▁transition ed ▁to ▁navigation . ▁ ▁When ▁combined ▁with ▁detailed ▁maps ▁of ▁the ▁period , ▁sail ors ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁sail ▁across ▁o ce ans ▁rather ▁than ▁sk irt ▁along ▁the ▁coast . ▁Muslim ▁sail ors ▁were ▁also ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁late en ▁s ails ▁and ▁large ▁three - m asted ▁merchant ▁vessels ▁to ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁The ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁car avel ▁ship , ▁developed ▁and ▁used ▁for ▁long - distance ▁travel ▁by ▁the ▁Portuguese , ▁and ▁later ▁by ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁I ber ians , ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁also ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁q ar ib ▁used ▁by ▁And alus ian ▁expl or ers ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁sea ▁lan es ▁between ▁India ▁and ▁neighbor ing ▁lands ▁were ▁the ▁usual ▁form ▁of ▁trade ▁for ▁many ▁centuries , ▁and ▁are ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁w ides p read ▁influence ▁of ▁Indian ▁culture ▁to ▁the ▁soci eties ▁of ▁S out heast ▁Asia . ▁Power ful ▁nav ies ▁included ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁Ma ury a , ▁Sat av ah ana , ▁Ch ola , ▁V ij ay an ag ara , ▁Kal ing a , ▁Mar ath a ▁and ▁M ug hal ▁Empire . ▁ ▁Vik ings ▁used ▁polar ization ▁and ▁the ▁S unst one ▁to ▁allow ▁navigation ▁of ▁their ▁ships ▁by ▁loc ating ▁the ▁Sun ▁even ▁in ▁a ▁completely ▁over cast ▁sky . ▁This ▁special ▁min eral ▁was ▁talked ▁about ▁in ▁several ▁ 1 3