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Ancient Trade Between India and the Philippines: Forgotten Maritime Links Across the Bay of Bengal

Long before European powers arrived in Asia, a vibrant network of sea routes connected India to Southeast Asia. One of the lesser-known but historically rich connections was the ancient trade between India and the Philippines, which flourished across the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea.

As early as the 1st millennium CE, Indian traders, sailors, and spiritual ideas reached the Philippine islands. This connection wasn’t limited to goods like spices, textiles, and gold, but extended to language, religion, art, and writing systems—influences that still echo in Filipino culture today.

This article explores the forgotten Indo-Philippine maritime relationship, uncovering the roles of ancient ports, cultural exchanges, and the impact of Indianized Southeast Asian kingdoms like Srivijaya and Majapahit.

1. India’s Ancient Maritime Power: A Gateway to the East

Key Eastern Ports of India

India’s eastern coast had thriving ports that connected the subcontinent with Southeast Asia:

  • Tamralipti (West Bengal)

  • Kalingapatnam (Odisha/Andhra Pradesh)

  • Puhar and Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu)

These ports became active trade centers from as early as 500 BCE, sending ships toward Southeast Asian kingdoms through the Strait of Malacca.

The Monsoon Advantage

Indian sailors understood and used monsoon winds to navigate:

  • Southwest monsoon (May–September) carried ships eastward.

  • Northeast monsoon (October–March) helped them return west.

This seasonal pattern enabled regular and reliable trade between India, Sumatra, Borneo, and possibly the Philippines.

2. The Philippines in the Ancient Trade Network

Strategic Location of the Archipelago

Although farther east, the Philippines was part of the larger Maritime Silk Route. Ports like Butuan, Cebu, and Palawan played a major role in trade.

Butuan: Evidence of Indian Connection

Archaeological finds in Butuan (Mindanao region) include:

  • Balangay boats (4th–13th century CE)

  • Gold ornaments with Indian-inspired designs

  • Glass beads from Indo-Southeast Asian trade routes

  • Bronze tools using Indian metalwork techniques

These finds suggest that Butuan had direct or indirect trade links with India, possibly through Srivijaya.

3. The Cultural Bridges: Indianized Kingdoms of Southeast Asia

Indian influence often reached the Philippines through Indianized kingdoms—states that adopted Indian religion, scripts, and governance.

Key Cultural Intermediaries:

  • Srivijaya Empire (7th–13th century CE) – Controlled shipping routes and spread Mahayana Buddhism

  • Majapahit Empire (13th–16th century CE) – Projected cultural and political influence across the Visayas and Mindanao

  • Champa and Funan Kingdoms – Spread Hindu-Buddhist traditions along Vietnam and Cambodia’s coastlines

From these centers, Indian languages, stories, religious beliefs, and art forms flowed into the Philippines.

4. Goods That Crossed the Sea

Indian Exports to the Philippines:

  • Cotton textiles from Tamil Nadu and Bengal

  • Glass beads used for decoration and rituals

  • Bronze tools and weapons

  • Religious icons, such as miniature statues of Buddha and Vishnu

Philippine Exports to India and Southeast Asia:

  • Gold in various forms—dust, jewelry, and bars

  • Copal resin, prized for incense and medicine

  • Tortoise shells and pearls for luxury goods

  • Forest products like hardwood, honey, and rattan

These exchanges supported royal courts, temples, and day-to-day trade across the region.

5. Cultural and Linguistic Traces

While the Philippines didn’t fully adopt Indian religions, it absorbed many cultural elements that survive today.

Indian Words in Filipino Languages:

  • Bathala – Supreme god, from Sanskrit Bhattara (“noble lord”)

  • Diwata – Nature spirits, from Devata

  • Kalapati – Peace offering, echoing Kalpavriksha (wish-fulfilling tree)

Scripts and Writing Systems

The Baybayin script shares similarities with Indian scripts:

  • Influenced by Kawi script of Java

  • Kawi itself derived from Pallava script of southern India

This shows an indirect flow of Indian writing systems into the Philippines.

6. Echoes of Hindu-Buddhist Beliefs

Though the Philippines lacked grand Hindu or Buddhist temples, local belief systems mirrored Indian cosmology.

Examples include:

  • Belief in three worlds: heaven, earth, and underworld

  • Worship of ancestor spirits and nature deities, similar to devatas

  • Rituals with chants, offerings, and spiritual cycles

Some Filipino folk tales even resemble parts of the Ramayana, hinting at oral transmission of Indian epics.

7. Decline of the Indo-Philippine Maritime Link

By the 14th to 16th centuries, this vibrant trade began to fade due to:

  • Rise of Islamic sultanates, shifting trade toward the Middle East

  • Fall of empires like Srivijaya and Majapahit

  • Arrival of Spanish and Portuguese colonizers, who changed trade patterns

Still, Indian influence persisted in folk customs, crafts, jewelry, and sailing skills passed down through generations.

Conclusion: Reconnecting Forgotten Histories

The ancient maritime trade between India and the Philippines reveals a time when the sea united rather than divided civilizations. This wasn’t just about economic exchange—it was a flow of culture, faith, technology, and art that helped shape the identity of both regions.

Even today, traces of this long-forgotten relationship survive in languages, rituals, artifacts, and architecture. Re-examining this chapter of history helps us see Asia not as a collection of isolated nations, but as a connected world powered by seaborne trade, shared beliefs, and mutual respect.

By bringing this story back to light, we recognize the Philippines’ vital role in the Indian Ocean network and honor a cultural legacy that still echoes across the islands and shores of South and Southeast Asia.

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