Maritime Empires Established

Maritime Empires Established (Unit 4 Topic 4.4)

Learning Objective

  • Explain the process of state building and expansion among various empires and states in the period from 1450 to 1750.

Historical Developments

  • Europeans established new trading posts in Africa and Asia, enhancing profitability for rulers and merchants involved in new global trade networks.

    • Economic Policies: Some Asian states adopted restrictive or isolationist trade policies to mitigate the disruptive economic and cultural effects stemming from European-dominated long-distance trade.

  • Driven by political, religious, and economic rivalries, European states created new maritime empires:

    • Portuguese Empire

    • Spanish Empire

    • Dutch Empire

    • French Empire

    • British Empire

  • The expansion of maritime trading networks played a key role in the growth of African states such as:

    • Asante Empire

    • Kingdom of the Kongo

    • Participation in these networks increased their influence significantly.

Vasco da Gama and Portuguese Expansion

  • Vasco da Gama's 1498 Journey: Marked the beginning of significant Portuguese interest in establishing trading posts alongside the African coast and in Asia.

    • Destinations: Calicut, India

  • The Portuguese led expeditions to explore and control trade routes, which sparked increased interest in maritime trade across the globe.

The Swahili City-States

  • Definition: The term "Swahili" translates to "people of the coast," referring to the coastal trading cities.

  • Characteristics:

    • Composed of 35 independent cities.

    • Flourished through trade between the 12th and 15th centuries.

    • Served as active merchant ports primarily managed by Muslim traders.

Portuguese Engagement in East Africa

Vasco da Gama's Raid

  • In 1498, Vasco da Gama and his crew raided and looted unarmed merchant ships near Mombasa, provoking local responses and contributing to ongoing Portuguese intrigue in East African trade.

  • Mombasa was the first major city visited by the Portuguese, marking a point of prolonged interest due to its significance in Indian Ocean trade.

Control Over Mombasa (1593-1698)

  • Fort Jesus: Built by the Portuguese in 1593 to secure their claim to Mombasa, highlighting its value as a trading port.

  • Efforts were made to maintain control over this strategically important location.

Engagement with Kilwa

  • Initial Visits:

    • In 1498, Vasco da Gama sailed past Kilwa.

    • Pedro Álvares Cabral (1500) failed to establish trade agreements, leading to further conflict8ik./

  • Tribute Imposition: After returning, Vasco da Gama forced Kilwa into a debt of tribute to Portugal.

  • Military Conquest: In 1505, Francisco de Almeida captured Kilwa and established Fort Santiago to control this crucial trade port.

Portuguese Decline in Kilwa

  • Portuguese dominion over Kilwa was short-lived.

    • Muhammad Arcone's assassination in 1506 led to chaos and the eventual sacking of the city, forcing Portuguese retreat by 1512.

Portuguese Maritime Empire

Indian Ocean Expeditions

  • Annual expeditions (1500-1511) carried significant fleets of up to 20 ships with 1500-1800 men to establish and secure the Portuguese maritime empire in Africa, India, and Brazil.

  • Mission Goals:

    • Establish trade agreements

    • Construct fortifications and warehouses

    • Remove competition through acts of piracy and warfare.

Visual Map of Portuguese Empire

  • Major ports under control: Hormuz, Diu, Chaul, Goa, Sierra Leone, Calicut, Cochin, Mogadishu, Malacca, Mombasa, Kilwa, Macau and beyond.

Slavery and the Economics of Portugal in West Africa

Exclusive Rights and Labor Demands

  • In 1455, Pope Nicholas V granted exclusive rights to Portugal over lands south of Cape Bojador.

    • Resulted in a significant labor shortage in Portugal, leading to an increased demand for slaves.

  • Portugal engaged in trade, exchanging gunpowder for slaves in the Kingdom of Benin, benefiting mutually.

The Kingdom of the Kongo

  • King Afonso I: First vassal king of the Kongo to Portugal; sought to establish a Christian kingdom.

    • Engaged in slave trade with Portugal, exchanging slaves for political and economic support.

  • Expansion of Christianity: Supported by Portuguese priests, reflecting on the influence of European missionaries in Africa.

Nanban Trade Period in Japan 1543-1603

  • The Nanban Trade Period showcases the arrival of the Portuguese in Japan, marked by significant interaction and the introduction of Christianity by 1548.

    • Silver emerged as a major Japanese export.

  • Establishment of trade routes primarily through Portuguese ships operating from Macao.

Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868)

  • Engaged actively with foreign merchants including Portuguese, Dutch, English, and Spanish, until the rise of isolationism.

    • Anti-Christian sentiment led to banning of Christianity (1630s) and restrictions on foreign trade.

    • The Dutch East India Company became the sole European institution permitted to conduct trade, highlighting shifts in international relationships.

Sakoku Edicts

  • Series of edicts aimed at excluding Portuguese influence:

    • In response to the spread of Christianity, multiple legislative measures were enacted during the 1540s to 1640s, which included the execution of those attempting to persuade Japan to reopen trade.

Ming Dynasty Trade Policies

  • Following Zheng He’s voyages, Ming China tried to manage maritime trade through prohibitory laws, instituting a series of "sea bans" targeting rampant piracy and discouraging private trade.

European Rivalries in the Americas

Spain and Portugal

  • Pope Alexander VI supported claims to the New World in 1493, leading to the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, with the adjustment of the Line of Demarcation.

Spanish Conquests

  • Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521, establishing New Spain in modern-day Mexico.

  • Francisco Pizarro led conquests against the Inca Empire, culminating in full control by 1572.

British and French Rivalries

  • Confrontations over land in North America culminated in the British victory in the French and Indian War, resulting in territorial adjustments including the ceding of land east of the Mississippi.

British and Spanish Competitions

  • The establishment of Fort Mose—the first free Black settlement in the U.S.—pinpoints Spanish strategies to undermine British interests, especially in Eastern North America.

Economic Systems and Labor Systems from 1450 to 1750

Restructuring and Continuity

  • The period saw continuity in Indian Ocean trade, with notable adaptations driven by the European presence, including the establishment of colonial economies in the Americas based on agriculture and the influx of enslaved labor through various systems:

    • Incan Mit'a System

    • Chattel Slavery

    • Indentured Servitude

    • Encomienda and Hacienda Systems.

Colonial Economic Systems

  • Establishment of sugar plantations in Portuguese Brazil and Spanish Caribbean resulted in substantial labor demand; chattel slavery became prevalent as native populations declined.

Indentured Servitude in British Colonies

  • Contracts emerged for individuals to work unpaid for several years in exchange for passage, where individuals frequently worked without wages under specific agreements outlined.

Traditional Incan Mit'a System

  • Originally an indigenous labor system restructured under Spanish colonialism:

    • Became coerced labor for silver mines, particularly in Potosí in the late 1500s.

Spanish Encomienda System

  • Granting rights by the Spanish Crown during the Reconquista enabled labor exploitation of non-Christian populations, evolving into practices resembling slavery in the Americas.

Hacienda System

  • Large landed estates (haciendas) requiring coerced labor in agriculture became prevalent during colonization, often owned by criollos—individuals of Spanish descent born in the Americas.

Changes in the Nature of Slavery

Traditional vs. Chattel Slavery

  • Traditional African slavery included integration into families and communities; in contrast, chattel slavery viewed individuals as property, inheriting bondage and racial connotations.

Demographic Changes in the Americas

  • By early 1800s, a significant percentage of African descent formed the population in Brazil and Haiti due to the massive importation of enslaved individuals.

Social Impacts in Africa

  • The slave trade precipitated population declines, societal disruptions, and long-term vulnerabilities opening African states to European conquests.

King Afonso I's Letter to Portuguese King

  • Afonso articulates grievances about slave trading practices harming communities, requesting intervention to protect his people from being captured and sold.

Key Ideas Review

  • European states established trading posts across Africa and Asia, while responding to changing dynamics of local and international economies.

  • Policies enacted by Tokugawa Japan and Ming China restricted European influence through isolationism.

  • The plantation economy fueled the trans-Atlantic slave trade, while traditional forms of slavery continued within Africa, reflecting diverse labor systems impacted by European imperial actions.