English: Page 130 of The Cambridge Economic History of India: Volume 1, C.1200-c.1750 states "A vessel from Bengal, probably owned by the Sultan of Bengal, could accommodate three separate tribute missions- from Bengal, Sumatra and Brunei- and was evidently the only vessel plying in those decades in south-east Asian waters and was equal to such a task".

Page 185 of the Economic History of Medieval India, 1200-1500 states "large number of Bengali merchants at Malacca"

Page 14 of the Culture and Customs of Kenya states "Malindi ambassadors at the court of the king of Bengal"

Other sources include Chinese accounts (Ma Huan) and European accounts (Tom Pires, Duarte Barbosa and Ludovico di Varthema). The sultanate's maritime links with China, the Middle East and Portuguese India are well documented. With the Maldives, Bengal exported rice and imported cowry shells.