As the Strait of Hormuz takes up centre stage in geopolitics today, the larger context within which the strait exists in the Indian Ocean has been more widely researched lately by historians, strategic scholars, and even literary critics. Today, these studies are emerging as central to understanding the current conflict.
Largely seen to connect maritime history, society and culture from Africa all the way to Australasia, Indian Ocean Studies shifts the perspective from land and continental connections to those which are enriched by waterways and coastal contacts. This includes exploring prehistoric connections, trade along the Silk and Spice Routes, as well as migrations buoyed by traditional boats and dhows.
Historically, the Indian Ocean was primarily seen as separating continents and contributing to the annual monsoons, on which so much of agriculture in Asia depends. By the early 21st century, however, the ocean began to be seen as a treasure trove of historical material which showcased ancient trade routes that enabled rich cultural interdependencies.
In 1938, Allan Villiers published a travelogue on his journey from Kuwait to the Swahili coast, using well-researched material and offering a unique perspective on life as seen from the sea.
This interest was carried forward by multiple conferences which reflected the rising interest in the interdisciplinary studies of the Indian Ocean. They also included the historical work of Abdul Sherrif’s ‘Dhow cultures of the Indian Ocean’ and Michel Pearson’s ‘The Indian Ocean ’, in which he stated that he wanted to “write a more total history than has appeared so far”.
The attempt thus far has been to resist the subordination of Ocean Studies, particularly the Indian Ocean, in understanding the complex networks that make up world history, politics and society. It was also an attempt to shift attention from the Atlantic Ocean, with its focus on the slave trade.
Emerging work on the Indian Ocean includes fascinating work on the connections between architecture and trade in Mocha, the travel of coffee from Yemen, and the linguistic similarities of coastal and interior regions of Africa and India, to name just a few areas of scholarship.
Today, it has become even more important to understand the complex geopolitics of the Indian Ocean, given the recent conflicts and recalibration of all concerned entities. In fact, the inability to understand the interplay of geographical and cultural histories, linguistic connections and dissonances, as well as ancient friendships and rivalries, makes it difficult to apply Western-centric modes of control.
The Indian Ocean has been called the ‘global superhighway for commerce and energy’. It is responsible for more than 70 per cent of all container trade and 80 per cent of seaborne oil trade. As such, its economic significance is irrefutable. But more importantly, the interconnectivity and networks which go back to pre-history make the Indian Ocean a geo-political and strategic centre.
The region, in fact, is the flashpoint for the strategic competition of global powers as they jockey for security influence, mainly through naval dominance and logistical access.
Of equal significance is the fact that the ocean also stores huge untapped wealth in the form of hydrocarbons, fisheries and precious minerals, all of which present economic opportunities for all the states surrounding the ocean, and any world power would aspire to control it.
Most importantly, the Indian Ocean today has become the epicentre of conflict in the Arabian Gulf, bringing together multiple powers and their proxies at war with each other. Without a historical perspective and a cultural understanding of the Indian Ocean, this present conflict risks being reduced to a binary war that ignores complex relationships steeped in history and maritime geography.
SANDHYA RAO MEHTA
The writer is Associate Professor, Sultan Qaboos University