Indian Ocean Maritime Trade Network

Timeline

1. c. -500–500Malabar Coast · IndiaCoastal Indian Ocean peoples used the monsoons for round-trip voyages, exchanging pepper, gems, and cotton cloth between Rome, Persia, and India, forming early nodes of circum-oceanic trade.
2. c. 1021–1030Calicut · KeralaIn the early 11th century the Chola Empire and Arab merchant communities were active in the Indian Ocean; ports such as Calicut and Kilwa became hubs for pepper and ivory, and monsoon routes linked the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Southeast Asian archipelago.
3. 1500–1600Goa · IndiaIn the 16th century the Portuguese used armed fleets to control key sea lanes and ports, forcing the traditional multi-centered trade network to adapt to a European colonial trading order, with the center of gravity of the spice routes shifting west.