History
The Somali people have a strong tradition in trade, with a long history of maritime enterprise. After the Roman conquest of the Nabataean Empire and the Roman naval presence at Aden to curb piracy, Arab and Somali merchants by agreement barred Somali ships from trading in the free port cities of the Arabian peninsula[2] to protect the interests of Somali and Arab merchants in the extremely lucrative ancient Red Sea–Mediterranean Sea commerce.[3] However, Indian merchants continued to trade in the port cities of the Somali peninsula, which was free from Roman interference.[4]
The Indian merchants for centuries brought large quantities of cinnamon from Sri Lanka and Indonesia to Somalia and Arabia. This is said to have been the best kept secret of the Arab and Somali merchants in their trade with the Roman and Greek world. The Romans and Greeks believed the source of cinnamon to have been the Somali peninsula, but in reality, the highly valued product was brought to Somalia by way of Indian ships.[5] Through collusive agreement by Somali and Arab traders, Indian/Chinese cinnamon was also exported for far higher prices to North Africa, the Near East and Europe, which made the cinnamon trade a very profitable revenue generator, especially for the Somali merchants through whose hands large quantities were shipped across ancient sea and land routes.[3]
During the Age of the Ajurans, the Somali sultanates and republics of Merca, Mogadishu, Barawa, Hobyo and their respective ports flourished and had a lucrative foreign commerce, with ships sailing to and coming from India, Arabia, Venetia,[6] Persia, Egypt, Portugal and as far away as China. In the 16th century, Duarte Barbosa noted that many ships from the Kingdom of Cambaya in modern-day India sailed to Mogadishu with cloth and spices, for which they in return received gold, wax and ivory. Barbosa highlighted the abundance of meat, wheat, barley, horses and fruit on the coastal markets, which generated enormous wealth for the merchants.[7] Jewish merchants from the Hormuz also brought their Indian textile and fruit to the Somali coast in exchange for grain and wood.[8]
In addition, trading relations were established with the Indian Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century,[9] with cloth, ambergris and porcelain being the main commodities of the trade.[10] Hindu merchants from Surat, seeking to bypass both the Portuguese blockade and Omani meddling, also used the Somali ports of Merca and Barawa (which were out of their jurisdiction) to conduct their trade in safety and without interference.[11]
More recently, a few Somalis have sought asylum in India as a consequence of the Somali Civil War, which broke out in 1991. This small community of expatriates today comprises the bulk of Somali immigrants in the country.[1]
