Sea-Based EMPIRES ESTABLISHED [AP World History Review—Unit 4 Topic 4]

Establishment of Maritime Empires

• Emergence of European Maritime Empires driven by three main motives:

  • Gold: Desire for wealth and natural resources.

  • God: Spread of Christianity to non-believers.

  • Glory: Competition for national prestige and power.

Key European Powers and Their Strategies

• Portuguese:

  • Established the first trading post empire across Africa and the Indian Ocean.

  • Utilized heavily armed caravels and carracks to dominate trade networks rather than engage peacefully.

• Spanish:

  • Focused on colonies in the Philippines and implemented tactics like tribute systems, taxation, and coerced labor, similar to their colonies in the Americas.

• Dutch:

  • Entered Indian Ocean trade with advanced ships called fluyts, quickly overshadowing the Portuguese and setting themselves as leaders in trade.

• British:

  • Initially faced challenges in India due to lack of military strength against the Mughal Empire.

  • Started with trading posts which later evolved into full colonial rule by the late 18th century.

Continuity and Change in Trade Networks

• Merchants from the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia continued to use Indian Ocean trade networks despite European dominance.

• Increased profits were observed for both European powers and long-standing merchants like the Gujaratis and the Mughal Empire.

Resistance from Asian States

• Japan (Tokugawa Period):

  • Unified under the Tokugawa shogunate; initially open to trade but later expelled Christian missionaries due to fears of societal fracture.

• Ming China:

  • Zheng He's voyages aimed at controlling Indian Ocean trade; later adopted isolationist policies, expelling Portuguese traders who engaged in bribery.

Impact on African States

• Asante Empire:

  • Engaged in lucrative trade with Portuguese and British by providing gold, ivory, and enslaved people.

  • Economic prosperity led to military expansion and ability to resist British colonization.

• Kingdom of the Congo:

  • Formed diplomatic ties with Portuguese traders; the king converted to Christianity to strengthen their relationship.

  • Economic ties initially prosperous but later deteriorated.

Colonial Economies in the Americas

• European colonial economies in the Americas operated primarily on agriculture, requiring labor systems for plantation work.

Existing Labor Systems

• Inca Mita System:

  • Spanish adopted this system for forced labor in silver mining.

New Labor Systems Introduced

• Race-based Chattel Slavery:

  • Enslaved Africans treated as property; hereditary status of slavery developed.

• Indentured Servitude:

  • Contractual agreement binding laborers for seven years in exchange for passage; they gained freedom afterward.

• Encomienda System:

  • Spanish coercion of indigenous Americans for labor in exchange for protection and food, reflective of feudalism.

• Hacienda System:

  • Large agricultural estates relying on indigenous labor for exporting crops, focusing on economic production.

Slavery During Maritime Empire Period

• Continuity:

  • African slave trade existed prior to Maritime Empire rise; enslaved individuals often assimilated into different cultures, particularly in Islamic world.

• Change:

  • In the Americas, slavery became race-based, identifying Blackness with inhumanity, leading to justifications for brutal treatment.

  • Massive scale of transatlantic slave trade saw over 12.5 million Africans transported.