XVII. Letters And Documents On The India Trade In Medieval Times

The India trade is the backbone of international economy in the Middle Ages in general and inside the Islamic world in particular. A first report about the Cairo Geniza papers as related to the India trade was provided in Speculum, the Journal of the American Mediaeval Academy, in April 1954. This chapter provides preliminary report about the main results of this scrutiny. The term India trade is taken in the widest sense of the word, comprising commercial activities and travel stretching from ports of the Red Sea in the West to the shores of Sumatra, Indonesia, in the East. Most of the Geniza papers related to the India trade are letters. The second largest group of Geniza papers referring to the India trade is composed of documents of legal character. In addition to letters and legal documents, the Geniza has preserved variety of smaller items related to the India trade.Keywords: Cairo Geniza papers; India trade

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