Majapahit Controls Foreign Trade. In the Ming period, four wallless cities were reported to exist in Java. It was claimed that every foreign ship made its first port of call at Tuban before moving on to Gresik, Surabaya, and lastly the interior, where the monarch was seated. Gresik is described in the note as being east of Tuban, which may be reached in a half-travel. day’s Surabaya is located about 11 kilometers from Gresik. After that, you must travel around 40 kilometers from Surabaya to the port of Canggu by small sailboat.
Canggu has a harbor in addition to having a bustling market. Many local business owners as well as visitors who sell or trade their items here. You still have to go for half a day by foot overland from Canggu to the capital in the south. Most of the foreign merchants who arrived to Majapahit were from India, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and Campa. Of fact, these traders had lived in a number of other locations around Java before traveling to Majapahit. The royal apparatus has charged some of them as well. They have so been residing and working in Majapahit for a very long time. Regarding the commerce goods that were sold, some of them included silk and ceramics from China, clothing from India, and incense from Arabia and Persia. These items were traded for various spices and agricultural supplies. At the period, ceramic plates, bowls, and large glasses were also imported from Vietnam or Annam in addition to China. Plates, bowls, and miniature glasses made of pottery were imported from Thailand (Sukhotai and Sawankalok), along with ceramics made in Cambodia.
Majapahit Controls Foreign Trade. Data now available indicates that the majority of the Chinese coins discovered in Trowulan date to the Song dynasty (era 960-1279 AD). This is because China imported a lot of pepper from Java during the Majapahit period. The supply of Chinese coins decreased as a result of the large migration of coins to Java. Because the trade was lucrative for the merchants, the Chinese authorities attempted to suppress it, but the smuggling of Chinese coinage persisted. The western shipping lane and the eastern shipping lane are the two shipping routes that go to and from China. The western shipping route, which connects Vietnam and Thailand, has anything to do with Java. Malaysia-Sumatra Java-Bali-Timor. Chinese trade vessels traveled west to Indonesia and southwest along Borneo’s coast to return to China. Prior to the Chinese opening up commerce with Indonesia, particularly with East Java, it appears that Indonesians alone controlled the majority of ships and trade.
The development of trade links between China and Majapahit throughout the Majapahit period can be inferred from these historical data. The availability of two significant rivers in East Java, especially the Bengawan Solo and the Brantas River, contributed to the development of Majapahit trade through shipping routes. Because they empty into the Java Sea, which serves as the primary trading route, these two rivers have been important since before Majapahit. The western shipping lane and the eastern shipping lane are the two shipping routes that go to and from China. The western shipping route, which connects Vietnam and Thailand, has anything to do with Java. Malaysia-Sumatra Java-Bali-Timor. Chinese trade ships reportedly traveled to Indonesia via the west before returning to China via Borneo’s southwest coast. Prior to the Chinese opening up commerce with Indonesia, particularly with East Java, it appears that Indonesians alone controlled the majority of ships and trade.