Indian ocean

Navigation during the Classical Era within the Indian ocean.

1000 BCE

A Kamal consists of a small, rectangular card with a knotted cord passed through it. 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(Indian ocean in world history, n.d, classical era).

What was traded?

1000 BCE

Silks were very desired items along with spices like cinnamon. Pearls and gemstones were also sought after(Indian ocean in world history, n.d, Classical era).

introduction of religions to new regions.

1000 BCE

A major export item along the classical Indian Ocean trade routes was religious thought. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism spread from India to Southeast Asia, brought by merchants rather than by missionaries(Szczepanski, 2019, p. 1). Exchanges of religion, language, and even disease would have begun as soon as these different cultures began trading.

Classical Era Indian ocean timeline

Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE

1000BCE-300CE A brief history of the Indian ocean and the trade routes used during the Classical Era

Notable figures that affected trade within the Indian ocean.

330 BCE

one of the notable figures who affected trade is Alexander the great. Alexander would conquer much of the world including the Persian empire dethroning Darius III.

Conquest of Alexander the great

323 BCE

Alexander the Great conquered areas that would later become major hubs for trade. He founded the city of Alexandria in Egypt, which would become a major center of art and trade(Indian ocean in world history, n.d,).

Networks/trade routes Indian ocean

300 BCE

Trade routes that stretched from the Indan ocean through the pacific ocean created new works of the trade from region to region. Trade would travell from the bay of Bangel, through The Andaman Islands, and into the China sea(Global civilizations, 2014, p. 132).