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Spice Route Definition
The Spice Routes, also known as the "Maritime Silk Roads," linked the East with the West. These routes stretched from the West Coast of Japan, through the Indonesian islands, around India, into the lands of the Middle East, and finally across the Mediterranean to Europe. Similar to the Silk Route, the Spice Routes did not have a singular path, instead, it was a network of multiple routes.
Fig. 1 Maritime Silk Road trading vessel
The Spice Routes were meant to bring goods to buy and sell from one port to another, and they received their name from their most profitable good: spices. This trade began as early as 2000 BC, though the history of civilizations making use of spices can be traced back (almost) to the very birth of civilization itself!
In its later history, "Spice Routes" simply became the name that stuck, as merchants also began carrying ivory, silk, porcelain, metals, and precious gemstones.
From ancient times, spices were burned as incense in religious ceremonies; they purified the air and carried the prayers of the people into the sky above. Spices were also often added to healing ointments and potions that were drank as remedies for poison. Medicinal spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, and saffron were used specifically to treat stomach issues and aid in digestion. For example, in India it was common for people to wrap clove or cardamom in betel-nut leaves and chew them after meals to increase the flow of saliva, hence aiding in the digestion of the meal! In medieval Europe, medical sponges were soaked with cinnamon, clove extracts were placed under an ill person's nose, and sage or saffron was used to sterilize the rooms.
Fig. 2 Spices at a Bazaar in Istanbul
Did you know?
One of the oldest known recipes in the world is written in cuneiform on Akkadian clay tablets from 1700 BC. The ancient tablets depict the people of Mesopotamia using a range of spices in their cooking.
Spice Route Map
Below is the global map of the spice route.
Fig. 3 Spice Route Map
Spice Trade Route
As we can see from the map above, many cities were interconnected through the routes of the Spice Trade. Some of the major cities were Alexandria, Venice, Constantinople, and Kolkata.
The Spice Routes were quite dangerous to travel, and the rough seas only drove the merchants to increase the price of the spices. On top of that, with each stop made on the route, taxes, and tolls needed to be paid. This meant that by the time the spices finally got to Europe, their prices had become astronomically steep.
Their original prices had increased a hundredfold - Pliny the Elder, Early Roman Empire
Did you know?
The Indian Ocean is the warmest in the world, meaning it is ripe for powerful tropical storms such as monsoons and cyclones. This weather particularly affects India from June to September and forced sailors of the Spice Routes to strategically plan their voyages and expect the possibility of being stuck in an area for weeks or months at a time!
Spice Route History
Let's see how the spice route first began and the theories surrounding how it came to be.
The Beginning
Approximately 2,500 years ago, the Arab traders of the Spice Routes told stories of large creatures that heavily guarded their spices. One of the most popular stories was that of the "cinnamologus," a bird who made its nest from cinnamon sticks. To get the cinnamon sticks, one had to bait the bird with meat, once the bird returned to its nest with the heavy meat, the nest would fall from the weight.
Many more myths and legends such as the Cinnamologus existed during this time to protect the trader's profits and supplies. Creatures such as the Phoenix, Serpents, and Dragons were also common beasts in these tales.
Naturally, no such bird ever existed, but it certainly kept competitors from trying to gather it for themselves! Both the Romans and the Greeks were deeply fooled by these stories and their demand for the spices only grew. The enormous demand gave rise to some of the first international trade routes and set the foundation of a world economy that can still be recognized today.
Fig. 4 Vasco Da Gama
When Rome collapsed in the year 250, the center of world trade was first moved to the Byzantine Empire, then back to Europe as the Dark Ages (476-1000) began. This is when Venice became a worldwide trading powerhouse! When the Muslims gained control over the Spice Routes, the Europeans fought in The Crusades in an attempt to maintain a large portion of the trading routes. In the end, a Portuguese explorer named Vasco da Gama discovered a new route to the lands of spices in 1498 and dominated the Indian Ocean trade.
A New Route
The new route discovered by da Gama took merchants around the southernmost tip of Africa, creating a direct route between Europe and India and successfully cutting out the middlemen of Arabia. On India's Malabar Coast, the spices were plentiful and cheap, and they created a spice empire centered in Goa, India.
Not only did da Gama's discovery strike a heavy blow on Arab traders financially, but he also violently attacked the Arab merchants he came across at sea to defend his new route.
Fig. 5 Vasco da Gama's Route to India
Over the next two centuries, the Dutch and English East India Companies burst into the Indian Ocean trade scene. They overtook most of Portugal's control of the spice trade and consistently battled each other for dominance. That is until the news broke of an incredible discovery that brought new, exotic flavors into Europe...
Flavors of the New World
During the 17th century, a new wave of flavors intrigued Europe, including chocolate, tea, coffee, tobacco, tomatoes, and so much more. With Europe colonizing the Americas, the Atlantic Slave Trade began, creating a network between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. This shameful system ripped people away from Africa, transported them to America for enslavement and the production of goods, then sent off the products to Europe for profit.
With the opening of new trade routes and the discovery of new lands, spices became much more accessible and most importantly, cheaper. This caused the great spice market to decline rapidly, with both the Dutch and English East India Companies crashing in the 18th-19th century.
Today, spices are no longer grown in restricted geographical areas or under the control of a specific trading company. Spice culture has now spread all across the world, far from its origins in Southeast Asia, and has become more or less of a routine commodity for multiple international entrepreneurs. The Spice Routes are viewed by historians as crucial to the development of maritime technology (especially in Europe, as maritime wars were becoming more common) and the discovery of new lands along with the development of powerful kingdoms.
Spice Route - Key Takeaways
- The Spice Routes connected the east and west for over two thousand years; supplying civilizations with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cassia, cloves, pepper, nutmeg, saffron, and turmeric.
- It was named the Spice Routes since the principal and most profitable goods traded along this route were spices. However, in its later history, merchants also began carrying ivory, silk, porcelain, metals, and precious gemstones.
- As new routes to the Spice Islands were discovered, the price of spices began to decline as the accessibility grew. This, along with the fascination with New World flavors and products caused the spice market to crash.
- Spice culture has now spread all across the globe, far from its origins in Southeast Asia.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Spice Route
What are the features of the Spice Route?
Some of the main features of the Spice Routes were not only the cities and countries in which they traded, it was also the spices themselves. The Spice Routes were famous for their transportation of cinnamon, chilies, pepper corns, and turmeric. The Spice Routes were also infamously dangerous, making it all the more exciting for one to get their hands on the products.
What countries did the Spice Routes go through?
The Spice Routes link the East with the West; stretching from the West coast of Japan, through the Indonesian islands, around India, into the lands of the Middle East, then finally across the Mediterranean to Europe.
What is the Spice Route and why is it called so?
The Spice Routes were meant to bring goods to buy and sell from port to port. It was named the Spice Route due to the fact that the principal and most profitable goods traded along this route were spices. This began as early as 2000 BC!
Why was the Spice Route important?
The Spice Routes were important because during that time period, spices were often used to spiritual and medicinal purposes. It was their strangeness and rarity that seemed to make these spices extremely special to purchase for daily life aside from using them in foods. The Routes were also important for the spread of ideas, religion, art, science, and expertise.
How did the Spice Routes shape history?
The Spice Routes acted as a connecting bridge for cultural and religious exchanges between different parts of the world. For example, Persian and Arabic were introduced to India through these routes and Buddhism and Islam were spread from India into Southeast Asia.
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