▁comes ▁from ▁ancient ▁S ansk rit ▁and ▁P ali ▁texts . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century , ▁Muslim ▁and ▁Arab ▁trad ers ▁introduced ▁sugar ▁from ▁medieval ▁India ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Abb as id ▁C ali ph ate ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an , ▁Mes op ot am ia , ▁Egypt , ▁North ▁Africa , ▁and ▁And alus ia . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century , ▁sources ▁state ▁that ▁every ▁village ▁in ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁grew ▁sugar c ane . ▁It ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁early ▁cro ps ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish , ▁mainly ▁And alus ians , ▁from ▁their ▁fields ▁in ▁the ▁Can ary ▁Islands , ▁and ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁from ▁their ▁fields ▁in ▁the ▁Made ira ▁Islands . ▁ ▁Christopher ▁Columb us ▁first ▁brought ▁sugar c ane ▁to ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁during ▁his ▁second ▁voyage ▁to ▁the ▁Amer icas ; ▁initially ▁to ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁His p ani ola ▁( mod ern ▁day ▁H ait i ▁and ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁Republic ). ▁In ▁colonial ▁times , ▁sugar ▁formed ▁one ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁triangle ▁trade ▁of ▁New ▁World ▁raw ▁materials , ▁along ▁with ▁European ▁manufact ured ▁goods , ▁and ▁African ▁slaves . ▁Sug ar , ▁often ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁mol ass es , ▁was ▁sh ipped ▁from ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁to ▁Europe ▁or ▁New ▁England , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁make ▁rum . ▁The ▁prof its ▁from ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁sugar ▁were ▁then ▁used ▁to ▁purchase ▁manufact ured