Introduction

India’s maritime activities have a rich history dating back to the third millennium BCE when trading contacts between the inhabitants of the Indus valley and Mesopotamia were established. The advanced nature of ancient maritime history also finds reference in the early Vedic text, where references and findings of a thriving trade industry based on shipping had been established. Furthermore, such activities find mention in several historical chronicles too. The ancient era up to the first millennium was known to be the golden age of Indian seafaring. Mariners and merchants from India and Southeast Asia were trading across the region, as far as Rome. Such trading activities had later attracted African, Arab and Chinese mariners and merchants, integrating the region into a profitable market for exchange of valuable goods. The rise of medieval Islam coupled with the rise of Muslim cities in the Middle East further boosted the trade activities in the Indian Ocean.