The Great Indian Ocean Trade Network

Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever — Fexingo History · Oct 9, 2026 · 11m · transcript

Long before European ships dominated the seas, a vast, interconnected web of commerce linked East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Southeast Asia. This episode explores the monsoon-driven maritime trade routes that moved gold, spices, textiles, and ideas across the Indian Ocean for centuries. We look at how Swahili city-states like Kilwa and Zanzibar became wealthy hubs, how Arab and Persian merchants navigated using star charts and wind patterns, and how Indian kingdoms like the Cholas and Vijayanagara engaged in diplomatic and commercial exchanges with distant powers. From the port…