Indian Ocean Continuities

One of the most prominent effects of the cross cultural interaction was the Afro Eurasian Trade Network which helped increase revenue. The trade routes that were part of this network were the Mediterranean Sea Maritime Trade Route, Indian Ocean Maritime Trade Route, Eurasian Silk Road and the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes. The increase in trade resulted in the emergence of major cities such as Timbuktu, Jenne, Mogadishu, Mombasa and other Swahili city states. Another reason for the flourish of trade was the invention of new technologies such as caravans for traveling and the trading of luxury goods such as silk, cotton and porcelain. The dawn of new kingdoms such as Mali, Songhay and Sudan contributed to this effect as well. The spread of Islam resulted in

In the Arabian peninsula, Islam had started. After Muhammad died, the Muslim community embarked on a series of military conquests that extended their control over much of Eurasia and north Africa. Muslim merchants also became a prominent figure in trade during this time. The Islamic empire extended to the Arabian Peninsula and many areas around it. These places were central in the Mediterranean sea, Indian Ocean, and silk road trade routes. The Muslim merchants became a very big part of trade because of their location at the center of many trade routes from Eurasia to Africa. They were also a prominent part of trade because the camel saddle started to be used frequently in 600 CE. Camels were more equipped to walk through the desert, and so the ability to control them made the Muslims a major part of silk road trade. In addition to this, the Muslim agricultural revolution occurred around 600 CE. This caused more crops like cotton to be cultivated and traded, causing a greater income and virtually more trade between Africa and Eurasia. In the Indian Ocean basin, the Gupta empire had declined and there was no centralized rule in India. However, there were still major trading cities and new technologies caused trade to increase. An example of the new technologies would be the dhows and junks that were used at around 800 CE.

Economic relationships between classical China and India were similar and almost seemed to rely on one another. India was considered “the center of trade”. Most trade routes were all passing through and dependent on India. Indian emphasis on trade and merchant activity was far more than in China, and also greater in the classical Mediterranean world. During the Maurya rule, India expanded their trade between the main centers of civilization Eurasia and Africa. Some products produced at one end of the system, such as Chinese silks and porcelains, were carried the whole length of the trading networks to be sold at the other end of the routes, in Rome. As a result, China and India both had to work together and figure out a way to make sure and help each other because both civilizations depended on each other for different things.

In the period between 650 C.E. and 1750 C.E., the Indian Ocean region endured both change and continuity. One continuity is simply trade, for this 1,100 years the Indian ocean was an important trading zone. One change in Indian ocean trade over those years was which country dominated trade their. Over those years the Indian ocean was controlled by the Indians, the Arabs, the Chinese, and last but not least the Europeans. Their was continuity and change in trade in the Indian ocean over the aforementioned years.

It analyzes the interaction between the Chinese, Indians, and Arabs. This chapter examines the trade situation before and after the European invaded. Around 1500, was the first time the trade began and it was one of the greatest generators of the economy. Therefore, it was really important for places like Asia, Africa, and Arabs to get access to the Indian Ocean.

The changes that took place regarding trade between 300-1450 impact other parts of history. One effect of the occurrence of trade in this region was the

Both traded along the Indian Ocean using maritime trade. As the Ming traded along the Indian Ocean, they attained luxuries, for example silver, in exchange for Chinese exports such as cotton, silk and porcelain. The Ming Emperor, Zheng He, also sailed across the Indian Ocean. He is best known for the 7 sailing expeditions, which navigated across the Indian Ocean and the Southeast Asian archipelago. Zheng He's ships carried export goods; silks and porcelains, and he also brought back foreign luxuries such as spices and tropical woods. As for the Ottoman Empire, they also traded along the Indian Ocean; however, with items they had already attained. Armenians and Jews would often go to the port of Izmir, along the Ottoman Empire, and bring wool, beeswax, cotton and silk, causing great traffic. The Ottomans then traded these items in exchange for other luxurious items. Another similarity between the Ottoman and the Ming was why they traded along the Indian Ocean. Both traded along the Indian Ocean due to geography. The Ottomans were located closely to the Indian Ocean; they also had the right technology to trade along it, including ships and compasses. The Ming also traded along the Indian Ocean due to their geography. They were located nearest to the Indian Ocean, which then caused them to trade along it; also Zheng He had also laid out the groundwork for the Chinese to start trading

The innovation of maritime technology has revolutionized travel throughout history. Prior to ships and sea travel, humans were separated by vast oceans and confined to their homeland for life. Because of these large boundaries, discoveries and inventions were only shared within land masses and trade as a whole was very limited. This uncharted, inaccessible territory caused a major separation of mankind. However, these oceans sparked curiosity and desire for explorers to venture beyond their native land. This curiosity was the driving force to the invention of naval travel, a highly important and massive step for all growing communities during the Age of Exploration. Maritime technology’s advancements through history greatly aided in the Age of Exploration, allowing provinces to break their land boundaries and make monumental steps towards the advanced world humans populate today.

Communication was also a big problem that people had to adapt to, to participate in the Indian Ocean trading system. Miscommunication usually occurred from the environment and weather. Messengers would be delayed because of the weather patterns and environment. People that participated in the Indian Ocean trading system had to use more durable wagons and once again, ships. Crops that were usually traded in the Indian Ocean trading system were rice, wheat,

During the post-classical era, larger ships and improved commercial organization supported a dramatic sure in the volume and value of trade in the indian ocean basin

First, Europe’s relationship with India was of mutual prosperity and trade. Until the East India Company began to create a monopoly for itself in Indian trade, pushing out other European rivals, notably the French, followed it’s by conquest of the country, that phase was from 1600 to 1757 was not an unequal colonial relationship. The East India Company had a large interest in promoting the export of silks and cotton textiles from India which soon began to be noticed on British industrial

All throughout the blue currents of the Indian Ocean, in which this body of water, over time filled with migrating people such as sailors, religious leaders, and traders. The movement of people infused the area with differing beliefs, ideas, and goods by contributing to the expansion of Eurasia and Africa. As the level of trade, innovations, and division of labor grew so did the level of globalization took place in this area of the world. The ways in which this land mass became so integrated with the level of interconnectivity, was the rate in which services and goods traveled. All these different aspects especially economically, help expand Africa and Eurasia to become a world power. The fundamental part of becoming a world power comes

A growing number of Arab Muslim traders began settling on the Indian Ocean coast in around 1100. They traveled to what are now Kenya, Indonesia, Mozambique, Somalia, and Tanzania. They helped make a thriving sea trade over time. A trade that linked Africa with China, India, and Indonesia, and with other coastal trade markets. The coast to the East, its ports exported gold, ivory, and other products in exchange for goods like silk, cotton, and porcelain. Some city-states like Kilwa, Mogadiscio, Sofala, and Mombasa came to be from this trade. Everyone that lived in these city-states spoke the language Swahili. The culture of the states was a mix of Islamic traditions and local Black African.

During this period of peace and prosperity, the Roman Empire expanded it trade relations all the way down to the subcontinent of India. This was achieved through overland caravan routes across Asia Minor and maritime routes via the Arabian Gulf. India actually served as the middle man of commerce between the Far East and West as China would trade Indians silk for jade, silver, and gold and consequently

By the late 1500s, European explorers were sailing east for many trading purposes. The original dominant sailing routes where the Spanish and the Portuguese. After the destruction in 1588 of the Spanish Armada, the British and Dutch gained the ability to take more of a role in trade with the East Indies. The Dutch initially took a lead in this case, particularly on spices, and trading for peppercorn. In the 1600s and early 1700s, the East India Company was seen to be primarily focusing on the trade of textiles. By the time of the mid 18th century, the East India trading patterns began changing in many different ways. With the industrial revolution happening, it changed in a way that the Company had to deal with the textiles trade. That being said highly skilled weavers were brought to the attention of India, for them to make cotton and silks by hand. By the time the Industrial Revolution happened, the Britain had started producing clothes in their own factories, causing dramatically lowering prices