Indian ocean

Indian Ocean Trade Routes: The Classical Period

By araney001@my.wilmu.edu
  • 1000 BCE

    Banana cultivation spreads

    Banana cultivation spreads
    Bananas were first cultivated in New Guinea, but spread to Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. Plants and other horticulture/food items spread along the Indian Ocean trade routes (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
  • 600 BCE

    Phoenician Navigation

    Phoenician Navigation
    The Phoenicians traveled further than any of their Mediterranean predecessors and used Polaris as a celestial guide for navigation. Their merchants may have circumnavigated the African continent as well as created trading colonies such as Carthage (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
  • Period: 550 BCE to 330 BCE

    Achaemenid Empire (Persia)

    The Persian Empire was involved with the Indian Ocean trade routes (Szczepanski, 2019).
  • Period: 522 BCE to 486 BCE

    Darius I (Persian ruler)

    Darius I ruled the Persian Empire (Stearns, et al., 2015).
  • 450 BCE

    Phoenician Language

    Phoenician Language
    The Phoenicians created a language technology, the alphabet, that was adopted by the Greeks and spread along the Indian Ocean trade routes (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
  • 431 BCE

    Peloponnesian Wars

    Peloponnesian Wars
    The Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta led to the decline of Greece (Stearns, et al., 2015).
  • 336 BCE

    Alexander III becomes King of Macedon

    Alexander III becomes King of Macedon
    Alexander "the Great" became king of Macedonia and created the largest Persian empire over the following decade. Some cities he founded bore his name, such as Alexandria, Egypt. This city was a major center for intellectualism and trade (Stearns, et al., 2015).
  • Period: 324 BCE to 185 BCE

    Mauryan Empire (India)

    The Mauryan Empire in India was involved in the Indian Ocean trade routes (Szczepanski, 2019).
  • Period: 271 BCE to 232 BCE

    Ashoka spreads Buddhism

    Emperor Ashoka in India converted to Buddhism and spread the religion across his influence (Stearns, et al., 2015).
  • Period: 202 BCE to 220

    Han Dynasty (China)

    The Chinese Han Dynasty was heavily involved in Indian Ocean trade.
  • 111 BCE

    Spread of Disease and Parasites

    Spread of Disease and Parasites
    Disease and parasites are often spread as quickly as new language and culture. Chinese liver flukes, viruses, and other undesirable pathogens were spread in busy ports and trade centers. Food and "personal hygiene sticks" such as the ones shown were often the source of transmission. (Choi, 2016).
  • Period: 33 BCE to 476

    Roman Empire

    The Roman Empire was involved in Indian Ocean trade from 33 BCE to 476 CE (Szczepanski, 2019).
  • Period: 27 BCE to 206 BCE

    Silk from China

    Silk cloth from China was a valuable form of currency during the Classical Period. Overland trade routes called the "Silk Road" connected wealthy empires as critically as the ocean trade routes did (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
  • 23

    Strabo the Geographer

    Strabo the Geographer
    Many scholars traveled throughout their civilizations and beyond, noting natural and manmade features. Their accounts and maps documented the knowledge of the time for reference by academics and merchants alike. One such traveler was the Greek author Strabo (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
  • 70

    Periplus of the Erythraean Sea

    Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
    This trader's handbook was written by an Egyptian merchant and listed all of the ports and detailed accounts of trade (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
  • 100

    Pearls are Popular Goods

    Pearls are Popular Goods
    Pearls were prized additions to jewelry in Rome. They were a popular good that was easily transported across the Indian Ocean trade routes because of their small size and high value (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
  • 150

    Kushan Gold Coins

    Kushan Gold Coins
    Coins were a popular method of currency in many places, featuring precious metals such as silver or gold. Technology featured sheets which could be punched. The imagery on these coins show syncretism, a blending of Hellenistic and Egyptian imagery (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
  • 350

    King Ezana converted to Christianity

    King Ezana converted to Christianity
    Axum's port city of Adulis was very active in trade. A Greek merchant ship was captured, and two boys who survived were critical to spreading Christianity to the future King (Stearns, et al., 2015).
  • 465

    Hanno of Carthage

    Hanno of Carthage
    Hanno of Carthage explored the west African coast (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
  • 700

    Spread of Islam

    Spread of Islam
    The Islamic religion spread via merchants, not missionaries, along the Indian Ocean trade routes (Szczepanski, 2019).