Indian Ocean Trade Development

Ancient Fishing Boats

5000 BCE

Ancient fishing boats were flat-bottomed boats used for setting out from the coast and could be used with or without a sail. These boats were typically made of planks or a single log from teak or mango wood. Both types of wood are resistant to rot. These were the oldest fishing craft used for unloading boats anchored offshore.

Bananas

1000 BCE

During the classical era, bananas spread as a crop and a food into China, and may have been known in parts of the Middle East. The fruit originated from tropical plants that were first cultivated by people on the island of New Guinea. Bananas were cultivated in other places in Southeast Asia as well, then traveled to India and Africa.

Kamal

800 BCE

The kamal is a simple navigation device used by Arab navigators in the Indian Ocean. The purpose of the kamal was to determine latitude at sea by observing the distance between the horizon and a particular star at the same time each night. The pilot's job was to aim for a certain latitude where he knew that the port city lies.

Rise of Nubian Kingdom

800 BCE

During 800 BCE, the Nubian kingdom dominated Egypt. This kingdom was very rich and powerful. They traded with the Egyptians and sailed in large vessels to kingdoms along the Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts. Some popular trade items were: ebony, olive oil, ivory, and incense.

Pharaoh Necho II

610 BCE

Pharaoh Necho II began building a canal linking the Nile River and the Red Sea, called the Arabian Gulf by Herodotus. However, it was not until 1869 CE that the Suez Canal linked the Mediterranean with the Red Sea and became an important time-saving route for shipping.

Sir Lanka

543 BCE

Sir Lanka had a prime location that linked the eastern and western parts of the Indian Ocean This made it a major port and stopping point for merchants from places as distant as Rome, Africa, Persia, and East Asia. Being a central part of the Indian Ocean trade networks, Indian religious and cultural influences like Buddhism spread to Southeast Asia and was often accompanied by increases in trade.

Camel Saddle

500 BCE

Developed in Northern Arabia, the camel saddle helped establish a livelihood for pastoral nomads. This new technology also allowed the animal to easily carry heavy loads by distributing the weight evenly on both sides and utilized the strongest bones of the animal to support the load.

Persian Wars

Period: 492 BCE to 449 BCE

The Persian Wars were a series of wars fought between the Persians and the Greeks. Both armies utilized the Indian Ocean to gain access many military advantage points. The Greeks' ultimate victory opened the western world to inheriting such lasting cultural contributions as democracy, classical architecture, theatre, and the Olympic Games.

The Peloponnesian War

Period: 431 BCE to 405 BCE

The Peloponnesian War was fought between Athens and Sparta. The Spartan victory marked the end of the Golden Age of Greece, a change in styles of warfare, and the fall of Athens, once the strongest city-state in Greece. Sparta was successful in their dominance but did not achieve political unification of Greece. However, the balance in power in Greece was shifted when Athens was absorbed into the Spartan Empire.

Isthmus of Kra

400 BCE

The Isthmus of Kra is a narrow strip of land that connects the Malay Peninsula to the continent of Asia. The Isthmus Kra separates the Indian Ocean from the China Sea. Traders from India reached the rest of Southeast Asia by crossing the Isthmus of Kra, rather than making the longer and more difficult journey around the entire Malay Peninsula.

Vyadhapura

350 BCE

Vyadhapura was the capital of the Kingdom of Funan, which occupied part of today's Cambodia and Vietnam. The location and system of canals gave merchants from China, India and western Asia as well as local Asian merchants a place to meet and conduct business.

Alexander the Great

336 BCE

During his reign as king, Alexander the Great defeated the Persian Empire and extended Greek control over lands in western Asia, Egypt, Central Asia, and the Indus Valley. His military campaigns brought Greek art and culture into contact with many foreign lands. Alexander also founded the city of Alexandria in Egypt, which would become a major center of art and trade.

Alexandria

332 BCE

Alexandria's ideal location along both the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River made it the center of trade routes connecting Rome to inner Africa, the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, and Asia. The city remained the capital of Egypt for nearly a millennium. Aa a central hub of international trade, the city was heavily influenced by Greek and Roman cultures.

The Punic Wars

Period: 264 BCE to 146 BCE

The Punic Wars were a series of conflicts fought between the forces of ancient Carthage and Rome. These wars led to the destruction of Carthage which was a powerful city-state in northern Africa that had established itself as the leading maritime power in the world.

Zhang Qian

138 BCE

Zhang Qian was an early pioneer of the Silk Roads. Zhang was sent by the emperor Wudi to negotiate an alliance with the Yuezhi, who ruled parts of India and Bactria in Central Asia. During his travels, he encountered traces of Indian and Greek culture which he spread upon his return to China. On a second expedition, he introduced Chinese culture and technology as far as Southeast Asia, and brought back foreign music, dance forms, and foods like grapes, pomegranates, watermelon, and walnuts.

The Silk Roads

130 BCE

This trade network was created during the Han Dynasty. The Silk Roads was a trade network that connected the Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Central Asia, and China. It was frequently traveled in search of silk, however other goods and ideas were also traded. With the rise of the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty, this trade route became even more popular.

Pepper

100

Peppercorns were a luxury trade good used for both cooking and medicine. The spice was considered so valuable that the ancient Romans used it as a form of money, equal to gold and other precious metals. Black pepper, which comes from a wild vine known as Piper nigrum, is native to the Malabar Coast in southwestern India. The region's supply of pepper and its location in the middle of the Indian Ocean attracted traders from many distant lands.

Spread of Disease

165

The introduction of new animal species and consistent contact among peoples aided the spread of disease. Diseases such as Antonine Plague were starting to spread though trade and movement of people. Some other diseases that were spread are: Leprosy, Malaria, and Tuberculosis(TB).

Pearl

200

Pearls were a favorite of wealthy Romans. An ideal trade good because they took up very little room on ships or caravans, pearls were commonly used for jewelry and decoration, or sometimes ground up into powder for medicine. Historically, the world's best pearls came from the waters of the Arabian (Persian) Gulf. The pearling industry was very important to the economies of the surrounding countries, which exported the gemstones to the Roman Empire and other lands.

Chinese Texts

400

During 5th century C.E. Chinese works are imported to Japan, bringing Chinese texts, philosophy, ideals, and of course language to Japan in the written capacity. This opened the gateway to future trade relations.