Inter-island trade in Indonesia in antiquity

Archipelago area comprising thousands of islands extending from the western to the eastern reaches. Between the islands from one another has fostered relationships that lasted a long time ago, of which trade relations, especially in the Islamic kingdoms archipelago. Interaction takes place between other trades should be supported knowledge about the wind. Indonesia's flanked by two continents and two major seas, territory traversed the equator, so that Indonesia has monsoon climate, a climate that is marked turn toward the wind which lasted for six months in the equatorial region. By leveraging the knowledge of the wind direction changes, then around September-October are the ships will sail east to west. Instead, sometime in March-April the ships sailed from west to east.

Re trading activity in the archipelago is incidental, but sooner or later there is a change to be activities that take place continuously, and more, and more profitable. Thus came the trade center owned several governments whose territory spans the beach. As for trade centers before the year 1500, among others based on central Sumatra-century 5/6, Sriwijaya ke-7/14 century, 14th-century Malay, bali-11th century, the 11th century Pajajaran, Pajajaran century -8 until the 16th, century Majapahit ke-13/14, Gowa-Tallo second century, Ternate and Tidore the 13th century, ocean pasai the 13th century, and so on.

Trading activity that took place at that time done by barter system (exchange switch goods with goods). Little do the people who did reciprocate with money. Barter traders generally done hinterland. Reason, communication activities with the rural areas less so smoothly. contrary to the inland, coastal area communities have established good relations with the outside, so most people were using the currency trading activities.