Includes Index

1. Imagining the Indian Ocean
2. The ancient Indian Ocean
3. Becoming an Islamic sea
4. Intrusions and transitions in the early modern period
5. The long nineteenth century
6. The last century

The Indian Ocean remains the least studied of the world's geographic regions. Yet there have been major cultural exchanges across its waters and around its shores from the third millennium B.C.E. to the present day. Historian Edward A. Alpers explores the complex issues involved in cultural exchange in the Indian Ocean Rim region over the course of this long period of time by combining a historical approach with the insights of anthropology, art history, ethnomusicology, and geography. The Indian Ocean witnessed several significant diasporas during the past two millennia, including migrations.