2. Westward Expansion to the Middle East

I recently visited India to explore how this country evolved and what drives it today. In the 1,450 years from about 250 BC to 1200 AD (called The Common Period), Indian religion, trade, science, technology, mathematics, and culture had a profound impact across the world from the Red Sea to the Pacific. Notably, the strength of India’s ideas was key to spreading its influence—not through the power of its sword! This is how India shaped the world!

Westward Expansion

Indian maritime trade with Europe began 5,000 years ago, but it grew substantially when the Romans took control of Egypt in 30 BC. In the first 400 years, hundreds of ships sailed between the Red Sea and western Indian ports each year. The scale of trade is evident in Roman customs taxes collected from these transactions, which accounted for about one-third of the entire revenue of the Roman Empire. The primary Red Sea ports were Myos Hormos (the most frequently used), Philoteras, Leukos Limen, and Berenike.

Major Red Sea and Persian Gulf Ports 2,000 Years Ago.

Indian traders carried spices such as pepper, ivory, textiles (cotton and silk), gems, teak, and sandalwood to Africa and the Red Sea in exchange for gold. The most common merchant ships ranged between 20 to 50 meters in length and carried between 100 to 500 tonnes of cargo.

An example of a reconstructed Roman shipwreck, dated to 70 BC, provides insight into the size and design of these trading vessels:

Merchant Ship for Arabian Sea Trade 2,100 Years Ago.

Image: Roman merchant ship showing stowed amphorae, based on the Madrague de Giens shipwreck (circa 75–60 BC). Estimated dimensions: 40 x 9 meters, with a 3.5-meter draught and a 375-tonne cargo capacity. By Jean-Marie Gassend, 2005.

A cargo list from a ship dated to 150 CE included:

• 544 tonnes of pepper

• 76 tonnes of Indian bay leaves (a flavoring agent)

• 3.5 tonnes of ivory tusks and fragments

• 2 tonnes of tortoise shell

• 1.5 tonnes of nard (an aromatic essential oil)

Gold and Indian Culture

Romans paid for goods in gold, which in Indian culture is associated with the sun and symbolizes wealth, power, and spiritual illumination. Gold is a hallmark of value, purity, and good fortune. It is often given as a gift at auspicious events, such as weddings, and passed down through generations as a family heirloom.

Trade was reciprocal, with ships from partner countries participating along the same routes. Typically, a journey from an Indian port to Egypt took 40 days with the advantage of the monsoon. However, if the monsoon was missed, the journey could take a year. In comparison, the overland journey between the same origin and destination could take up to three years.

The fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century CE was a major factor in the decline of this trade, along with the reduced availability of gold opportunities due to the emergence of the Silk Road, which connected China to the Mediterranean.

Your next read in the series: 3. Eastward Expansion to South-East Asia and China