The Kingdom of Aksum or Axum, also known as the Aksumite Empire, was an important trading nation in the area which is now Eritreaand northern Ethiopia, existing from approximately 100–940 AD. It grew from the proto-Aksumite Iron Age period, into the 4th century BC, to achieve prominence by the 1st century AD, and was a major player in the commerce between the Roman Empire and Ancient India. The Aksumite rulers facilitated trade by minting their own 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.