_ 142 _ The Arabs had been thrown into disorder by the rise of the powerful Karimi gild to dominance in the western Ocean from the eleventh century onwards. The Mamluk Sultan Barsbay had deprived them by taking for himself a monopoly of trade in spices (1429), after which many of them emigrated to Indian ports and joined up with local traders. - Trade was predominantly in Muslim hands, but this did not mean that it was dominated by the Arabs, but rather by the Muslims of Bengal, Malabar and, in particular, Gujarat. At the time when the Portuguese were making their appearance in Indian waters the Gujaratis were busy taking over the space which had been left free by the withdrawal of the Chinese and the decline of the Arabs. - In the light of the story which has been set out here it is necessary to drop the familiar view, which has been generally accepted, that the advent of the Portuguese had the effect of revolutionizing an eastern world where everything had been proceeding harmoniously in accordance with traditions which dated back many centuries. On the contrary, Vasco da Gama made his appearance in a world which had recently seen irreversible changes and a transformation in religious, social and economic matters. Moreover, these changes were
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