Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s1.48

v1.c5.s1.48

With the end of the age of the great ocean-going Chinese ships and Chinese merchants directly carrying their goods to Indian ports, the trade between India and China did not end but altered its form and orientation. This was the period of a flourishing junk trade between China and Southeast Asia. Indian and Chinese goods were often exchanged in Southeast Asian ports such as Malacca. However, there is evidence of the resumption of direct trade between Surat, the leading port at this time on the west coast of India, and China from the last quarter of the 17th century CE. Chinese porcelain, tea, Chinese gold, lacquer work, copper and vermilion were exported to India in return for silver, spices, sandalwood and other items. However, some of the merchandise imported by Surat merchants was re-exported to the Persian Gulf and Red Sea area. There is also some evidence that by the early 18th century, this trade with China had entered a period of stagnation.