14th-Century Events Boosting Indian Ocean Trade

Five key developments spurred Indian Ocean maritime trade in the 1300s:

1. Mongol Disruption of Land Routes: Silk Road insecurity pushed trade to sea.
2. Shipbuilding Advances: Lateen rigs, larger hulls (Arab, Chinese, Indian) enabled longer, safer voyages.
3. Rising European Demand: Hunger for spices (pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg) from the East Indies.
4. Mamluk Sultanate Stability: Secured Red Sea routes linking to Mediterranean.
5. Early Portuguese Exploration: African coast voyages (late 1300s) paved way for Vasco da Gama's 1498 India route.

These shifted global trade decisively toward the Indian Ocean.