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Spice Trade Network

Type Object Region Asia Time 1501–1510

Transoceanic commercial system linking Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, and Western Europe around high-value spi…

Timeline

  1. 1501–1505Calicut · Malabar CoastPortuguese fleets established trading posts on India's Malabar Coast, directly purchasing pepper and competing with local Muslim merchants, breaking Venice's monopoly via Egyptian transshipment; spice prices began to be influenced by Atlantic routes.
  2. 1505–1510Rialto market, Venice · VeniceVenetian merchants still obtained some spices via Ottoman Empire ports, but Portuguese direct-sourced supplies gradually increased and the price gap between the two narrowed. The spice trade drove the spread of financial instruments such as bills of exchange, credit, and maritime insurance across Mediterranean ports.

Sources