← Explore on the interactive map

Arabian Sea Dhows

Type Object Region Indian Ocean Time 1

The dhow is a general term for traditional sailing vessels of the Indian Ocean and Arabian region, characterized by a single lateen-rigged mast, a sl…

Timeline

  1. 1–900Arabian Sea · Arabian SeaDhows took shape in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean as merchant vessels with lateen sails and slender hulls, trading on an annual pattern of sailing south with the southwest monsoon and north with the northeast monsoon.
  2. c. 1011–1020Malabar Coast · KeralaDuring the Chola dynasty's zenith in the 1010s, large numbers of dhows sailed between South Indian ports and the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf, carrying spices, cotton cloth, and wootz steel.
  3. c. 1100Persian Gulf · Persian GulfDhows continued to dominate western Indian Ocean trade into the modern era; after the rise of steamships they gradually receded to a secondary role, but traditional construction and sailing survive in the Gulf and along the East African coast.

Sources