History
Plants are responsible for much of humankind’s advancement on earth, as food, fodder, building materials, and textiles. The spice trade, however, may have changed the course of history from one of isolated clans to nations and cities of power and prestige. It was because of the monopolies by the East on the spices that brave sailors of the west went forth into the age of exploration. However, for now, we just focus on how valuable spices (and other plant-based commodities) created the trade routes that your characters usually wander along.
While many believe that the spices were used to hide the smell and taste of rotting meat, we realize now that this is unlikely. Spices were highly valuable and were only readily affordable by the wealthy who would not have to worry about spoiled meat in their pantry. The real reason for the high price placed on spices during the Middle Ages remains a mystery.
The earliest documentation of this type of mass trade comes from the Mediterranean, specifically the Egyptians, who already imported spices by 1500 BCE for use in perfumes, body ointments, and embalming. In the Bible, Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers to the spice traders traveling to Egypt on camels “bearing spicery and balm and myrrh” (Genesis 37:25). The Queen of Sheba quickly presented King Solomon with spices as well as gold when his ships threatened her trade route.
The Incense Road
One of the most important trade routes of ancient times was the Incense Route or Road. Starting around 1800 BCE when camels were domesticated, the merchants of India transported the powdered spices for incenses throughout the ports of the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt. Once the incenses were to the ports, the Arabs would maneuver the caravans through Petra to Egypt and Syria. The Red Sea was avoided at first due to the dangers involved. The route was not fixed; as towns and kingdoms tried to tax the merchants coming through, the Arabs would change the route, and towns along the way would wax and wane.
The Arabian people known as the Nabateans became the middle men that traversed the difficult route (the Silk Road as well), and demanded gold and silver for their wares. They became very wealthy from the process until the Romans bypassed the land routes through the Red Sea.
The Assyrians, then the Persians as well as the Greeks were at various times in control of the Incense Road. Rather than trying to control the Arabian Peninsula, the Romans hired the Greeks to bypass the route via the Red Sea and the Arabs, losing significant amounts of money, started raiding the Greek ships. Eventually the Romans took control of the western portion of the Peninsula, then the road itself, building better roads, wells, and forts along the way. Soon after 24 BCE, the Incense Sea Route had mostly replaced the land route.
The Romans started sailing to India from Egypt in the first century CE. It was hazardous, the journey taking upwards of two years until the middle of the century when Hippalus, a Greek merchant, figured out the monsoon winds. Following them, the journey was shortened to less than a year and the Romans were able to become extremely wealthy off the spice trade.
The Silk Road
Also in the first century, the Silk Road came into use, but the patterns of travel may have been well established long before this time. It was a series of interconnected overland routes from China’s city of Chang’an (Xian), leading west to skirt the Himalayas, where it would either go across Persia and the Fertile Crescent to the Mediterranean, or to the Indus valley down to the coast, or north over the Aral and Caspian Seas to the Black Sea and Byzantium. The routes changed often due to the avoidance of bandits and certain towns, but the Chinese were able to make enough money to control much of Asia and even police some of the roads, carrying silk, jewels, cassia, cumin, and ginger to Rome.
The main traders along the Silk Road once it left China were the Indian and Bactrian traders first, then the Sogdian Traders of the 5th to 8th centuries, then the Persians.
The Romans
The Romans were said to have used spices to such access that they bathed themselves in them. They carried them everywhere their conquering armies went. They gave a gift to Britain of some 400 aromatic plants, but it has been acknowledged that the Britain tribes knew about these spices much earlier, trading raw materials for spices from Asia and wine and herbs from the Mediterranean countries. When Alaric the Visigoth advanced on Roma in 408 CE, one of the payments to raise the blockade was 3000 pounds of pepper.
The Muslims
While Rome fell, Constantinople rose in prominence and the trading shifted. The most famous spice trader of all was the prophet Mohammed who began as a camel driver and then went into partnership with a spice shop in Mecca. Later, he married the widow of a spice merchant and carried on his mission trading in spices, and spreading the Islamic faith. The Mohammedans were largely responsible for advancing the techniques of extracting and distilling scents and oils from aromatic plants.
During the early Middle Ages, Jewish merchants known as Rhadanites dominated the trade between Muslim and Christian countries, covering much of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of India and China. They had four major routes that began in the Rhône Valley of France and terminated in China. The fall of the Tang Dynasty in China in 908 and the destruction of the Khazar Khaganate some 60 years later led to widespread chaos throughout China, Eurasia, and the Caucasus. Trade routes became unstable and the fragmenting of the Muslim and Christian empires into smaller states allowed for non-Jews to enter the market. Most documents show that by 900 CE, almost all the spices completely disappeared from European tables.
The Medieval Era
While the Moslems continued to develop the spices for their own use, the Europe entered the Dark Ages and remained there for several hundred years. Very few spices reached Europe as there was little direct trade between the Christian Europeans and the Muslim Empire. The few spices that did arrive were found only in the great houses and palaces as well as the monasteries and priories. Charlemagne decreed certain temperate herbs and spices were to be cultivated on all the imperial states. Spices were taxed at every opportunity however.
It wasn’t until the 12th century Crusades that thousands of pilgrims to Palestine and Syria produced a new trade system between East and West. Ships brought supplies to the crusading soldiers and returned with spices, jewels, and exotic fruit. Ports like Venice and Genoa became increasingly rich and helped bring about the Italian Renaissance. In Europe wealth was shown through the exquisite presentation of food. Despite modern-day rumors that pepper and other spices were used to make rotten meat smell better, it seems more logical that only the rich could afford the extravagant prices of these herbs, and the rich would not have spoiled meat in their larders.
English merchants traveled to the continental trade fairs to buy spices and Venetian galleys sailed into British ports, but the Brits had to pay dearly for the Channel crossing. In the 13th century pepper cost twice as much in England as it did in France and peppercorns were so valuable as to be counted singly ad were even accepted as currency. In 1180, a pepperers’ guild of wholesale merchants was set up in London. This was later incorporated into a spicers’ guild, and was eventually replaced by the Grocers’ Company in 1429.
Although still very expensive, the use of herbs did spread to the middle class, but trade was still not easy. The spices passed though many hands and each charged another price. The Italian states grew enormously and fought with each other until Venice defeated Genoa and controlled the entire trade with the Orient, lasting until the 1400s. The other countries were desperate for a solution that would bypass all the transactions and excessive prices.
Age of Exploration
Marco Polo set out at the beginning of the 13th Century from Venice to China. By this time many of the Classical trade links had been broken and forgotten. When he returned home 25 years later with tales of giant marketplaces, palaces, silks, and exotic spices, no one believed him. The Polo family put on a lavish feast, wearing silk robes and Oriental delicacies that convinced many that he spoke the truth. But it wasn’t for another two centries that the European nations finally grew tired of paying the middle men.
Prince Henry of Portugal, also known as The Navigator, set up a school for navigation in southwest Portugal with the hope of finding a way to the east. His navigators found a way to Africa, bringing back important cargo, but he never saw them make it all the way to the east. Diaz sailed to the Cape of Good Hope and then in May of 1498, after a ten-month voyage, Vasco de Gama of Portugal reached Calicut in India. He returned several months later with spices and jewels, and the assurance that the ruler was willing to trade. In 1500, Cabral followed with a larger fleet, took Brazil along the way, and returned a year later with a cargo of pepper and other spices. The Venetian monopoly was broken. In 1504 Manuel I declared a fixed price for pepper to stop the wildly fluctuating prices, and in 1506 he made the Lisbon spice trade a crown monopoly.
The Arabs, who for centuries controlled trade in the Indian Ocean, fought back, but by 1510 the Portuguese established themselves at Goa and on the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). They seized Malacca, one of the most important spice centers. By 1515. after the discovery of Madagascar, Borneo, and Java, the Portuguese had control of virtually to entire Far Eastern trade and brought back such wealth that Lisbon harbor had every appearance of an Eastern spice market. The king of Portugal financed another expedition and Magellan sailed almost around the world. Although he was killed by natives in the Philippines, Magellan’s fleet arrived home, converting the flat map into a globe forever.
Six years before Vasco de Gama reached the east, Columbus made landfall in the Americas. His journey brought Europe Tobacco, yams, kidney beans, chili peppers, and many other herbs and spices. In 1519, Cortez attempted to conquer Mexico, and brought back not only great wealth in gold and silver, but vanilla, chocolate, turkey, maize, tomatoes, and potatoes.
While the Portuguese were establishing themselves, the Dutch traders controlled the shipping and trade in Northern Europe for the first half of the 16th century. Then in 1568, Philip II of Spain moved on the Netherlands and war broke out. In 1579 the Netherlands declared their independence and the Spanish were eventually dislodged but it wasn’t until 1602 that the United East Indian Company was formed to stop internal fighting in the Netherlands. This eventually became the Dutch East India Company and took control of Malacca, the Malay Peninsula, and northern Sumatra. The Dutch attempted to take complete control over the islands, nearly exterminating some native tribes and spending more money in their attempt at a monopoly than what was possibly profitable for them in the long run. In 1607, a young bookkeeper names Jan Coen rose to become director-general of the company and governor-general of the islands and single-handedly created the Dutch Empire.
In 1577, Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world to find a northeast passage to China and brought back a large and wealthy spice cargo. Maritime fighting began in earnest, and Queen Elizabeth granted a charter to the East India Company to handle trade with the Eastern Hemisphere.
Using the Spice Trade in Your Campaign
Any age of historic gaming will be influenced by the spice trades. It also stands to reason that most medieval-style hack n’ slash or even total fantasy gaming will have regular trade routes with middlemen and influential governments taking a piece of the pie. The concepts seen in history’s spice trade can be used in intergalactic and multi-universe gaming on the grandest scale. Both Dune and Star Wars used “spice” to denote a major trade item, although in Star Wars “spice” was a name for an illegal drug.
Real Caravans
A caravan is a group of people traveling together, and was used to describe merchants and pilgrims that used the Silk Road. In most cases the travelers had camels or horses. A caravanserai or karwansiray was a Persian word meaning “a home for a caravan.” A caravansara was an inn for caravan travelers. In the cases of camel trains traveling across the Sahara, the camels would be fattened for months in the plains of either the Maghreb or Sahel before being assembled into a caravan. According to one explorer who accompanied them, Ibn Batutta, the average size for a caravan was 1000 camels, with some being as large as 12000. The caravan would be guided by highly paid Berber guides who knew the desert and could keep their fellow desert nomads safe.
The caravan was coordinated deftly, with runners being sent to the next oasis to bring back water while the caravan was still several days out, since the caravan could not carry enough water to make the full journey.
Professions and NPCs: Camel Driver, Spice Merchant, Desert Guide, Caravansara Innkeeper, Camp Follower, Desert Guard, Raiders
As professions, most characters would have to be desert people to be a part of the camel train or among the merchants, those of other races would have to be content as camp followers or stragglers who assist where they can for food and water.
Ancient Trade
The ancients were not as primitive as we would like to think. There are detailed descriptions of Queen Hashejput’s journey to the mysterious land of Punt, and this reveals there was a canal connection the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, similar to the Suez Canal of today.
Boats were popular along the seas and, once the monsoon winds were recognized as having patterns, seamen would travel back and forth along the waters to bypass the caravans.
Professions: Buyers, Sellers, Sea Captains, Guards, Shipmates, Pirates
Age of Exploration
These were the people who would sail for months at a time, bypassing everyone to get to new wealth and spices.
Professions: Captains, Navigators, Crewmen, Contractors, Mapmakers
Outer Space
It can happen. A new plant, medicine, drug, or delicacy discovered in the far reaches of space. Instantly, there’s a race to see who makes the best deal the fastest, without the authorities knowing.
Professions: Buyers, Sellers, Smugglers, Captains, Navigators, Mapmakers, Pirates, Corporate Sponsors, “the authorities”
Where The Spices Came From
This is NOT set in stone. Of course there are always exceptions and I’m probably not 100% accurate.
Europe:
- Northern Europe: Mustard, Poppy, Caraway
- Continental Europe: Mustard, Chillis, Paprika, Smallage, Juniper, Nigella
- Mediterranean: Poppy seed, Caraway, Coriander, Paprika, Mustard, Dill, Fennel, Sumac, Fenugreek
Asia:
- Mediterranean: Paprika, Coriander, Poppy seed, Aniseed, Cumin, Saffron (reached Continental Europe by 10th Century)
- Arabia: Anise, Sesame, Cumin, Asafetida, Aniseed
- Asia Minor: Coriander, Saffron, Cumin
- India: Pepper, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Coriander, Cumin, Cardamom, Ginger, Sesame, Zedoary, Tamarind, Ajowan
- China/East Asia: Cassia, Star Anise, Cumin, Ginger, Sesame, Turmeric, Fagara
- Southeastern Asia: Cassia, Lemon Grass, Galangal, Ginger Sri Lanka: Cinnamon, Turmeric, Cassia, Cardamom
- Indonesia: Ginger, Turmeric, Cloves, Zedoary, Lemon Grass, Nutmeg, Mace, Cubeb
Africa:
- Northwest Africa: Coriander, Paprika, Cumin, Fenugreek, Saffron
- Egypt: Sesame, Cumin
- East Africa: Sesame, Fenugreek, Mustard, Tamarind
- West Africa: Grains of Paradise, Ginger, Coriander, Sesame
- South Africa: Cardamom, Cinnamon
- Madagascar and nearby islands: Paprika, Cassia, Pepper
Americas:
- North America: Mustard
- Central America: Vanilla, Capsicum, Allspice, Cardamom
- West Indies: Capsicum, Allspice
- South America: Capsicum
Scenarios
Spice trade routes, caravans, wagon trains, tradesmen, and thieves can be in any game setting, regardless of what universe their world is in. Spices were considered valuable trade items in ancient and medieval eras, and commodities in later years.
- A spice trader would like a guide to lead him into unfamiliar territory.
- Someone the party helps along the way pays in spices and now the characters have to unload it.
- A tradesman hires the characters to harass and raid a rival.
- A distributor becomes incapacitated and begs the party to run his route for him in return for a share.
- A caravan is hiring for guides/guards for a particularly dangerous journey.
- Make the campaign party a bunch of people running their own caravan, or they start to run one after discovering a new spice.
- The characters are pirates and have their own distribution network, or they need to find one.
- The authorities of a town or region demand the characters meet with a caravan/trade.
- Authorities want to levy taxes (or take for themselves) a highly valuable spice and the characters are hired to smuggle it into the main city.
Next Up: Creating Your Own Flora—Medicinal, Magical, or Totally Messed-Up
