ABSTRACT.This contribution explores the maritime history of Southeast Asian seafaring populations from 500 BC to AD 1500. The initial focus is on seafaring technology and trade, followed by social and political aspects, discussing how these maritime cultures became wealthy through their control of the sea lanes between China and the Indian Ocean, and how they successfully resisted attempts by agrarian empires to tame them, until the arrival of the Dutch and the English during the 17th century AD.

RÉSUMÉ.Cette contribution explore L'histoire maritime des peuples marins d'Asie du Sud-est de 500 av. J.-C. à 1500 ap. J.-C. En s'intéressant d'abord au commerce et à la technologie maritimes puis aux aspects politiques et sociaux de la question, elle analyse comment ces cultures s'enrichirent grâce à leur contrôle des voies maritimes entre la Chine et l'océan Indien, et résistèrent aux tentatives de soumission menées par des empires agricoles jusqu'à l'arrivée des néerlandais et des britanniques au XVIIe siècle.

WINDS AND ROUTES

The Pearl Road was divided into two main sectors: lands ‘above the wind’ (the Indian Ocean), and lands ‘below the wind’, Zirbâdât in Arabic (the Straits of Malacca, South China Sea, Java Sea, and further east). These terms refer to seasons for sailing in relation to the monsoon winds. Long-distance voyaging along these routes became possible once seafarers discovered the principle of seasonal winds which provide reliable power for sailing ships. This information was probably known to ancient Arabo-Persian and Malay sailors; the Graeco-Romans acquired it around the first century AD.

It was almost impossible to sail from the lands above the wind to the lands below the wind in one monsoon. By the time ships from the west arrived in the Straits of Malacca, the western monsoon was dying. Voyagers either had to remain in the Straits for six months until the west wind returned before proceeding further east, or quickly stock up on Chinese and Southeast Asian commodities stored in the Straits and return home.