Part I. Regional partners. 3. The Swahili coast
- 4. The intermediate desert zone
- 5. The western Indian seaboard
Part II. Navigation. 6. The Dhow
- 7. Navigational methods in the western Indian Ocean
Part III. Dialogue across the ocean. 8. The dawn: the world of the Periplus
- 9. The Iranian interval
- 11. Madagascar: people who have come from the sea
Part IV. The cultural world of the Indian Ocean. 12. Slave trade and slavery in the Indian Ocean: The Zanj rebellion
- 14. Cultural continuum: mobility across the Indian Ocean
- 15. Mare liberum and its antithesis.