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Book No. – 8 (Medieval History of India)
Book Name – Political Structure and State Formation in Early Medieval India
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. Introduction
1.1. India’s Maritime Trade & Participants
1.2. Commodities Exchanged
1.3. Ports & trading Centers
2. Trading communities
3. Organisation of Traders: The Guild
4. Merchants, Craftsmen and their Relation
5. India’s impact on South-East Asia: Causes and Consequences
5.1. Medium of Cultural Spread
5.2. The Centers of contact between Southeast Asia South India
6. Conclusion
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Maritime Trade and Forms of Exchange in Early Medieval India
Chapter – 10
Introduction
In the past, Indians were masters of sea-borne trade connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Indians built ships, navigated the sea, and controlled international commerce, both overland and sea.
Sanskrit books frequently mention merchants, traders, and individuals engaged in commercial pursuits.
From ancient times, India maintained enormous trade links with Asia and western countries.
The glory of Indian overseas trade continued into the early medieval period.
A significant aspect of external trade during this period was the widespread use of sea trade.
This phenomenon also contributed to the spread of Indian culture to different parts of the world.
India’s Maritime Trade & Participants
The era under survey saw great expansion of sea trade between the two extremities of Asia, the Persian Gulf and South China.
India, located midway between these regions, greatly benefited from this trade.
The hazards of extensive sea voyages were reduced by anchoring on Indian coasts.
Arabs dominated the Asian trade during these centuries, especially after destroying the significant port of Valabhi on the Saurashtra coast in the eighth century, establishing their dominance in the Arabian Ocean.
Despite Arab dominance, Indians continued to engage in trade with lands beyond the seas from the tenth century onwards.
Abu Zaid, a tenth-century Arab author, mentions Indian merchants visiting Siraf in the Persian Gulf.
Ibn Battuta, a 14th-century traveler, tells of an Indian merchant colony at Aden in the Red Sea.
A 14th-century Gujarati text refers to Jagadu of Kutch, who traded with Persia via Indian mediators at Hormuz.
Cola rulers in South India were deeply involved in maritime trade and sent embassies to China to improve economic relations.
Tamil inscriptions found in Malaya and Sumatra show the commercial activities of Tamil mercantile society in these regions.
The Colas sent naval expeditions in the 11th century against the Srivijaya empire to ensure safe sea routes to China for their trade.
Despite limited references to the physical participation of Indian merchants, the demand for Indian products continued, reaching the outside world through Arabs and the Chinese.