The Indian Ocean Trade in Antiquity: Political, Cultural and Economic Impacts

Description

The period from the death of Alexander the Great to the rise of the Islam (c. late fourth century BCE to seventh century CE) saw a significant growth in economic, diplomatic and cultural exchange between various civilisations in Africa, Europe and Asia. This was in large part thanks to the Indian Ocean trade. Peoples living in the Roman Empire, Parthia, India and South East Asia increasingly had access to exotic foreign products, while the lands from which they derived, and the peoples inhabiting these lands, also captured the imagination, finding expression in a number of literary and poetic works. The Indian Ocean Trade in Antiquity provides a range of chapters that explore the economic, political and cultural impact of this trade on these diverse societies, written by international experts working in the fields of Classics, Archaeology, South Asian studies, Near Eastern studies and Art History. The three major themes of the book are the development of this trade, how consumption and exchange impacted on societal developments, and how the Indian Ocean trade influenced the literary creations of Graeco-Roman and Indian authors. This volume will be of interest not only to academics and students of antiquity, but also to scholars working on later periods of Indian Ocean history who will find this work a valuable resource. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of illustrations List of contributors Acknowledgements 1 Introduction: the Indian Ocean in Antiquity and global history Part 1 The western Indian Ocean: a developing trade 2 From the Ptolemies to Augustus: Mediterranean integration into the Indian Ocean trade 3 Indian Ocean trade: the role of Parthia 4 Ethnographies of sailing: from the Red Sea to the Bay of Bengal in Antiquity 5 Patchworking the west coast of India: notes on the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea Part 2 The Indian Ocean and cross-cultural engagement: people, commodities and society 6 Indian Ocean commerce in context: the economic and revenue significance of eastern trade in the ancient world 7 Erythraean pearls in the Roman world: features and aspects of luxury consumption (late second century BCE–second century CE) 8 India abroad: evidence for ancient Indian maritime activity Part 3 The Indian Ocean influence on literary culture 9 The universe from an egg: creation narratives in the ancient Indian and Greek texts 10 The impact of the Indian Ocean trade on the Ancient novel 11 Between Egypt and India: on the route of the Ancient novel 12 Conclusion Index