Melanesia Medieval (Moluccas Papua Fiji Vanuatu Solomon Island Austronesia)

Melanesia in medieval period (650 CE - 1568 CE)


650 CE - India

Native spices of Moluccas & coastal West Papua mentioned in Ancient indian Hindu book of Ayurveda (Book of Medicine), notably Jatiphala / Pala (nutmeg), Lavanga / Cengkeh (cloves) and Candana / cendana (sandalwood).
Ancient Indians called Moluccas as Samudranta with Samudra (ocean) and Anta (end). This indicate ancient trade routes between sice island of moluccas and Dravidin kingdm in southern india.


847 CE - Moluccas
Persian Geographer Ibn Khodadbeh worked in Abbasid Caliphate described Island of Wak Wak lies east of China and south of India (Southeast Asia), Rich in gold and ebony wood (Kayu Hitam).
Arabs visiting the spice island calling it 'Jazirat al-Mulk' as the islands as inhabited by various kings (raja) compared to centralized empire in Sumatra (zabag/Sribuza/ Srivijaya) and Java (Qomr/Khmer/Shailendras). Al-Mulk later evolved into Maluku and known by Europeans as Moluccas.

Srivijaya envoy to Tang Empire and later Song Empire in china often presented Bird of Paradise, native to Papua, as tribute.
The Chinese regarded the bird as Fenghuang (Phoenix)



In 16th century, previously Germanic land-based Iberian kingdoms of Portugal, Castile and Aragon had transformed into maritime power with the knowledge gained from defeating Moorish Andalusians and Genoese expertise, rival of the Venetians.
Portuguese manage to circumnavigate Africa after passing cape of Good Hope/Cabo da Boa Esperança and dominate spice trade in Indian ocean up to spice island in Moluccas, while Spaniards who took to the west found new continent of America and found its way to the Pacific ocean after passing Strait of Magellan/ Estrecho de Magallanes. Both Iberian powers eventually met in spice island of Moluccas. With Portuguese dominate spice trade in Indian ocean up to Japan while Spaniards dominate Atlantic ocean silver and slave trade in the America.

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