India had long-standing trade relations with the Arabian Peninsula. Arab traders were visiting the Malabar coast in South India well before the advent of Islam. With the rise of Islam in the 7th century CE, Arab merchants brought the new faith with them. Their interaction with the local population led to the peaceful spread of Islam in coastal areas, particularly on the Malabar coast, through trade and settlement, even before the first significant military invasions. The Arab invasion of Sindh in 712 CE marked the first major military contact and the establishment of Muslim rule in a part of India, but contact and the introduction of Islam through trade routes predate this. Turkish invasions started much later in the 11th century. Sufi saints and Arab travellers also played a role, but the earliest significant contact that facilitated the spread of Islam was through the established trade networks involving Arab merchants.