Greetings all, I am hoping someone can point me to a source or references.
I recently read a document (it's name has fled my mind at the moment...) that claims Muslim traders were much more distant travelers and effective merchants within the Indian Ocean Basin because there was "no taboo on travel." The Prophet himself was a merchant and traveler so Muslims naturally had no inhibitions on travel. This stood in stark contrast to the peoples of South Asia, the various Hindu schools of thought, who because of their rules on purity and belonging made outcasts of those who left their local community.
I am not an expert in religious studies and I only have a basic knowledge of Indian Ocean Trade history. However, the above statement seems to fly in the face of what I know. My interpretation of the topic is that there were several zones based on cultural and geographic distinctions (Arab/Muslim/Persian, Hindu/Indian, Chinese) that overlapped and interconnected.
So first, if the statement was true then how did South Asian cultural norms, religion and writing script spread to Southeast Asia (Thailand/Cambodia/Indonesia)? Was it not via trade and commercial contact? And second don't most interpretations of the Caste System reserve a place for merchants and traders? So would they not be able to travel without fear of ostracization?
If anyone could help me understand this, or recommend a source that clarifies this or explains the nuance?
Any help is much appreciated!
Effectiveness of trade is a vastly subjective element and can't be judged. What we can do though is identity the extent of overseas trade ancient Indian seafaring empires had and then leave you to be the judge of it.
According Karasimha and Sastry, the first known seafaring empire was the Satavahanas. They even styled themselves the Lord of the 7 seas, their coinage had vessels on them and they traded as far as Rome and Greece. Multiple Roman texts also refer to these seafaring traders.
You then had the Chera Nadu, that had extensive trade ties (via sea) to Rome, Greece, Egypt and later the Arabs. Again this dynasty is referred to in multiple Roman and Greek texts.
Then finally you had the Cholas. Not only trade, the Chola Navy launched an invasion of Sri Vijaya (modern day Indonesia) from Tamilzh Nadu. They had extensive trade ties in the East (as did their predecessors the Pallavas). Nagapatinam was a major trade port in the East and again, referred in many a Arab text (Rome had fallen by this time). Inscriptions across the east refer to some really powerful Chola Shrenis (trade guilds) which indicates a strong Chola presence in the east. By the 9th century, the Cholas after having defeated the Cheras also commenced trade with the Arab states. They developed an excellent cavalry component using Arab horses.
While we don't know the causes of the Chola -Srivijaya war, one possible cause is that the Srivijayan Kingdom "encouraged" piracy of Chola ships trading into China and this caused a retaliatory strike. So clearly the reserve trade was extensive and important enough to possibly launch an invasion over some 4k kms of open water.
Trade over the seas only started to die out after the Islamic invasions ended the traditionally strong naval powers. The Delhi centred Islamic empires plugged directly into the silk route as it was closer. It briefly picked up again under the Vijayanagara who were said to control some 300 sea ports in the south but after the sack of Vijayanagara and the Mughal takeover (followed by a Maratha takeover) sea trade ended. With the Advent of the Europeans trade flourished but Indian empires didn't actively send ships abroad.
As you can see, from about 200bce to 1500 AD, India, esp South India had a rich history of overseas trade and commerce, as it did a heritage of powerful navies that could launch, sustain and win amphibious invasions across open ocean. It started to decline in the 1600's, but mind you it still was a trading powerhouse but only instead of directly exporting goods, Western European merchants in India acted as the middlemen and did the purchase and shipping, and as late as the 1700's, the Marathas were able to field powerful navies.
It is only starting the 1800's and British conquest did Indian naval and sea trade traditions die out almost entirely.