The Maritime Silk Road: Monsoons and Muziris

Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever — Fexingo History · Oct 6, 2026 · 11m · transcript

We trace the vibrant, high-stakes commerce of the Indian Ocean between the first century CE and the thirteenth century, moving beyond the overland Silk Road to explore how monsoon winds dictated global wealth. We dive into the bustling port city of Muziris on India’s Malabar Coast, where Roman gold coins have been unearthed in such quantities that they reshaped local economies. The conversation examines the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as a navigational manual for Greek and Roman merchants, detailing the specific goods traded—from pepper and ivory to glassware and wine—and the cultural…