History Of The Indian Spice Trade
Those innocent spice jars sitting in your cupboard don’t do much to reveal their incredible history. But did you know that nutmeg was once worth more by weight than gold? And also, in the 16th century, London dockworkers were paid their bonuses in cloves? That in 410 AD, when the Visigoths captured Rome, they demanded 3,000 pounds of peppercorns as ransom?
In its day, the spice trade was the world’s biggest industry: it established and destroyed empires, led to the discovery of new continents, and in many ways helped lay the foundation for the modern world.
Spices, which today are inexpensive and widely available, were once very tightly guarded and generated immense wealth for those who controlled them. The spice trade began in the Middle East over 4,000 years ago. Arabic spice merchants would create a sense of mystery by withholding the origins of their wares, and would ensure high prices by telling fantastic tales about fighting off fierce winged creatures to reach spices growing high on cliff walls.
Initially, the spice trade was conducted mostly by camel caravans over land routes. The Silk Road was an important route connecting Asia with the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe. Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia, and Rome.
The Roman Empire set up a powerful trading centre in Alexandria, Egypt in the first century BC and was in command of all of the spices entering the Greco-Roman world for many years. In another example of the historical value of now-common spices, Roman soldiers of the time were frequently paid in salt, a practice that led to the word “salary” and the phrase “worth his salt.” Over the following centuries, countless groups battled for control of the spice trade. Eventually, in the mid-13th century, Venice emerged as the primary trade port for spices bound for western and northern Europe. Venice became extremely prosperous by
In its day, the spice trade was the world’s biggest industry: it established and destroyed empires, led to the discovery of new continents, and in many ways helped lay the foundation for the modern world.
Spices, which today are inexpensive and widely available, were once very tightly guarded and generated immense wealth for those who controlled them. The spice trade began in the Middle East over 4,000 years ago. Arabic spice merchants would create a sense of mystery by withholding the origins of their wares, and would ensure high prices by telling fantastic tales about fighting off fierce winged creatures to reach spices growing high on cliff walls.
Initially, the spice trade was conducted mostly by camel caravans over land routes. The Silk Road was an important route connecting Asia with the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe. Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia, and Rome.
The Roman Empire set up a powerful trading centre in Alexandria, Egypt in the first century BC and was in command of all of the spices entering the Greco-Roman world for many years. In another example of the historical value of now-common spices, Roman soldiers of the time were frequently paid in salt, a practice that led to the word “salary” and the phrase “worth his salt.” Over the following centuries, countless groups battled for control of the spice trade. Eventually, in the mid-13th century, Venice emerged as the primary trade port for spices bound for western and northern Europe. Venice became extremely prosperous by