-civilisational states with relatively balanced power, whereas BRICS is a coalition marked by economic asymmetry, with China holding a dominant share.

Moreover, today’s global economy is far more tightly interconnected, with financial and supply-chain shocks spreading instantly across borders — unlike the slower, regionally contained systems of the ancient world.

Even so, the broader pattern is unmistakable. Just as the second-century world operated through overlapping trade networks rather than a single hegemon, the contemporary global order is increasingly network-based. India’s role as a connector, historically strengthened by the commercial dynamism of the Tamil region, is once again central to this transition.

In essence, while BRICS as we enter into 2026 cannot be directly equated with the Rome–Han China–India configuration of the second century, it clearly mirrors its spirit. The re-emergence of multiple economic centres, the primacy of trade networks, and the renewed importance of regions like South India underline a familiar historical truth;: global economic power tends to circulate among interconnected hubs rather than remain permanently concentrated in one centre.

https://www.trinitymirror.net/news/brics-signals-return-of-a-multipolar-global-economic/

Trinity Mirror Online Team