Indian Ocean Trade

Austronesian Mariners Discovered and Settled Madagascar

1000 BCE

Austronesian mariners sailed toward the West. They reached India, and mysteriously, they settled on the East African island of Madagascar. Evidence comes from the Malagasy language, crops like banana, coconut, and yam, and construction of houses in
Madagascar. There is little evidence of return voyages, however, or communication.

Egyptian Trade Declines

1000 BCE

Historians think that long-distance trade from Egypt and Mesopotamia may have declined
around 1000 BCE.

Monsoon Wind Patterns Discovered

1000 BCE

The monsoon wind pattern became well established during the first millennium BCE though it may have been discovered as early as 3000 BCE. With the discovery of the seasonal monsoon winds, combined with the ability to navigate by reckoning with the stars, mariners now sailed across the Arabian Sea in open water.

Madagascar Settled

1000 BCE

Austronesian mariners sailed toward the West. They reached India, and mysteriously, they settled on the East African island of Madagascar. Evidence comes from the Malagasy language, crops like banana, coconut, and yam, and construction of houses in
Madagascar. There is little evidence of return voyages, however, or communication.

Trade from Egypt Declined

1000 BCE

Historians think that long-distance trade from Egypt and Mesopotamia may have declined
around 1000 BCE.

Darius I Enters Trade Routes

500 BCE

Greek and Roman sailors and traders entered the Indian Ocean after 500 BCE, sent there by the Persian ruler Darius I.

Darius I Enters Trade

500 BCE

Greek and Roman sailors and traders entered the Indian Ocean after 500 BCE, sent there by the Persian ruler Darius I.

Alexander the Great

326 BCE

Alexander the Great sent Nearchus from the Indus to the Arabian Gulf in 326 BCE.

Greeks Expand

326 BCE

Greeks sailed to India and around the Arabian Peninsula to Oman.

Alexander the Great

326 BCE

Alexander the Great sent Nearchus from the
Indus to the Arabian Gulf in 326 BCE

Greeks

326 BCE

Greeks sailed to India and around the Arabian Peninsula to Oman.

Mauryan Empire

323 BCE

Several strong states existed at this time, including the
Mauryan Empire (323-185 BCE) of India, the Persian Empire, the Roman Empire in Europe, and the Han Dynasty in China. Roman coins have been found in Indian hoards with Indian coins. Cloth, ceramics, pottery, metal wares, glass, beads, incense, rare woods, and spices, pearls and coral were traded alongside common goods, and have been found at archaeological sites on the Indian coast

Phoenicians

300 BCE

The Phoenicians may have circumnavigated Africa, but they
probably did explore some of the West African coast. The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea from the first century CE names many ports, lands, and goods in the Indian Ocean, including information about the east coast of Africa and of India.

Mediterranean Traders

300 BCE

Mediterranean traders and mariners entered a system in the Indian Ocean that was already developed. Goods from China and
Southeast Asia appear in records of trade with India. India exported many goods, and imported silver, copper, and gold.

Silk

290 BCE

Silk traveled overland between Rome and China during the Han dynasty, but also appeared on the sea route.

Malay Peninsula

290 BCE

Goods were portaged across the Isthmus of Kra on the Malay Peninsula to reach the South China Sea. Crops such as sugar
cane, cotton, sesame, and rice were grown for export with irrigation, and became known elsewhere through the Indian Ocean trade.

Sources

100 BCE

Classical Era, 1000 BCE to 300 CE:
Contacts and Trade Expand http://www.indianoceanhistory.org/assets/Site_18/files/Era%20Overviews/Classical%20Era.pdf