ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the end of the British Empire, by bringing independence to the colonies, restructured their trade patterns and shipping networks. By contrast with economic history and international economics, it utilizes data on vessel movements instead of trade data over the period 1890–2000, i.e. during the heydays of colonialism and after the independences. The chapter contributes to the literature in the economic history of international trade in South Asia by providing a detailed analysis of historical shipping data. It questions whether and how political and economic evolutions affected the pattern of maritime networks in this area. Across the Bay of Bengal, Myanmar has historically traded with Indian ports. The data on Pakistan shows a gradual increase during the colonial period and from 1950 after independence. With the newly available data of vessel movements, we have examined the historical evolution of maritime networks in South Asia and its component countries and ports.
