Case Study: Portugal 

Portuguese at Malacca

• Portuguese rip control of Malacca from Arab traders. 

\ Portuguese trading post empire

• Instead of trying to control vast amounts of territory, the Portuguese created a series of forts to control trade.    * The aims were to establish a monopoly over the spice trade and to license all vessels. 

Portuguese Vulnerability

• Though they succeed for several decades they are a small nation   * Few workers and ships to enforce large empire.    * Many merchants ignored their gov’t and traded independently   * Gov’t corruption

• Dutch and English rivals    * Dutch capture Malacca   * English capture India

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