Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / Armenian Merchant Networks in the Indian Ocean
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about New Julfa and how those Armenian families built this commercial empire from Isfahan. But what's really striking is how far they reached. I mean, by the 1600s and 1700s, you find Armenian merchants in Manila, in Batavia, even in Canton. They were truly global. Luna: Wait, Canton? As in China? How did they even get there? Lucas: Yeah, China. They went overland through Central Asia, or by sea via the Indian Ocean. And it wasn't just trade goods they carried — they brought news, letters, and credit across these vast distances. There's this famous letter from a New Julfa merchant in 1682 describing a route from Isfahan to Madras, then on to Manila and even Acapulco — that was the dream, reaching the Spanish galleons. Lucas: And the key was that they weren't just lone traders. They had these family firms, with agents placed in cities all along the way. You'd have a khajeh — that's the title for a rich merchant — sitting in Isfahan, coordinating with his brothers in Surat, his cousins in Manila, and his nephew in Amsterdam. It was a network, not just a trade route. Luna: So how did they manage to get a foothold in places where the Europeans were already so powerful? Lucas: That's the thing — they didn't compete with the Europeans, they partnered with them. The Dutch and English East India companies needed local agents who knew the languages, the customs, and the markets. Armenians had that expertise. They got patents from the English to trade in their ports, and the Dutch used them as middlemen in Persia. Lucas: Take a guy like Khajeh Nazar, who we've mentioned before. He was a big deal in Surat in the 1680s. The English governor there wrote about him as 'the richest merchant in all the Indies.' He had ships, warehouses, and his own network stretching from Isfahan to Banten in Java. Luna: And he was Armenian, not Persian or Indian. Lucas: Right. Armenian identity was the thread that held it together. They had their own churches in these ports, their own cemeteries, and they maintained correspondence in Armenian. The language was their secret code — the Dutch could never read it. And their faith tied them to the Vank Cathedral back in Isfahan, which wasn't just a church, it was a kind of headquarters. Lucas: Now, the Vank Cathedral — we've talked about it as a monument, but in practice it was also a bank. The archbishop there would hold deposits, issue letters of credit, and arbitrate disputes between merchants. So when you had a falling out with a partner in Madras, you could appeal to the ecclesiastical court in New Julfa. That gave them a legal framework that overarched all these different empires. Luna: That's incredible. So the church itself was like a corporation. Lucas: Exactly. And they had this practice of donating a percentage of profits to the church. That funded the construction of those ornate frescoes you see in the Vank today. But it also built schools and hospitals along the trade routes, so the community stayed cohesive. Lucas: One of the most fascinating figures is Khajeh Minas, from the late 1600s. He was based in Madras, and he built a church there — the Armenian Church of St. Mary, which is still standing. But what's really interesting is that he financed an overland expedition to Manila, trying to open direct trade with the Spanish there. He got a special permission from the Pope to trade with the Philippines, which was unusual because the Spanish had a monopoly. Luna: Wait, so he went overland to Manila? That's a huge distance. Lucas: He did. And he got as far as Siam, actually. The plan was to cross the Malay Peninsula, but it fell through. Still, the fact that he attempted it shows how ambitious these merchants were. And they weren't just going east — there were Armenians in London, in Amsterdam, and even in the New World. Some of the earliest Armenian communities in the Americas were founded by merchants from New Julfa. Luna: That's a long way from the Caucasus. Lucas: It is. And it's a pretty incredible story of survival through trade. When the Persian Empire declined and the Safavids collapsed, the Armenian merchants just adapted. They shifted their centers to Madras, to Calcutta, to Astrakhan, even to London. The network outlasted the empire that had created it. Lucas: And it's worth noting — this wasn't just about silk. They were dealing in gems, especially diamonds from Golconda, and also spices, coffee, and textiles. They moved bullion, too. The Indian Ocean economy was the heart of global trade at the time, and Armenians were right in the middle of it. Luna: It sounds like they were as influential as the East India companies themselves. Lucas: In some ways, yes. The English East India Company actually complained that Armenian merchants were undercutting them on prices in Bengal and Persia. They had to negotiate a treaty with the Safavids to try to limit Armenian competition. So they were a serious force. Lucas: And here's a small but telling detail. In 1688, an Armenian merchant named Khwaja Gregory wrote a commercial handbook in Armenian, describing the trade routes, the exchange rates, and the customs of every port from Basra to Canton. It was like a Lonely Planet for merchants. That kind of practical knowledge was passed down generation to generation. Luna: That's so specific. I love that we know that. Lucas: Yeah, and it gives you a sense of how organized they were. It wasn't just adventurous individuals — it was a whole system of knowledge, trust, and communication. Lucas: You know, hearing you say that reminds me — and this ties into something we should say quickly. This show, and all the research that goes into these episodes, is only possible because a small group of listeners supports it directly. We don't run ads, and every episode is free for anyone who wants to listen. If you've been getting something out of these conversations, and you can, you can help keep it going by buying us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small thing, but it genuinely keeps us going. Luna: Yeah, and it's because of that support that we can spend the time digging up things like that commercial handbook from 1688. Lucas: Exactly. So back to the handbook — it's a reminder that these merchants weren't just traders, they were knowledge brokers. And that's a big part of why the Armenian network was so resilient. When you have that kind of institutional memory, you can survive almost anything. Lucas: And they did. Even in the 19th century, after the heyday of New Julfa, you still had Armenian merchant houses in Manchester, in Shanghai, in Singapore. They had evolved with the times. That early modern network shaped the modern Armenian diaspora in a profound way. Luna: So when we think about the diaspora today, it's partly a product of this merchant history. Lucas: Absolutely. The communities you see in Los Angeles, in Paris, in Beirut — they have deep roots in these networks that were built three or four centuries ago. It's a through line that connects the khajehs of Isfahan to the globalized Armenian world of today. Lucas: And if you want to dig deeper into that, we'll be exploring more of these stories in future episodes. But for now, I hope this gives you a sense of the sheer scale of what those merchants accomplished. It's a part of Armenian history that doesn't get enough attention. Luna: It's honestly amazing. I feel like I need to go look at a map now. Lucas: That's a good impulse. And when you do, just remember — every one of those dots was a place where an Armenian merchant set up shop, built a church, and kept the network alive.