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Malacca Strait Trade in the 1340s

Type Event Region Southeast Asia Time 1341–1350

Between 1341 and 1350, the Malacca Strait remained one of the most important sea lanes linking China, Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East.

Timeline

  1. 1341–1345Quanzhou Port · FujianLate Yuan China still exported porcelain and silk through ports such as Quanzhou and Guangzhou; merchant ships entered the Malacca Strait via the South China Sea, connecting with Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean trade networks. Late Yuan internal rebellion had some impact on trade but did not fully interrupt it.
  2. 1343–1348Temasek · TemasekPorts such as Palembang in Sumatra and Temasek at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula competed for transshipment trade in the strait. Each port used its geographic advantages to attract Chinese and foreign merchant ships, forming a dispersed yet active network of commercial nodes.
  3. 1346–1350Malacca Strait · Malacca StraitIndian and Arab Muslim merchants became increasingly active in the strait region, together with local and Chinese merchants forming a pluralistic trade network. This pattern provided the social and economic foundation for the rise of Islamic port-city polities in the 15th century.

Sources