Week 2 timeline

Classical Era Indian Ocean Trade Timeline

Period: 1900 BCE to 300 BCE

The Classical Era started in 1900 BCE and ended in 300 BCE.

Slaves

1850 BCE

The Indian Ocean was widely used for transportation of slaves. Arab traders started settling among the Africans of the coast, resulting in the emergence of people and culture known as Swahili. In the second half of the 18th century, the slave trade expanded and became more organized. There was also a huge demand for ivory, and slaves were used as porters to carry it.

Control

1680 BCE

The British joined trading with the British East India Company. This challenged the Dutch East India Company for control over the trade routes. Goods being traded began moved through Europe. This caused the collapse of the Asian trading powers that had controlled the routs.

Interconnections

1500 BCE

Discoveries in Europe allowed for further travel which caused a major increase in global interconnectedness, since the regions were previously isolated. The main effect was the connection between Europe and Asia and between the existing world and the Americas. These connections allowed for trade, exchanges of ideas, and the formation of colonies.

Portugal

1498 BCE

The Portuguese as well wanted to join in the Indian Ocean trade since the European demand for Asian luxury goods was high. Since Europe had nothing to trade, the Portuguese came in with force to the Indian Ocean trade as pirates rather than traders. Their use of a combination between bravado and cannons allowed them to seize port cities like Calicut on India's west coast, and Macau in southern China. The Portuguese began to rob and extort local producers and foreign merchant ships.

Vasco de Gama

1498 BCE

He was a Portuguese explorer involved in the trade. He rode in heavily armed caravels through the monsoon trade winds up from Africa to the west coast of India. They bombarded through defenses of local princes to take control of their share of the lucrative spice trade. Their expeditions only pushed further toward the point of origin of this valuable commodity, beginning to set up ports on the Spice Islands. With control of this source, they had a monopoly on the spice trade at the time.

Southeast Asia affects

1450 BCE

This trading process induced political change as ambitious rulers use well newly obtained wealth from commerce to build larger and more centrally governed states or cities. There was cultural change as local people were attracted to foreign religious ideas from Hindu, Buddhist, or Islamic sources.

Central Asia in Trading

1330 BCE

Rome obtained spices, fragrances, jewels, ivory, and sugar and in exchange sent European pictures and other luxury goods. Central Asia trafficked rice, cotton, woolen and silk fabrics to Eastern Europe who in return exported skins, furs, fur animals, bark for skin processing, cattle and other animals, as well as slaves.

Advantages

1150 BCE

The wind was one of the most key advantages during this time. Using the wind from the monsoons in the Indian Ocean for maritime trade was a blessing to sailing ships in order to reach overseas countries. Sailing straight out into the open waters during the late spring, ships were then swept up by the monsoon winds and set on a steady northeast course, arriving on India's west coast by mid-summer. With this development came the ability to reach
new places with new goods, and increased trade.

Technology

1060 BCE

With the development of compasses and knowledge and planning of wind patterns gave travelers advantages to better sailing abilities and stronger confidence to survive longer routes. Larger sails, multiple masts, better rudders, and thicker hulls also all helped the ships gain more sailing power and increase their storage.

Diseases

910 BCE

With these new trade routes, it means people traveling outside of their homeland, which also means introductions to illnesses not known in a current world. During trade, people would spread communicable diseases by intermingling with other traders. They would come to a trade post for goods, and they contract diseases not native to them, and take it back to their land. Because they're not native to these diseases, no one had the chance to build
immunities, therefore they spread like a wildfire.

Indian Ocean Trade vs. Silk Road

650 BCE

Indian Ocean trade networks used ships and they were able to ship more cargo, they sold less expensive, necessity products, traded with more locations, more efficient travel times.
The silk road was on land, and crossed water ways at the Mediterranean Sea, and used camels with carriages as their transportation which was not exactly ideal. There were different advantages and disadvantages to these locations and routes.

Transportation

600 BCE

Transportation involved four different modes: dhows, sailboats, dry cargo carriers, and tankers. For over two thousand years the small vessels called dhows were most popular.

Religion

500 BCE

This trade route introduces new goods and services, new cultures, new religions, and unfortunately diseases.

Indian Ocean Network

300 BCE

China, India, Southeast Asia, Islamic people, and East Africa were all apart. Monsoon trade network was also a part of the Indian Ocean network