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2000 BCE
Monsoon Winds
The discovery & use of monsoon winds in travel gave navigators the ability to sail the open water of the Indian Ocean. It was used by merchants who participated in maritime trade as early as 2000 BCE. -
Period: 600 BCE to 300 BCE
Spread of Religions
Religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism were spread to Southeast Asia. Deities and storytelling materials were traded between India and Southeast Asia. -
500 BCE
Greeks and Romans Enter Indian Ocean
Sailors and traders from Greece and Rome explored the Indian Ocean trade route. -
Period: 500 BCE to 400 BCE
Darius’s Exploration
Darius, Ruler of Persia between 521 and 486 BCE, explored the Indian Ocean, an area stretching from The Indus River to the Red Sea. -
Period: 400 BCE to 500
Major Players during the Classical Period
The major civilizations participating in trade on the Indian Ocean were the Archaememid Empire, Mauryan Empire, Han Dynasty, and the Roman Empire. -
Period: 336 BCE to 323 BCE
Alexander the Great’s Conquests
Alexander the Great ruled Ancient Greece for 13 years. HIs conquests brought Greek art, culture to these foreign civilizations. This was an important beginning for later cultural exchange -
400
Ivory
Ivory from elephant tusks in Africa were sent to Africa and Greece. African Ivory was preferred when compared to that from Asia, because African elephant tusks were bigger. -
400
Effects of Trade on Madagascar
First settled in 400 CE, the people of Madagascar, which is located off the coast of Africa, speak a language that is native to the area that is today Indonesia. Indonesian crops. Such as sugar cane and bananas are found in Madagascar. -
600
Phoenicians Maritime Exploration
The Phoenicians had very advanced ships and navigation techniques, and are believed to ave circumvented Africa as early as 600 BCE. -
Period: 600 to 700
Calicut, Indian Port City
In the 7th century, Arab traders settled in the City of Calicut, which became a very important city on the Indian Ocean Trade Route. This city was one of the stops on Vasco de Gama’s voyage in 1498. -
900
East African Slave Trade
Enslaved people were traded along the East African coast as early as the 9th century. Asia, Europe, and Arabia were all involved in this trade. -
Period: 960 to 1279
Song Dynasty
In China, the Song Dynasty was an active participant in Indian Ocean maritime trade, especially the export of silks. -
1000
Port Cities on Africa’s Eastern Coast
Port cities on the eastern coast of Africa: Kilwa, Sofala, Mombasa, and Malindi, were founded and became important trade cities. -
1050
Magnetic Compass
The magnetic compass was first widely used to navigate the waters of the Indian Ocean, by the Sung Dynasty in China and then Arab travelers. -
Period: 1390 to 1399
Malacca
The city of Malacca flourished as an important trade city as as result of its location in modern-day Malaysia. It was also located along the strait of Malacca, which was the shortest maritime route from Chine to India, and therefore a high-traffic area for trade. -
Period: 1400 to 1500
Chinese Porcelain
Porcelain produced in the 14th and 15th centuries found in the Philippines. There are also monuments, graves located in Africa that were made of porcelain, showing trade between the two civilizations, -
Period: 1405 to 1433
Zheng He’s Exploration
Zheng He, an explorer from China, made 7 Indian Ocean voyages during this time period. -
1498
Vasco de Gama’s Discovery
Portuguese captain Vasco de Gama discovered Africa’s port cities and then eventually India. He later returned to Portugal with trade goods and news of these impressive cities. -
1500
Destruction of Swahili Port Cities
After Vasco de Gama returned to Portugal with news of the Indian Ocean trade, Portugal sailed to the Eastern coast of Africa, destroying the major port cities there and taking goods for themselves. -
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company entered the Indian Ocean. Their goal was to monopolize certain goods, and they did not seek to simply participate in the trade as it existed prior.