" Islam’s imperial ambitions to resist. From 1 CE to 1500 CE, no region in the world—including China—had a larger share of global GDP. Its copious supply of pearls, diamonds, ivory, ebony, and spices ensured that India ran what amounted to a thousand-year trade surplus. "

― Steven Johnson , Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History's First Global Manhunt