Indian Ocean Trade during the Classical Era

By melanierashwilmu
  • 1000 BCE

    Bananas

    Cultivated in New Guinea and places in Southeast Asia before traveling to India. Bananas were said to reach Africa by 1000 B.C.E. From there, they spread as a crop and food into China and the Middle East.
  • 1000 BCE

    Sugar Cane

    Originated in Southeast Asia, reaching India by 1000 B.C.E. and was then produced on a larger scale. Proofed to be a productive crop through cross-pollination and was sometimes used for medical purposes.
  • 750 BCE

    Persians

    Persians migrated to Iran from Asia. They were in contact with India before the Greeks and were largely responsible for introducing them to that land and culture.
  • 700 BCE

    Indigo Plants

    Found in Babylon, also mentioned in Greek and Roman. Chinese used the indigo plant to dye their silk. Cultivated in India.
  • 600 BCE

    Silk

    The first piece of silk was discovered in the ancient city of Loulan (present-day Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China) and thought to be produced by royal court. Traded and used as a form of money due to its high value internationally.
  • 600 BCE

    Trade Networks

    The Silk Road, the Indian Ocean trade, and the Saharan trade were established and proved to be the three main trade networks.
  • Period: 550 BCE to 330 BCE

    Achaemenid Empire in Persia

  • 500 BCE

    Cinnamon & Cassia

    Cassia is native to China while cinnamon has been said to come from East Africa. Cinnamon and cassia arrived in the Gulf of Aden on the monsoon winds at least from around 500 BCE.
  • 500 BCE

    Ancient Fishing Boats

    Fisherman started utilizing these flat-bottom boats for setting out from the coast and fishing.
  • 400 BCE

    Isthmus of Kra

    Isthmus of Kra is a strip of land connecting the Malay Pennisula to Asia. Traders from India reached the rest of Southeast Asia by crossing the Isthmus of Kra, rather than making the longer and more difficult journey around the entire Malay Peninsula.
  • 332 BCE

    Alexandria

    Discovered by the Alexander the Great and was the capital of Egypt for close to a millennium. Alexandria was heavily influenced by Greek and Roman culture. The city acted as a center for international trade, connecting Rome, Africa, the deserts of Arabia, and Asia.
  • Period: 324 BCE to 185 BCE

    Mauryan Empire in India

  • 300 BCE

    Frankincense & Myrrh

    Frankincense and myrrh are types of incense that release a pleasing aroma when burned. They were an important part of religious rituals in cultures across the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean and the Near East. They were also used as an insect repellant, as medicine, and for embalming ancient Egyptian mummies.
  • Period: 202 BCE to 220

    Han Dynasty in China

    The Han Dynasty existed until 220 CE
  • 200 BCE

    Camels and Date Production

    The one-humped camel and date palm spread from southern Arabia to Somalia, from there to Ethiopia and Egypt. Camel herding and date cultivation spread along the Sahel edge of the Sahara desert toward Lake Chad.
  • 100 BCE

    Roman Coinage

    First Roman coin was found in many locations on the coast of India and inland. Roman coins were accepted in Indian ports and Indian mints even used their own silver to mint imitation Roman coins.
  • 100 BCE

    Pepper

    Pepper was an important part of the spice trade, viewed as a luxury trade good used for cooking and medicine. Black pepper originated in southwestern India in the middle of the Indian Ocean which attracted traders from various areas. The spice was also valuable to ancient Romans who used it as money.
  • 100 BCE

    Pearls

    Popular jewelry for the wealthy in the Roman Empire. An ideal trade good because they took up very little room on ships or caravans, pearls were commonly used for jewelry and decoration, or sometimes ground up into powder for medicine.
  • Period: 33 BCE to 476

    Roman Empire in the Mediterranean

    Roman Empire existed until 476 CE