Indian Ocean Trade Network (1490s)

Timeline

1. 1490–1499Malacca · MalaccaThe Malacca Sultanate controlled the Strait of Malacca, gathering merchants from Java, Sumatra, India, and China. Spices such as cloves, nutmeg, and pepper were collected and distributed here before being shipped to the western shore of the Indian Ocean, making it one of the world's busiest ports in the late 15th century.
2. 1490–1499Calicut · Malabar CoastCalicut (Kozhikode) and Gujarati ports were centers from which Hindu and Muslim merchants exported pepper, cotton cloth, and gems to West Asia and East Africa; Arab and Persian fleets connected the Mediterranean world via Hormuz and Aden, forming a multi-ethnic, multi-religious commercial network.
3. 1495–1499Indian Ocean · Indian OceanBy the late 1490s, Portugal had established supply points on the east coast of Africa and was preparing to round the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean; the existing trade network was still dominated by Asian and Muslim merchants, but Europe's search for a direct spice route was about to break this balance in 1497–1498.