Spices have been a key component of India's external trade with outlands of Mesopotamia, China, Sumeria, Egypt and Arabia , along with perfumes and textiles - as far back as 7000 years ago - much before the Greek and the Roman civilizations came into play.
The clove itself finds a mention in the Ramayana - as well as in the writings dating back to the Roman Empire in the 1stcentury AD. Caravans of camels(a series of camels carrying passengers and/or goods) moved regularly from Calicut, Goa and the Orient in ancient times to transport these spices to distant destinations such as Carthage, Alexandria and Rome & many more.Writings and stone age carvings from early neolithic age obtained indicates that India's southwest coastal port Muziris, located in Kerala, had established itself as a major spice trade center from as early as 3000 BC, which has marked the beginning of the spice trade. Kerala, which is referred to as the land of spices or as the "Spice Garden of India", was the place traders and explorers wanted to reach at any cost, including Christopher Columbus, Vasco DA Gama, and many more. The world of Greece-Roman followed trading along the Incense route and the Roman-India routes. Ethiopians used to have a complete control over the sea routes to Sri-Lanka (the Roman – Taprobane) and India during the first millennium, who became the maritime trading power of the Red Sea and the Indians. While these spices are readily available today at your doorstep, there was a time when people literally risked their lives just to gain access to Indian spices. From the Indian perspective, it brought in both traders and invaders alike - century after century.
The clove itself finds a mention in the Ramayana - as well as in the writings dating back to the Roman Empire in the 1stcentury AD. Caravans of camels(a series of camels carrying passengers and/or goods) moved regularly from Calicut, Goa and the Orient in ancient times to transport these spices to distant destinations such as Carthage, Alexandria and Rome & many more.Writings and stone age carvings from early neolithic age obtained indicates that India's southwest coastal port Muziris, located in Kerala, had established itself as a major spice trade center from as early as 3000 BC, which has marked the beginning of the spice trade. Kerala, which is referred to as the land of spices or as the "Spice Garden of India", was the place traders and explorers wanted to reach at any cost, including Christopher Columbus, Vasco DA Gama, and many more. The world of Greece-Roman followed trading along the Incense route and the Roman-India routes. Ethiopians used to have a complete control over the sea routes to Sri-Lanka (the Roman – Taprobane) and India during the first millennium, who became the maritime trading power of the Red Sea and the Indians. While these spices are readily available today at your doorstep, there was a time when people literally risked their lives just to gain access to Indian spices. From the Indian perspective, it brought in both traders and invaders alike - century after century.
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