Trade in the Indian Ocean: from Antiquity to the arrival and control of this commercial route by the Portuguese

Abstract

Since the time of Classical Ancient Times Indian Ocean was a bridge of communication between the peoples of Asia and Europe through trade routes that linked the Eastern Mediterranean with India and the Far East. From the 7th century of our era communications increased markedly and led to the migration of Arab population toward India, Sri Lanka, islands of Malaysia and Indonesia. China also joined this trade and saw the settlement of foreign merchants in its principal harbors. For centuries, spices from far eastern islands, Indian cotton fabrics and Chinese silks and ceramics reached the eastern Mediterranean through this trade. Beginning in 1498, the Portuguese, after a hundred years of maritime exploration in the Atlantic, crossed the Indian Ocean and reached India, Sri Lanka, Indonesian and Malay islands, also establishing commercial enclaves in India and China. Thus, throughout the 16th century they displaced Arabs from trade in the Indian Ocean and control trade in spices and other products to European markets.