Indian Ocean Classical Period trade timeline

Bananas

1000 BCE

Bananas originated from a wild variety of tropical plant that were first cultivated by people. They spread as a crop and a food into China and may have been known in parts of the Middle East.

Sugar cane

1000 BCE

Sugar cane organs from Southeast Asia 1000 BCE and reached India where it was cultivated by a bigger scale. By the end of the classical period sugar was know as a luxury for cooking and sweetening. During the next few centuries sugar became spread widely with trade, conquest, and migration.

Buddhism

563 BCE

Buddhism spread along the trade routes. Many merchants become buddhists.

Confucius

551 BCE

Confucius was also known as Kung Fuzi. He was a Chinese philosopher. His philosophy was based on the need fo restoration of order through advice of superior men to be found among the shi.

Cyrus the Great

550 BCE

Cyrus the Great established massive Persian empire by 550BC; the clearest successor of the great Mesopotamian states of the past.

Cinnamon

500 BCE

The exact origin of Cinnamon is still unknown. It was traded along the silk road and a cinnamon route between Southeast Asia and the East African Coast during the time of the Roman Empire.

Camel Saddle

500 BCE

The Camel saddle was developed in Northern Arabia. It allowed for people to ride a camel more comfortably and carry heavy loads.

Peloponnesian War

431 BCE

Wars from 431 to 404 BCE between Athens and Sparta for dominance in Southern Greece. This resulted in Spartan victory but failure to achieve political unification of Greece.

Era of Xunzi

400 BCE

Author of "The Art of War" that revolutionized thinking about military organization and conduct of war. Xunzi transformed warfare in China.

Aristotle

384 BCE

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who taught Alexander the Great. He exposed knowledge based on observation of phenomena in a material world.

Alexander the Great

338 BCE

Alexander the Great lead the largest army total 48,500 soldiers. He defeated Persian empire and extended Greek control over lands in Western Asia, Egypt, Central Asia, and Indus Valley. Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria in Egypt that became they major center of art and trade. He brought greek art and culture into contact with many foreign lands. His conquests laid the foundation for centuries of interaction and cultural exchanges.

Alexandria

338 BCE

Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great and remained the capital of Egypt for almost a millennium. Alexander was a trade hub of the international trade. It was the center of the trade routes because its ideal location along both the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River. Alexandria was also the center of Christian scholarship.

Chandragupta Maurya

322 BCE

Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Maurya dynasty. He established the first empire in India subcontinent.

Ashoka

273 BCE

Ashoka was one of the most famous Indian Emperors. He converted to buddhism and worked to spread religion. Ashoka encouraged contact and interactions that contributed to the establishment of trade relations by sending religious envoys abroad.

Punic Wars

264 BCE

Wars fought between Rome and Carthage to establish dominance in the Western Mediterranean. The war was won by Rome on 3 separate occasions.

Cloves

206 BCE

Cloves were an important part of the spice trade, connecting the islands if Southeast Asia to the Asian mainland and other distant regions. They were a highly desired luxury item. Cloves were used for cooking and for medical purposes.

Han Dynasty

206 BCE

The Han Dynasty was founded by Luises Bang. The Han era brought the growth of great cities, the expansion of trade and the mercantile classes, and a new surge of inventiveness.

Development of Porcelain

200 BCE

Silk Road

106 BCE

The Silk Road was and overland of trade routes. It connected the Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Central Asia, and China. It began to flourish with the rise of the Roman Empire (27BCE) and the Han Dynasty (206BCE).

Pepper

100 BCE

Pepper was a luxury trade good used for cooking and medicine. Ancient Romans used it as a form of money, equal to gold and other precious metals.

Pearls

100 BCE

Pearls were ideal for trade because they took up little room on ships and caravans. They were commonly used for decoration, jewelry, and sometimes ground into a powder and used for medicine. Pearls were a favorite of wealthy Romans.

Augustus Caesar

31 BCE

Augustus Caesar real name was Octavian. He was given the name Caesar after the defeat of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. Augustus Caesar was the first emperor in Rome and created an outright empire.