Indian Ocean Trade Route

  • 701 BCE

    Pharaoh Necho II

    Necho sent Phoenician sailors to explore the seas which were surrounding the continent of Africa. This gave the Egyptians a good insight into the coastal African geography, for trading purposes.
  • 700 BCE

    Indigo

    Supplied through long-distanced trading and very valuable. Used for many things, such as dye and for ink.
  • Period: 700 BCE to 100 BCE

    Aksum

    Kingdom that controlled the gold and ivory trade. Exported gold, gems, spices, incense, and ivory to Greece, India, Sri Lanka, and Persia.
  • 600 BCE

    Phoenicians

    Known for developing the most state-of-the-art ships and means for navigation. They also created a writing system/alphabet, which is the foundation of the Western languages.
  • 550 BCE

    Alexander the Great

    His military campaigns were known for the beginning of the Hellenistic period, in which Greek culture was introduced across the globe. Alexander was known for founding an Egyptian city called Alexandria, which became a leading market for trade.
  • 510 BCE

    Scylax of Caryanda

    Went exploring for King Darius of Persia. This voyage ended up being famous in that Scylax was able to bring news back to King Darius about the different regions visited. This encouraged trade excursions.
  • 500 BCE

    Camel Saddle

    The Arabian Camel Saddle was a frame that sat on top of the camel hump and hung over both sides, making it easier to sit on a camel and transport goods.
  • 500 BCE

    Cinnamon and Cassia

    Arrived in Gulf of Eden in 500 BCE. Used for cooking and often substituted for each other.
  • 332 BCE

    Alexandria

    A core of international trade, connecting Rome to inner Africa, and heavily influenced by Greek culture.
  • 326 BCE

    Nearchus

    Naval Captain of Alexander the Great's Navy. He was an explorer and Naval officer who was instructed to take over 15,000 Army soldiers back to Babylonia.
  • 300 BCE

    Palmyra

    A trade route which connected the Silk Road and the Incense Road. Controlled caravan routes, which linked the Parthian Empire in Iran to the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean.
  • 300 BCE

    Sri Lanka

    Central part of Indian Ocean trade. Along with trade, the spread of Buddhism to Southeast Asia was prevalent. Exported ivory and toroiseshell, also known for cinnamon.
  • 275 BCE

    Berenike

    An Egyptian port city that was a primary trade center. Used for importing elephants from Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, as well as trading wood, bamboo, cloth, beads, and pottery.
  • 254 BCE

    Ashoka

    Famous Indian Emperor who would send religious emissaries across the world to create communications and contacts, which helped to institute trade relations.
  • 206 BCE

    Silk

    Very valuable luxury good, used as currency as well as traded along the overland routes.
  • 200 BCE

    Cloves

    Considered a luxury item, used for both cooking and medicinal purposes. Known as an important part of the spice trade, cloves connected distant regions and Southeast Asia to the Asian mainland.
  • 200 BCE

    Arikamedu

    A trade center on Southeast coast of India. Imported Roman ceramics known for the crafting of stone and glass beads.
  • 138 BCE

    Zhang Quian

    Zhang Quian was sent by the emperor Wudi to seek out an ancient culture called the Yuezhi, which controlled parts of India and Central Asia from 128 BCE-450 CE. He pioneered the use of what ended up becoming the "Silk Road" trade routes, which helped expose China to foreign cultures and many other lands.
  • 100 BCE

    Pepper

    So valuable that it was used as a currency by ancient Romans. Considered a luxury good, easy to trade, and used for not only cooking, but medicinal purposes as well.
  • 1 BCE

    Isodorus of Carax

    Wrote multiple books on the geography of posts between the Near East and India, as well as the overland trade route. This served as a guide to those taking that route.
  • 1 BCE

    Pearls

    They took up minimal space on the ships, which made it a good item for trading. Used for jewelry and medicinal purposes.
  • 323

    Death of Alexander the Great

    After his death, his campaigns had a large impact on trade and cultural exchanges. Greek astronomy and math went to India and Indian beliefs on religious movements went to the Greeks. In terms of art, their combined styles led to a particular and influential style of sculpting called Indo-Greek.
  • 751

    Kings of Meroe

    Also known as Pharaohs of Egypt, they were able to make large quantities of iron due to having the mineral ores and fuels necessary to do so. That, combined with considerable trade with Egypt and the Mediterranean, allowed Meroe to thrive.
  • 1000

    Sugar Cane

    A crop used in a variety of ways, making it very valuable and productive.