Just another historical blip

While lazily sucking on my waterpipe(shisha) I fell to reflection on the Arabic guests in the resort and the long association of the Middle East with these parts. From what I understand the Romans were the trailblazers sailing their massive ships from the Red Sea through to the Malabar coast. Riding on the monsoon they would then return to the Red Sea Coast with there sought-after cargo of spices destined for the demanding palates of Rome.
Of course we know what happened then - decline and fall- but the passage of spices and other luxuries must have been noticed by the local people as the camel trains made their way through the desert to Alexandria. So it was not to far a stretch for those of an entrepreneurial bent to follow in the Roman's footsteps. Thus it was when De Gama "discovered" the Indies he was pretty taken aback to find that there were already Tunisians and other Arab traders well established and not inclined to give up their lucrative activities. Of course De Gama wanted it all for the glory of Portugal and used his cannons to conduct a dialogue. But he did not entirely disrupt the trade.
Thus in this part of the world Islam is the main religion at least 90% of Malaysia and probably more of Indonesia. Even in Singapore, Raffles employed the skills and contacts of the established Arab traders. I wonder how many of these well -heeled visitors (mainly from the UAE) know how long the histrical trail is back to their trading ancestors.