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Indian Ocean Monsoon Trade Routes

Type Object Region Indian Ocean Time 501–600

Sixth-century Indian Ocean merchants used seasonal monsoons to sail between the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, linking East Africa, southern Arabia, …

Timeline

  1. 501–600Malabar Coast · IndiaFrom June to September each year the southwest monsoon drove ships from Arabian Sea ports toward India's west coast; merchants unloaded pepper and gems at Malabar, Calicut, and elsewhere, then awaited the northeast monsoon to return.
  2. c. 520–600Zanzibar Channel · Indian OceanFrom the mid-sixth century, monsoon routes carried East African ivory, tortoiseshell, and gold to India and the Persian Gulf, then onward to Byzantine and Sasanian markets, forming a multi-port transshipment trade network around the Indian Ocean.

Sources