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400 BCE
The Classical Era
400 BCE - 300 CE "Long before Europeans "discovered" the Indian Ocean, traders from Arabia, Gujarat, and other coastal areas used triangle-sailed dhows to harness the seasonal monsoon winds." This along with use of domesticated camels made trade easier for these major empires involves. "[This] included the Achaemenid Empire in Persia, the Mauryan Empire in India, the Han Dynasty in China, and the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean," (Szczepanski). -
300 BCE
Goods Traded
Coastal goods such as silk (From China to Roman Empire), coins (from Roman Empire to India), jewels (from Persia - Mauryan Empire), porcelain, spices, slaves, incense, and ivory were transported for trade. Other trade included "Religious thoughts. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism from India to Southeast Asia," (Szczepanski). -
Period: 600 to 1100
The Srivijaya Empire
The Srivijaya Empire controlled two major passageways between India and China: the Sunda Straits from the city of Palembang and the Strait of Malacca. This control strengthened trade routes to China, India, and even Arabia. Some of the goods the people in the empire traded included ivory, tin, nutmeg, sandalwood, and strong-smelling camphor and aloes. The empire had access to the trade network of spices from India and goods like silk and porcelain from China. -
700
The Monsoon Marketplace
Although it did not blow up until 1000 and 1200 CE, it became recognizable in 700 BCE.
Meanwhile, Islam spread the same way the previous religions had, through word of mouth by merchants rather than missionaries, (Szczepanski). -
1200
The Song and Tang Dynasty
Maritime trade sent missions to Southeast Asian countries to encourage their traders to come to China. Chinese ships were seen all throughout the Indian Ocean and began to displace Indian and Arab merchants in the South Seas (Shaffer). -
1250
Medieval Use of Indian Ocean
In Arabia, trade routes became recognizable and a powerful resource. A demand grew for luxury goods in Islam and Muslim capitals. -
Period: 1279 to 1368
The Mongol Yuan Dynasty
Encouraged commercial activity and maritime trade, so the succeeding Ming Dynasty inherited large shipyards, many skilled shipyard workers, and finely tuned naval technology from the dynasty that preceded it, (Asia for Educators). -
Period: 1368 to
The Ming Dynasty and "Treasure Ships"
The Yongle Emperor of China's new Ming Dynasty sent out the first of seven expeditions to visit the empire's major trading partners around the Indian Ocean. China had reached a peak of naval technology unsurpassed in the world. The Ming treasure ships under Admiral Zheng. Thes ships were over 400 feet long, 160 feet wide, with nine masts, twelve sails, and four decks, large enough to carry 2,500 tons of cargo each and armed with dozens of small cannons. (Asia for Educators). -
Period: 1460 to 1524
Vasco da Gama Command
Portuguese Sailors under European command joined with demand for Asian luxury goods. Europe, however, did not have anything to trade in exchange that the Asian basin would have use for. "As a result, the Portuguese entered the Indian Ocean trade as pirates rather than traders. Using a combination of bravado and cannons The Portuguese began to rob and extort local producers and foreign merchant ships alike," (Szczepanski). -
More Ruthless Europeans
The Dutch East India Company sought a total monopoly on lucrative spices like nutmeg and mace, (Szczepanski) -
The British as well
The British East India Company challenged the Dutch East India Company or control of the trade routes. -
Asian Empires Grew Weak
As the European powers established political control over important parts of Asia, turning Indonesia, India, Malaya, and much of Southeast Asia into colonies, reciprocal trade dissolved. Goods moved increasingly to Europe, while the former Asian trading empires grew poorer and collapsed. With that, the two-thousand-year-old Indian Ocean trade network was crippled, if not completely destroyed, (Szczepanski).