Majapahit's Silk Roads: The Indian Ocean Textile Trade

Majapahit: The Empire That Once Ruled Indonesia — Fexingo History · Oct 7, 2026 · 9m · transcript

While earlier episodes explored Majapahit’s spice monopolies and naval might, this episode uncovers the empire’s less visible but equally vital engine of power: the textile trade. We trace how Majapahit became the primary supplier of finished cloth to Southeast Asia, exporting intricate ikat and songket fabrics from Central Java to ports as far away as Malacca and Champa. Lucas and Luna examine the economic hierarchy that placed weavers at the center of state revenue, the role of the dyers’ guilds in Trowulan, and how these textiles served as diplomatic currency for rulers across Nusantara…