Indian Ocean Trade Route

  • 800

    Goods traded

    The main goods traded along the route were silk, salt, ivory, gold, spices, sometimes slaves. The arab countries created checks for trading while the Chinese created paper money. Began around 800 and declined with the ending of the trade route around 1500.
  • 1200

    Buddhism in specific

    Buddhism specially is mentioned quite often in regards to religious theologies and new ways of belief began channeling through the trade route. Buddhism began in India and spread to China and other parts of Asia during the end of the classical era.
  • 1200

    Technological advances

    Important technological advances such as using a compass correctly and tracking maritime routes made this route possible. Ships and ship building also improved to increase the effectiveness of trade.
  • 1400

    Environmental factors

    Monsoons and desirable weather conditions promoted trade even more than before as they helped facilitate the ease of transportation along trade routes.
  • 1400

    Identified routes

    The main routes are identified as southeast Asia, India, Africa, and mostly China
  • 1405

    Important individuals

    Zheng He was an influential traveler that traveled across the route, he was a Chinese admiral and military official. He tried to manipulate trade among the whole route and wanted to construct a commanding fleet of 3500 ships.
  • 1450

    Exchange of ideas

    The Indian ocean trade route brought the world an exchange of events and goods but also an exchange of ideas. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam to places it had no previously reached before.
  • 1450

    The secondary effects of trade

    Towards the decline of the Indian ocean trade route terrible diseases began to spread rapidly. Diseases and illnesses such as influenza, smallpox and the plague began to run along the routes like the other items exchanged. Europeans began to get irritated with having to pay additional taxes and unrest also began to arise amongst all countries in the route.
  • 1500

    Silk roads

    The land and ocean routes that linked eurasia became famous for their trading industry of the time were known as silk roads.