Southeast Asian Maritime Trade Network

Timeline

1. c. 900–950Sunda Strait and Strait of Malacca · Malay ArchipelagoIn the early 10th century, Srivijaya controlled the sea lanes of both straits; merchant ships from India and Persia traded there with Southeast Asian local and Chinese goods, and Palembang became the region's foremost transshipment port.
2. 960–980Guangzhou–Champa–Srivijaya route · South China SeaAfter the founding of the Song dynasty, official and private overseas trade revived; Chinese porcelain and silk moved southward via Champa and Srivijaya's ports, while Arab silver coins and spices flowed north, with trade volume rising markedly.
3. c. 980–1000Coastal ports of Champa · South CentralBy the late 10th century, Champa's ports had become important nodes of South China Sea trade, frequently visited by Chinese envoys and merchants; Champa paid tribute to the Song dynasty and participated in the transshipment of spices and treasures, its economy increasingly dependent on maritime trade.
4. c. 990–1000Southeast Asian waters · Southeast AsiaBy 1000 CE, the Southeast Asian maritime trade network had formed a multipolar structure with nodes at China's southeastern coast, the Champa–Đại Việt coast, Srivijaya's strait ports, and India's western coast; monsoon cycles and port tariff systems sustained interregional commerce.