What was the Afroeurasian trade world like prior to the era of European exploration?
TTHE AFROEURASIAN TRADE WORLD linked the products and people of Europe, Asia, and Africa in the fifteenth century. The West was not the dominant player in this trading system. Nevertheless, wealthy Europeans were eager consumers of luxury goods from the East, which they received through Italian middlemen.
The Port of Calicut in India The port of Calicut, located on the west coast of India, was a center of the Indian Ocean spice trade during the Middle Ages. Vasco da Gama arrived in Calicut in 1498 and obtained permission to trade there, leading to hostilities between the Portuguese and the Arab traders who had previously dominated the port. (Private Collection/The Stapleton Collection/The Bridgeman Art Library)