2.3 Indian Ocean

• What guidance does the Hadith provide to Muslims?


  It encourages them to travel and learn.
• What does "Dar al-Islam" mean?


  It means the House of Islam or Muslim world.
• Why might Dar al-Islam be called the world's first global empire?


  It connected societies from North Africa to South Asia.
• How did Muslim merchants contribute to the spread of Islam before its expansion?


  They traveled to non-Muslim lands in search of trading partners.
• What role did Arab merchants play in the Indian Ocean trade during the Postclassical Era?


  They transformed the Indian Ocean into an economic hot spot.
• What geographic advantage did South Asia have in the Indian Ocean trade?


  It was located in the center of the Indian Ocean.
• What were some causes of expanded trade in the Indian Ocean Basin?

  • Spread of Islam connecting more cities
  • Increased demand for specialized products
  • Developments in sailing technology
  • Environmental knowledge of monsoon winds
• How early did Indian Ocean trade exist?


  As early as 200 B.C.E.
• How did the expansion of Islam affect trade in the Indian Ocean?


  It connected more cities than ever before.
• Which regions had trading partners due to the spread of Islam?

  East Africa, East and Southeast Asia, and South Asia.
• What role did Muslim Persians and Arabs play in the Indian Ocean trade?


  They were the dominant seafarers transporting goods to port cities.
• Which Indian cities became thriving centers of trade?

  Calicut and Cambay.
• Why did Calicut become a bustling port city?


  It was a meeting point for foreign merchants seeking spices.
• What specialized products did India offer in the Indian Ocean trade?


  High-quality fabrics, carpets, high-carbon steel, tanned leather, and spices.
• What made modern-day Malaysia and Indonesia known as the Spice Islands?


  They exported fragrant nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
• What products came from the Swahili coastal cities?


  Slaves, ivory, and gold.
• What did China export that became coveted worldwide?

  Silks and porcelain.
• What products came from Southwest Asia?


  Horses, figs, and dates.
• How did the Indian Ocean slave trade differ from the Atlantic slave trade?


  Slaves in the Indian Ocean trade often worked in seaports and households.
• What rights did enslaved people have in Islamic communities?

  They had certain rights, such as the right to marry.
• What was essential for trading in the Indian Ocean?


  Knowledge of monsoon winds.
• What direction did the winds blow in the winter months in the Indian Ocean?


  From the northeast.
• What direction did the winds blow in the spring and summer in the Indian Ocean?


  From the southwest.
• Why did merchants have to time their voyages carefully?


  They depended on favorable winds for travel.
• What sailing technology did Arab sailors use?


  Triangular lateen sails.
• What was the purpose of the stern rudder invented by Chinese sailors?


  It provided more stability and made ships easier to maneuver.
• What type of ships dominated the seas during the Postclassical Era?


  Small wooden dhows.
• How did trade facilitate the spread of sailing technology?


  It allowed for rapid sharing of advancements across regions.
• What was the role of the Sultan of Malacca in the 1400s?


  He built a navy and imposed fees on passing ships.
• What happened to the Sultanate of Malacca in 1511?


  It ended when the Portuguese invaded the city.
• What was the Portuguese goal in conquering Malacca?


  To control the trade flowing through the Strait of Malacca.
• What was one effect of the Portuguese conquest of Malacca?


  It caused traders to diversify their routes and ports.
• What were the effects of expanded exchange in the Indian Ocean?


  • Creation of diasporic communities
  • Increased demand for products
  • Growth of Swahili city-states
  • Significant cultural transfers
• What are diasporic communities?


  Settlements of people away from their homeland.
• How did merchants in diasporic communities influence local cultures?


  They introduced their own cultural traditions into indigenous cultures.
• What were the main merchant communities in the Indian Ocean trade?

  • Muslim
  • Chinese
  • Sogdian
  • Jewish
  • Malay
• What products did Muslim merchants trade?


  Silk, paper, porcelain, spices, gems, woods, gold, salt, amber, and furs.
• What products did Chinese merchants trade?


  Cotton, tea, silk, metals, and opium.
• What products did Sogdian merchants trade?


  Silk, gold, wine, and linens along the Silk Roads.
• What products did Jewish merchants trade?


  Glass beads, linens, dyes, and spices.