Exchange in the Indian Ocean

A large wooden boat with numerous oars on either side — The galley used slaves to maneuver across the sea, leaving little room for cargo.

After completing this lesson, students will be able to identify technologies used to overcome environmental barriers to trade in the Indian Ocean and how this trade encouraged cultural and technological diffusion across the region.

Shipping Goods by Sea

Europe

The Mediterranean galley, a ship used by European mariners in this era, was great if you wanted to sail in the same direction the wind was blowing. On days when the wind wasn’t favorable, the sails were lowered, and these merchant ships were powered by dozens of galley slaves who worked in the hot sun to row the ships in the desired direction.

Indian Ocean

Something much different developed in the Indian Ocean. There, a triangular sail was fixed to a floating mast that pivoted at the top of a traditional ship mast mounted on the deck. By working the sail against the ship’s stern rudder, these vessels could tack back and forth in the face of the wind and move in the opposite direction of the wind. This technology conquered an environmental barrier to human activity.

A small sailboat with a triangular white sail — An Indian Ocean dhow ship with its lateen sail. These boats allowed sailors to sail into the face of the wind.

Networks of Exchange: Indian Ocean Region

Something like this was the case in all three of the networks of exchange you studied in this module. In this lesson, you’ll learn how merchants overcame wind and ocean currents, how they spread culture and technologies, and how trade affected the development of states in the Indian Ocean region.

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