The Indian Ocean trade of the 15th and 16th centuries was a vast maritime network linking East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. It facilitated the movement of spices, textiles, metals, timber, and luxury goods, dominated by Arab, Indian, Persian, and Southeast Asian merchants. Key hubs such as Calicut, Malacca, Hormuz, and Aden sustained this thriving system. The Ottoman Empire, under rulers like Mehmed II (1451–1481) and Suleiman the Magnificent (1520–1566), controlled crucial overland and maritime routes through the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, acting as the main gateway between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean.
European entry into the system began with the Portuguese, who reached the Indian Ocean after rounding Africa in 1498. They were soon followed by the Spanish and later the Dutch. With armed fleets and fortified outposts, these powers disrupted existing networks, imposed monopolies on commodities such as spices, and gradually shifted the balance of Indian Ocean trade toward European control.
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APA Style
Netchev, S. (2025, March 12). Map of the Trade in the Indian Ocean 15th-16th century. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/20178/map-of-the-trade-in-the-indian-ocean-15th-16th-cen/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Trade in the Indian Ocean 15th-16th century." World History Encyclopedia, March 12, 2025. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/20178/map-of-the-trade-in-the-indian-ocean-15th-16th-cen/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Trade in the Indian Ocean 15th-16th century." World History Encyclopedia, 12 Mar 2025, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/20178/map-of-the-trade-in-the-indian-ocean-15th-16th-cen/.
