Background: European Expansion into the Indian Ocean
- Search for Spices
- European nations, especially Portugal and Spain, sought direct routes to Asia to trade for spices, silk, and precious goods without relying on Arab or Venetian middlemen.
- Portuguese Leadership
- Backed by Prince Henry the Navigator, Portugal invested in navigation schools and improved caravel ships and astrolabes.
- Strategic Goals
- The Portuguese Crown aimed to dominate Indian Ocean trade and convert local populations to Christianity.
- Vasco da Gama’s Voyage (1498)
- Da Gama reached Calicut (Kozhikode), India, becoming the first European to sail directly from Europe to Asia.
- Economic Revolution
- His voyage linked Europe and Asia by sea, marking the start of global maritime tradeand the decline of overland Silk Road routes.
Definition
Astrolabe
- A navigation tool used to measure latitude by observing the stars.
Vasco da Gama’s Voyage to India (1498)
The Voyage and Its Challenges
- Departed from Lisbon (1497) with four ships, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.
- Used Arab navigators to cross the Indian Ocean and reached Calicut in 1498.
- Faced resistance from local Muslim merchants who controlled the spice trade.
- Da Gama’s voyage proved Asia could be reached by sea, reducing reliance on Middle Eastern trade routes.
- Returned to Portugal with cargo worth 60 times the cost of the expedition.
Significance and Impact
- Marked the beginning of European maritime dominance in Asia.
- Led to the creation of Portuguese trading posts in Goa, Malacca, and the East Indies.
- Encouraged further exploration and colonization by other European powers.
- Sparked conflict between Europeans and local rulers over control of ports and trade.
- Shifted global trade centers from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic world.
Establishment of Portuguese Power in Asia
- Capture of Malacca (1511)
- Portuguese forces led by Afonso de Albuquerque captured Malacca, the key port linking India and China.
- Strategic Importance
- Malacca controlled the Straits of Malacca, a narrow passage vital for Asian maritime trade.
- Military Superiority
- Portugal’s advanced ships and cannons gave them an advantage over local sultanates.
- Religious and Economic Goals
