APWH 2.3: Indian Ocean Trade Network

The Context

  • Indian Ocean Trade Network: A network of sea routes that connected various Afro-Eurasian states through trade

  • During the 1200s, the trade network expanded significantly

Causes of Expansion

Collapse of Mongol Empire

  • The Mongol Empire collapsed in the 14th century

  • Earlier, the Silk Roads were in control of the Mongol Empire

  • Without the Mongols, the ease/safety of the Silk Roads went down

  • Bad Silk Roads → greater dependence on Indian Ocean maritime trade

Commercial Practices

  • Money economies & ability of buying on credit made trade easier → increased use of trade routes

Transportation Technologies

  • Many improvements were made to existing innovations from the Silk Road

Magnetic Compass

  • Helped sailor know for sure where they were going

Astrolabe

  • A tool used to measure stars and location

Lateen Sail

  • Allowed ships to take wind in almost any direction

Knowledge of Monsoon Winds

  • Monsoon winds predictably blew in different directions at different times of the year

  • Sailors could predict the direction of winds and properly plan voyages

Ship-Building Improvements

Junks

  • Used by Chinese

  • Massive ship that could carry so much more cargo

Dhows

  • Used by Arab traders

  • Improvements were made to their size and space

  • More cargo could be transported

Spread of Islam

  • Islam was very friendly with the idea of trade and merchants → merchants converted to be part of the trading connections

Types of Traded Goods

Comparison: Silk Roads vs Indian Ocean

Silk Roads

  • Mostly luxury goods → more worth it when trekking so much land

Indian Ocean

  • Better innovations & big ships → more common items sold

    • Cotton textiles & grains

  • Luxury goods

Growth of Trade-Cities & States

Swahili City-States

  • Each state grew in wealth and power b/c of strategic location on the coast

  • Imported gold, ivory, slaves

  • Used $$$ to create mosques and masjids

Malacca

  • Capital city of Sultanate of Malacca

  • Controlled the Strait of Malacca → very important water passage for maritime traders

  • Malaccan leaders taxed passing ships

Gujurat

  • Located near India’s West Coast → midpoint of East Asia, SE Asia, and Africa

  • Massive coastline & rich agricultural areas

  • Traded cotton textiles & indigo for gold and silver from the Middle East

  • Also taxed ships that came and left their ports

Diasporic Communities

  • Diaspora → means “disperse“

  • A group of people from one place who establish a home in another place while retaining cultural customs

    • Ex. Chinese maritime merchants established diasporic communities in SE Asia, Arab & Persian merchants in East Africa

  • Connected Indian Ocean Network and increased its reach

  • Diasporic and inland merchants conversed and facilities continued trade

Cultural & Tech Transfers

  • Cultural & tech exchanges happening during trade are just as important as the goods

  • As merchants traveled, they brought their religion, language, and technology

  • These merchants mingle → traits influence each other

Admiral Zheng He

  • Chinese Muslim sailor

  • Commissioned by Ming Dynasty to explore Indian Ocean & enroll other states in the tributary system

  • First fleet was 300 ships and 27,000 men

  • Ships had latest tech like gunpowder cannons