Indian Navy Flag & Maritime History | Fridge Magnets | Set of 2

India and the Indian Ocean: A Maritime Legacy

For over 4,000 years, India has been at the heart of Indian Ocean trade—its seafarers, shipbuilders, and merchant guilds forging connections across continents and cultures. From the Harappan dock at Lothal to the cosmopolitan merchant guilds of Aihole, Indian seafarers navigated monsoon winds and ocean currents to trade goods, ideas, and traditions. They sailed from the Makran coast to Mesopotamia, and from West Africa and the East African coast to Bali, Singapore, and China—long before the rise of European naval empires. This enduring tradition of indigenous seafaring not only powered commerce but also carried Indian philosophies, religions, and innovations far beyond its shores, shaping the cultural contours of the Indian Ocean world.