2.3 Exchange in the Indian Ocean

While the Silk Roads connected Eurasia overland, the Indian Ocean trade network became the most important maritime system in the world between 1200 and 1450. It connected East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, creating a vast trading zone across warm waters. Unlike the Silk Roads, which carried mostly luxury goods, the Indian Ocean could transport bulk commodities such as rice, sugar, timber, and livestock along with spices and porcelain.