Crops Introduced by Foreign Traders

India’s long coastline and ancient maritime links made it a key hub of agricultural exchange and biological diffusion across Asia, Africa, and Europe. From the Indo-Roman trade (1st century BCE) to the European colonial period (16^th - 18th centuries), foreign traders introduced several new crops that diversified Indian agriculture and influenced food habits, economy, and ecology. These introductions came through the Arab traders, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and English merchants, who played crucial roles in reshaping India’s agrarian and commercial landscape.

Early Introductions through West Asian and Arab Traders

Channels of Introduction

• After the decline of the Roman trade, ....