Throughout the Middle Ages, cities in Afro-Eurasia grew as trade centers due to

advantages such as their central location, which attracted many merchants from all over the
world. Calicut brought together merchants from Persia, China, India, Arabia, Portugal, and
Southeast Asia because of products being exchanged, such as spices and pepper, cotton cloth,
silk, and porcelain. As a result of the exchanges happening in Calicut, people come from all over
the world to buy Calicuts pepper which drives their tax gains, and with so many people buying
their pepper, Calicut becomes a tolerant multicultural city, and because of this, people move
from far away places to Calicut, which leads to shipwrecks and conflict with pirates.

Some effects of the exchanges at Calicut helped build cultural understanding. It is

visited by men from China, Sumatra, Ceylon [Sri Lanka], the Maldives, Yemen, and Fars [from

Persia], and merchants from all quarters gather there. Ibn Battuta wrote in his book, The Travels
Of Ibn Battuta in 1325. This means that Calicut was very well known by many people. People
from all over the world came and gathered here to exchange their goods in Calicut. Another
example is, It contains a large number of Muslims who are consistent. Residents and have built
two mosques. Abdu Razzak wrote in D escription Of Calicut. This means that Calicut has a
large group of Muslims that come to Calicut a lot and share their culture with the rest of the
people, which makes it a multicultural city. Both of these pieces of evidence proves that Calicut
was a tolerant multicultural city.

The exchanges happening in Calicut made many merchants rich, and the desire for more
riches encouraged them to return to Calicut to trade. Much pepper is grown on the hills. The
inhabitants of the mountainous countryside have established gardens, and it is extensively
cultivated. When the period of the tenth moon arrives, the pepper ripens. It is collected, dried in
the sun, and sold. Ma-huan wrote in Description of Calicut and Pepper Production, 1409. This
means that more and more people came to Calicut to trade for pepper because the tax paid on the
pepper drives the tax gains, and Pepper is exclusive to India, and not other trade cities. This is
to announce to you, my brother, that I have set out from India and arrived in Aden- may God
protect it! - safely with my belongings, life, and children Now I wish to let you know that I

have enough to live on for all of us. Said Abraham Ben Yiju written in Letter from Abraham
Ben Yiju to His Brother in North Africa, 1149.This means that people had would move huge
distances to Calicut for many reasons, and they would take everything they had with them.

The exchanges at Calicut made it more likely for conflict and war to occur. A ship
carries 1,000 men, 600 sailors and 400 soldiers, including archers, men with shields, and
arbalists, who throw naphtha.

Ibn Battuta wrote in The Travels of Ibn Battuta, 1325. This means
that the ships not only brought many sailors, they also brought soldiers and archers with many
different kinds of weapons. I wish to inform you [Abu Zikri], my lord, that I was very sad to
hear that your ship had been seized by pirates. Mahruz B. wrote in Letter from Mahruz B. Jacob
to Abu Zikri, 1145. This means that when Abu Zikri travelled overseas, his ship was taken over
by pirates, which means that travelling on a boat was dangerous. There was a lot of war and
conflict with many things such as pirates, and it was a hazard.

Calicut was very important for trading during the medieval period. People came from
many countries and cultures to trade. They even risked their life going to Calicut, because piracy
was very likely during that time. Products were spread all around the world because of the trade
happening in Calicut. It became a city of riches because they were selling and trading so many
products to merchants and traders.