Discovery of Monsoons (AD 40)

Credit for this goes to the Greek sailors; it was Greek merhant Hippalus who discovered the full power of the vast wind systems of the Indian Ocean.

Spices and Religion

Mark 14:3-6 tells of a woman's anointing Jesus with spikenard, a fragrant ointment extracted from the roots and stems of a small herbaceous plant from northern India.

Prophet Mohammed (AD 570 - 632) who founded Islam was well connected with the spice trade in his early years. In his youth he worked with tradesmen who dealt in spices in Syria & South Arabia. Subsequently he became a camel driver and caravan leader for a widow of means Khadija, whom he married in AD 595. For several years he was a partner in a shop in Mecca that traded in various Oriental spices.

During the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries (dark ages), trade between the Islamic world and Christian Europe was blocked, but the limited trade of spices from the east to the west was kept alive by the travelling Jewish merchants (Radanites), who were tolerated by both the Muslims and the Christians.

Knowledge about the Indian Spice Growing Lands

In BC and early AD the west traded with the middle east to get it's supply of spices, it was not until the 6th century did the first western traveller visit India and Ceylon and write a book about it, "Topographia Christiana" written by Cosmos Indicopleustes of Alexandria (merchant, traveller, monk).

In tenth centruy AD, Ali As-Masudi (historian) described in his "Meadows of Gold" book, about the culitvated plantations of the Maharaja or King in India.

Spices, Crusades & Renaissance (11, 12, 13 Centuries)

Crusades opened up the spice trade with the east, this in turn increased trading and revenues, which in turn lead to prosperity, wealth and interest in finer things of life, and finally to Reniassance.

13th century prices of 1 pound of pepper; 60 cents in Marseilles, and $1 in England. Peppercorns were accepted as currency, used to pay taxes, tolls, rents, bank deposits, and dowries for fortunate brides.

More about a typical 13th century wholesale grocery spice bill-


1 pound of saffron = cost of a horse.
1 pound of ginger = cost of a sheep.
2 pounds of mace = cost of a cow.
1 pound of nutmeg = cost of seven fat oxen.


Reverse Inflation

Spices 500 years ago were more expensive than today.