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Maritime Spice Route

Type Object Region Asia Time c. 200–1600

The Maritime Spice Route was a transoceanic trade network linking Southeast Asian spice-producing regions with India, the Arabian Peninsula, China, a…

Timeline

  1. c. 200–900Indian Ocean–South China Sea route · Southeast AsiaRoman, Persian, Indian, and Southeast Asian ports exchanged spices, pearls, and textiles via monsoon sailing ships, forming the prototype of an early transoceanic relay network.
  2. 1301–1310Java Sea–Strait of Malacca · MalaysiaMajapahit and neighboring ports controlled the export of nutmeg, cloves, and other spices, which Arab and Indian merchants transshipped through the Strait of Malacca to Quanzhou, Guangzhou, and West Asian markets.
  3. 1400–1511Malacca · MalaccaThe Sultanate of Malacca rose to become the hub of strait trade, drawing together Chinese, Indian, Arab, and Javanese merchants, and the spice route reached its medieval peak.
  4. 1511–1600The entire Indian Ocean · Indian OceanEuropean powers such as Portugal and the Netherlands controlled key ports and routes, and the traditional monsoon trade network was gradually replaced and reorganized by colonial commercial systems.

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