Indian Ocean Trade during the Classical Era

By atruitt0406
  • 1000 BCE

    Bananas and Sugar Cane

    Bananas and Sugar Cane
    • Bananas were cultivated in places in Southeast Asia, then traveled to India, and may have reached Africa. Bananas were spread as both crops and food into China and may have been known in parts of the Middle East.
    • Sugar cane had reached India from its origins in Southeast Asia where it was cultivated on a larger scale. Sugar was also known in Persia as a wonderful luxury for cooking and sweetening by the end of the Classical Era.
  • Period: 1000 BCE to 1 BCE

    Phoeicians

    • The Phoenicians dominated trade and travel during the first millennium BCE as well as specializing in making glass products. They also imported and exported items such as wine, olives and olive oil, wheat, spices, metals, honey, and cedar wood.
  • 750 BCE

    Persian Migration

    Persian Migration
    Persians migrate to Iran from Asia.
  • 700 BCE

    Indigo Plants

    Indigo Plants
    • The indigo plant was a valuable plant that was discovered in documents leading back to the 7th Century BCE in Babylon, Greek, and Roman sources. During the Classical Era, Chinese silks were also dyed with indigo.
  • 600 BCE

    Iron, Silk, and Greek Currency

    Iron, Silk, and Greek Currency
    • Iron metallurgy was introduced to China and silk was introduced to the trade system. China exported silk which was highly prized in India, the Middle East, and the Roman Empire.
    • The Greek coin currency was introduced.
    • Three large trade networks developed between 600 BCE and 600 CE which include the Silk Road, the Indian Ocean Trade, and the Saharan trade.
  • Period: 510 BCE to 515 BCE

    Scylax of Caryanda

    • Scylax of Caryanda brought news of new regions that were friendly which encouraged trade expeditions on their voyage into the Indian Ocean.
  • 500 BCE

    Greek and Roman sailors and traders, Cinnamon, Buddhism, and Saddles

    Greek and Roman sailors and traders, Cinnamon, Buddhism, and Saddles
    • Greek and Roman sailors and traders entered the Indian Ocean who were sent by their Persian ruler Darius I. They traded items such as ceramics, gold, olive oil, and wine.
    • Cinnamon and cassia arrived in the Gulf of Aden on the monsoon winds.
    • Buddhism began to spread via the silk road.
    • More developments and growing use of saddles.
  • Period: 430 BCE to 426 BCE

    Athenian Plague

    • The Athenian Plague was a massive plague that killed 1/3 of the population, including Pericles.
  • 400 BCE

    The Isthmus of Kra

    The Isthmus of Kra
    • The Isthmus of Kra is narrow strip of land that connects the Malay Peninsula to Asia which permitted traders from India to easily reach the rest of Southeast Asia without making a longer, more difficult journey around the entire Malay Peninsula.
  • Period: 356 BCE to 323 BCE

    Alexander the Great

    • Alexander the Great was the founder of Alexandria in Egypt which eventually became a major center of art and trade. His conquests eventually laid foundation for centuries of interaction and cultural exchange.
  • 332 BCE

    Alexandria

    Alexandria
    • Alexandria was founded and became the hub of international trade because it was the center of trade routes connecting Rome to inner Africa, the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, and Asia.
  • 300 BCE

    Frankincense and Myrrh Trade

    Frankincense and Myrrh Trade
    • Berenike was an Egyptian port city located on the Red Sea and was a major center for international trade until its decline in the sixth century CE. The city exchanged items such as cloth, pottery, beads, wood, and bamboo exclusively with India. Goods such as spices, myrrh, frankincense, pearls, and textiles were also shipped through Berenike to Alexandria and Rome during the Roman Empire.
  • 300 BCE

    Frankincense and Myrrh Trade Continued

    Frankincense and Myrrh Trade Continued
    • Frankincense and myrrh trade served as a driving force for Indian Ocean trade and were transported by Arab merchants along with spices, gold, ivory, pearls, precious stones, and textiles during the Classical Era
  • Period: 271 BCE to 232 BCE

    Ashoka

    • Ashoka was one of the most famous Indian emperors who sent religious envoys abroad which encouraged contact and interactions that contributed to the establishment of trade relations.
  • 200 BCE

    The One-Humped Camel and Saddle Improvements

    The One-Humped Camel and Saddle Improvements
    • The one-humped camel and the date palm had spread from southern Arabia to Somalia in East Africa, and from there into Ethiopia and Egypt.
    • The Chinese made improvements to the saddle which facilitated land trade. The improvements include the harness used for horses, developing straps that the horses wouldn't choke on, and introduced the first saddle knob.
  • 100 BCE

    Pepper

    Pepper
    • Peppercorns were an important asset to the spice trade because the spice was considered so valuable that the ancient Romans used it as a form of money that was equal to gold and other precious metals.