Chinese maritime contacts with the Indian Ocean (Han–Tang, c. 1st century BCE–9th century CE)

1. Hepu commandery created, opening a sea gateway

   Jan 1, 111 BCELabels: Hepu commandery, Han government

   • Hepu County
   • Hepu Port Study

2. Han-era Hepu emerges as an early seaport

   Jan 1, 1Labels: Hepu, Han period

   • Hepu Port Study
   • WorldHistoryConnected

3. Roman-era envoys reach Han frontiers by sea

   Jan 1, 166Labels: Da Qin, Rinan

   • Hou Han Shu
   • Jiaozhi entry

4. Chinese goods move through Funan’s port networks

   Jan 1, 300Labels: Funan, Mekong region

   • Jiaozhi entry
   • Book of Liang

5. Tang expansion supports larger maritime commerce

   Jun 18, 618Labels: Tang dynasty, southern ports

   • Britannica Tang

6. Arab-Persian raid shocks the port of Guangzhou

   Sep 30, 758Labels: Guangzhou raid, Arab-Persian

   • Cambridge CUP
   • Guangzhou raid

7. Yangzhou massacre exposes vulnerabilities of trade diaspora

   Jan 1, 760Labels: Yangzhou massacre, Tian Shengong

   • Yangzhou massacre
   • Cambridge CUP

8. Foreign merchant communities deepen in Tang ports

   Jan 1, 800Labels: Foreign merchants, Guangzhou

   • Cambridge CUP

9. Dated cargo (826) anchors the shipwreck’s timeline

   Jan 1, 826Labels: Belitung cargo, dated bowl

   • Belitung wreck
   • UNESCO Silk Roads

10. Belitung shipwreck shows export-focused Tang production

    Jan 1, 830Labels: Belitung shipwreck, Arabian dhow

    • UNESCO Silk Roads
    • Belitung wreck

11. Huang Chao’s capture of Guangzhou devastates port trade

    Jan 1, 879Labels: Huang Chao, Guangzhou

    • Britannica Huang Chao
    • Guangzhou massacre

12. Late Tang instability weakens Chinese–Indian Ocean links

    Jan 1, 907Labels: Late Tang, maritime links

    • Cambridge CUP
    • Britannica Tang