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3000 BCE
Indian Oceans Beginnings
Using small rafts and canoes travelers would move to different towns and trading ports along the coastlines of Arabia to the Indian subcontinent. -
3000 BCE
Magan Boats
These boats where made with reeds, coated with bitumen and clay. They where fitted with square sails and steering oars, used for trading in the Arabian Gulf and beyond. -
2750 BCE
Copper
Copper was widely used in ancient Mesopotamia and Iran, allowing them to make tools, weapons, utensils, and jewelry. Evidence shows that copper was imported from Oman. -
2300 BCE
Cotton Trade
India introduced cotton textiles and began trading them, replacing wool clothing that was worn in most countries at the time. -
1000 BCE
Bananas
Bananas were found growing in Southeast Asia. Then were transported to India and Africa. -
1000 BCE
Sugar Cane
Sugar Cane was a popular trade good during the Classical Era as it was used for sweetening and cooking. Sugar cane was very popular in Southeast Asia and located in India. -
1000 BCE
King David
At this point King David had established Jerusalem as a capital city. -
800 BCE
Rise of Nubian Kingdom
During this time the Nubian kingdom dominates in Egypt. They sailed in large vessels to kingdoms along the Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts. They mostly traded olive oil, ivory, incense, and ebony. -
Period: 600 BCE to 300 BCE
Religion
During this time the trade of goods wasn't the only thing being traded. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism spread across the Bay of Bengal to Southeast Asia. -
510 BCE
Scalax of Caryanda
Scylax of Caryanda went on a voyage into the Indian Ocean exploring in the service of King Darius of Persia. King Darius had heard of the riches of India and wanted to discover the mouth of the Indus river. -
500 BCE
Greek and Roman Sailors
This is when the Greek and Roman sailors and traders entered the Indian Ocean trading ceramics, glassware, olive oil, and gold. -
460 BCE
Spread of Disease
At this time diseases were starting to spread though the trading and movement of people. A few of these diseases were: Leprosy, Malaria, and Tuberculosis. -
338 BCE
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, a Greek king with the largest army ever in Greece. He defeated the Persian Empire, conquered Asia, Egypt, Central Asia, and the Indus Valley. -
106 BCE
The Silk Road
The Silk Road was a trade route created by Zhang Quian. Connecting the Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Central Asia, and China. This was a very popular trade route due to the rise of the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire. -
661
Rise of the Umayyad
The rise of the Umayyad on the Arabian Peninsula provided a powerful western connection for the trade routes. -
800
Trade Routes
The Indian trade routes began to connect to India, East Africa, Arabia, and Southeast Asia. -
960
The Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty encouraged land based trading on the silk road as well as marina trading. They also created a powerful imperial navy to control piracy on the eastern end of the route. -
1498
Pirates
The Portuguese in the Indian Ocean trade began their time as pirates instead traders. They seized port cities like Calicut on India's west coast and Macau, in southern China. The Portuguese. -
1499
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama was the first person to sail a Portuguese ship to India to establish a trade network. (Not all the Portuguese were pirates) -
The Tea Trade
England got most of their tea from India. Both the rich and poor drank tea. The rich were able to drink their tea with imported sugar and the poor had to use molasses syrup.