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Malacca Spice Trade Port

Type Object Region Southeast Asia Time 1400–1511

Malacca was early 15th-century Southeast Asia's leading spice entrepôt at the strait linking the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, visited by Zheng H…

Timeline

  1. 1400–1414Mouth of the Malacca River · Malacca StateParameswara founded a city at the mouth of the Malacca River, using the strait's strategic position to attract passing merchant ships; the port rose rapidly to regional trade-center status through spice transshipment and tariff revenue.
  2. 1421–1430Port of Malacca · Malacca StateZheng He's fleets berthed at Malacca several times; the Ming court invested Parameswara as king and installed port facilities, while Chinese treasure ships, Indian Ocean dhows, and Javanese merchant vessels all converged there, bringing the spice trade to its height.
  3. 1430–1511Strait of Malacca · Strait of MalaccaThe Malacca Sultanate continued its spice monopoly trade and controlled passage through the strait, until Portugal's capture in 1511 fundamentally changed the port's status and trade routes.

Sources