The
Kingdom of Aksum or
Axum, also known as the
Aksumite Empire, was a
trading nation in the area of northern Ethiopia and Eritrea. It existed from approximately 100–940 AD. It grew from the proto-Aksumite
Iron Age period c. 4th century BC to achieve prominence by the 1st century AD, and was a major player in the commercial route between the
Roman Empire and
Ancient India. The Aksumite rulers facilitated trade by minting their own
Aksumite currency, the state established its
hegemony over the declining
Kingdom of Kush and regularly entered the politics of the kingdoms on the
Arabian Peninsula, eventually extending its rule over the region with the conquest of the
Himyarite Kingdom.