Indian Ocean
Trade
Height 800 – 1400 C.E.
KEY VOCABULARY:
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Zanj  Arab name for the people of East Africa
Monsoons  the seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean
and southern Asia, blowing from the southwest in
summer and from the northeast in winter
Entrepots  cosmopolitan cities (often ports)
Trade diasporas (see definition later)
Geniza – Hebrew for depository of old papers. Jewish
law requires that religious papers not be destroyedsecular and sacred manuscripts- gold mine for
historians.
Ibn Battuta  Muslim explorer
Zheng He  Chinese explorer
KEY VOCABULARY (cont’d):
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Cowry shells (cowries)  used as money along trade
routes
Astrolabe  an astronomical instrument for taking the
altitude of the sun or stars and for the solution of other
problems in astronomy and navigation, helps calculate
latitude
Dhows  sailing vessels used by Arabs on the east African,
Arabian, and Indian coasts, generally lateen-rigged on two or
three masts
Junks  a seagoing ship with a traditional Chinese design
and used primarily in Chinese waters, having square sails
spread by battens, a high stern, and usually a flat bottom
Emporia/Emporium  a place, town, or city of important
commerce, esp. a principal center of trade
The General Idea:
Importance of Asia and Africa in the
world economic system
Usually trade between outer ends was
handled by Arab intermediaries but
occasionally people traveled the
distance
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Zheng He and Ibn Battuta
Examples of the Impact Indian Ocean
Trade Had on the World:
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India becomes emporium – Indian ports very cosmopolitan
Siraf also becomes an emporium (located in the Persian Gulf)
Trade increased with establishment of Umayyad and Abassid
dynasties in west and Tang and Song in the east- prosperity
increased trade
Swahili city states
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culture that merged Arab and East African peoples
Arabic world sahil means coast…coastal trade culture with
strong Bantu base Kilwa (Swahili coast’s main emporium)
Chinese role- naval expeditions 1405- 1433
Europeans arrive in Indian Ocean in 1497 and while
Portuguese dominated access to Europe for Asia they did
NOT wrest control from the Arabs for control of Indian Ocean
trade.
Items Traded
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mostly luxury goods for elites- similar to trade
on Silk Routes
Ivory –better quality in Africa easier to carve
Slaves- Islamic law prohibits enslaving fellow
Muslims but they did capture and enslave nonMuslims and trade them to India, China,
Persian Gulf (small trade compared to ivory
and gold)
Challenges
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Distances of voyages
Dhows and other technologies
(expensive and difficult to develop)
Pirates
Monsoons
Being away from family
Technology As a Result of Indian
Ocean Trade:
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lateen (triangular sails)
compass
astrolabe
dhows
junks
Results
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CULTURAL DIFFUSION!!!!!!
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Exchange of ideas including religion, people, goods, agricultural
crops, currency including cowries and gemstones
Specialized goods in certain places; cotton textiles in India as
well as carpet weaving, stone carving, leather tanning, steel
for knives and swords, and sugar refining.
silk, porcelain and laquerware in China
SE Asia- spices
SW Asia horses, incense and dates
east Africa slaves, ivory and gold
Trade diasporas - trade communities of merchants… cross
cultural brokers- helping and encouraging trade between host
society and people of their own origin who moved along trade
routes (since 3500 BCE) ex. of Zanzibar today
Trade Diaspora – Definition
an interrelated net of
commercial communities
forming a trade network
Advantages of trade diasporas
 helped to deal with “familiar” people who
knew local laws, people, officials, bribes…
 others who could carry home news, letters,
gifts for family
 increased honest dealings –social prestige at
home
 local rulers saw advantage of foreigners
having wealth instead of local elites
Examples of Trade Diasporas (Islam)
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rise of Islam – Muslims, Arabs and Persians began to
dominate this network 750 – 1500…cultural change via
traders not conquerors. Muslim trading diasporas throughout
Indian Ocean world- trade, travel and communication
encouraged within Islam, prosperity from commerce
 success of Muslim merchants along Indian coasts encouraged
converts
 expansion into SE Asia with decline of Mongols (increased
instability on land routes)
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Chinese Ming rulers had “anti-barbarian sentiments” so
restricted their trade mostly to SE Asia where Muslim traders
picked goods up and took them west
Case Studies: Kilwa
(Other city states also on east Africa coastMombassa, Sofala, Malindi)
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initially fishing village with limited trade 800 –1000
imported pottery from within Africa- increased agriculture
due to increased population
trade brought wealth
location is everything—Kilwa was the most southerly point
where ships could land and still return the same season
taking the reverse monsoon—further south to Sofala
meant waiting an extra year! So… gold from Zimbabwe
sent to Sofala was taken north to Kilwa which became the
main trading port
powerful city state ruled by king who supervised trade and
public life in region
by 12th c. coral building construction
Case Studies: Kilwa
(Other city states also on east Africa coast- Mombassa,
Sofala, Malindi) Cont’d
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ruling elites dressed in Chinese silk and ate off
porcelain
mosques
by 13th c. multi-story buildings with sewage/
toilets
1300 –1505 height-- 12,000 pop.
trade with India, China, SE Asia
Decline in 14th century due to Black Death
sacked by de Gama
Case Study: Great Zimbabwe
(interior kingdom- traded with Sofala which then
interacted with Indian Ocean system)
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Zimbabwe means dwelling of the chief
stone complexes
13th c. height
18,000 people – cattle was main symbol of
wealth but gold, ivory, slaves were traded to the
ports and porcelain, Indonesian beads etc. has
been found at the site.
controversy over its discovery
Case Study: Java
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11th – 15th c. international spice marketmonopoly of fine spices (cloves, nutmeg, and
mace)
Malay sailors brought goods to harbors of east
Java
geographic advantage.
Winds usually ensured that traders didn’t meet
suppliers
myth arose that spices were locally grown