This article examines how far existing work on the Indian Ocean has focused on aspects like sovereignty and maritime law in the western Indian Ocean and argues for more research in this field. The conduct of shipping in the western Indian Ocean took a drastic shift during the period from 1700 to 1900 when an organised admiralty law was drafted in India, indicating that the role played by the British in this process cannot be disregarded. Highlighting the struggle between various European powers for supremacy over maritime trade and commerce in the Indian Ocean by analysing the available sources, this article identifies numerous gaps in studies of the Indian Ocean, which need further scholarly exploration.
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