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Gujaratis have played a vital role in the Indian ocean trade since the period of the Indus Valley Civilization during which time we have found evidences of Dockyards like lothal. The Sumerians have called it Melluha which scholars have always speculated to be in the Indus Valley Civilization. One name mentioned in the chinese chronicles from the 8th centry for the name of present day Gujarat is Maluhua which is pretty close to Sumerian Meluha, in turn Maluhua is another form of Malwa accorting to the experts, so Sumerian Meluha translates into Malwa, a region which was always associated with Gujarat along with other states of India historically.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malwa
Even after the collapse of Indus civilization the area got more popuklated and settlements unlike in the indus multiplied many folds and cities like Bhit Dwaraka flourished and was one of the only urban centres to survive IVC collapse. From the period of 1st century AD to 4th century AD, there are inscriptions of Gujarat based sailors and merchants from the Yemeni Island of Socotra which became not only the stop for sailing ships but also a pilgrimage siite for the Hindus. The inscriptions are mostly written in Brahmi script but some in Kharoshti script as well. After the earlky centuries of the common era the socotra inscription disappear and dont re appear until the period of Aurangzeb who initiated intensive trade activities in the Indian ocean. Gujarat based merchants are mentioned in the chronicles of Vasco de gamma and they have left a deep impact on the culture of East Africa, for instance east african cuisine has prominent elements of gujarati and indian cuisine. The Western scholars have admitted that it was predominantly due to Gujarati merchants sailing south eastern asia, Islam spread to Indonesia and Malaysia rather than Arabs hence the role of Gujarati merchants has been highlighted in the spread of Islam in SEA.
More info here.
https://www.livehistoryindia.com/fo...a-island-a-haven-for-ancient-indian-seafarers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malwa
Even after the collapse of Indus civilization the area got more popuklated and settlements unlike in the indus multiplied many folds and cities like Bhit Dwaraka flourished and was one of the only urban centres to survive IVC collapse. From the period of 1st century AD to 4th century AD, there are inscriptions of Gujarat based sailors and merchants from the Yemeni Island of Socotra which became not only the stop for sailing ships but also a pilgrimage siite for the Hindus. The inscriptions are mostly written in Brahmi script but some in Kharoshti script as well. After the earlky centuries of the common era the socotra inscription disappear and dont re appear until the period of Aurangzeb who initiated intensive trade activities in the Indian ocean. Gujarat based merchants are mentioned in the chronicles of Vasco de gamma and they have left a deep impact on the culture of East Africa, for instance east african cuisine has prominent elements of gujarati and indian cuisine. The Western scholars have admitted that it was predominantly due to Gujarati merchants sailing south eastern asia, Islam spread to Indonesia and Malaysia rather than Arabs hence the role of Gujarati merchants has been highlighted in the spread of Islam in SEA.
More info here.
https://www.livehistoryindia.com/fo...a-island-a-haven-for-ancient-indian-seafarers
