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Indian Ocean Dhow

Type Object Region Indian Ocean Time 801

The Indian Ocean dhow is a wooden sailing vessel long used from the Arabian Sea to the coasts of East Africa and Southeast Asia, known for its single…

Timeline

  1. 801–1201Persian Gulf and the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula · Persian GulfFeatures such as the single lateen sail and stitched hull gradually became standardized; merchants sailed seasonally between India's west coast and East Africa, forming a stable pattern of long-distance trade.
  2. 1421–1430Calicut (Kollam) · Malabar CoastMing treasure ships and dhow merchant vessels from across the Indian Ocean converged at ports such as Calicut and Hormuz; spices, gems, and cotton cloth were transshipped in busy traffic, with dhows handling coastal and near-ocean feeder transport.
  3. 1801Swahili Coast, East Africa · Swahili CoastAfter the rise of steamships, dhows gradually withdrew from the main ocean routes, but remained in use for fishing and coastal freight along the East African and Arabian Peninsula coasts, with the hull type undergoing continued local improvements.

Sources