Outline 3

Ranvir Salaria
European History
Red 1
October 08, 2021
Chapter #3, pgs. 95 – 101

Europeans Explore the East

I. For “God, Glory, and Gold”

1. Europeans had not been completely isolated from the rest of the
world before the 1400s. For the most part, however, Europeans had
neither the interest nor the ability to explore foreign lands.
2. This changed in the early 1400s. The desire to grow rich and to
spread Christianity, coupled with advances in sailing technology,
spurred an age of European exploration.
A. Europeans Seek New Trade Routes
1. The desire for new sources of wealth was the main reason for
European exploration. Through overseas exploration, merchants and
traders hoped ultimately to benefit from what had become a
profitable business in Europe: the trade of spices and other luxury
goods from Asia.
2. Because demand for these goods was much greater than the supply,
merchants could charge high prices and thus make great profits.
3. The Italians had a major monopoly of trade with the East via the
Middle East. Other European merchants were jealous of this
arrangement, so they sought to circumvent this by finding a sea
route directly to Asia. Thus, they would cut out the Middle Eastern
middle-man.
B. The Spread of Christianity
1. The desire to spread Christianity also motivated Europeans to
explore. Europeans believed that they had a sacred duty not only to
continue fighting Muslims, but also to convert non-Christians
throughout the world.
2. Europeans hoped to obtain popular goods directly from the people
of Asia. They also hoped to Christianize them.
 C. Technology Makes Exploration Possible
1. Advances in sailing technology made the voyages of discovery
possible. The main problem was that European ships could not sail
against the wind. However, the triangular sails adopted from the
Arabs allowed them to do so.
2. Europeans also improved their navigational techniques. To better
determine their location at sea, sailors used the astrolabe, which the
Muslims had perfected. Explorers were also able to more accurately
track direction by using a magnetic compass, a Chinese invention.

II. Portugal Leads the Way

1. The leader in developing and applying these sailing innovations was
Portugal. Portugal was the first European country to establish
trading outposts along the west coast of Africa. Eventually
Portuguese explorers pushed further east into the Indian Ocean.
A. The Portuguese Explore Africa
1. Portugal took the lead in overseas exploration in part due to strong
government support. In North Africa, the Portuguese invaders found
exotic stores filled with pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices.
In addition, they encountered large supplies of gold, silver, and
jewels.
2. Within several years, the Portuguese ships began sailing down the
western coast of Africa. By 1460, the Portuguese had established a
series of trading posts along western Africa’s shores. There, they
traded with Africans for such profitable items as gold and ivory.
Eventually, they traded for African captives to be slaves.
3. Having established their presence along the African coast,
Portuguese explorers plotted their next move. They would attempt
to find a sea route to Asia.
B. Portuguese Sailors Reach Asia
1. The Portuguese believed that to reach Asia by sea, they would have
to sail around the southern tip of Africa. In 1488, Portuguese captain
Bartholomeu Dias ventured far down the coast of Africa until he and
his crow reached the tip. Due to a violent storm, their fleet
accidentally rounded the tip of Africa. Dias explored the southeast
coast of Africa and wished to continue sailing to India, but his crew
convinced him otherwise; they were exhausted and did not have
enough supplies for the voyage to India.
 2. With the tip of Africa finally rounded, the Portuguese continued
pushing east. In 1498, Vasco da Gama, after exploring the east coast
of Africa, reached the port of Calicut, on the southwestern coast of
India.
3. Vasco da Gama and his crew were amazed by the spices, rare silks,
and precious gems that filled Calicut’s shops. The Portuguese filled
their ships with cargo to sell back in Europe. The price of the goods
was 60 times the price of the voyage. Da Gama’s remarkable had
finally given the Europeans a direct route to the East, by finding a sea
route to eastern India.

III. Spain Also Makes Claims

1. The Spanish monarchs grew envious of the Portuguese explorers.
They also desired a direct sea route to Asia.
2. In 1492, an Italian sea captain named Christopher Columbus
convinced the Spanish Crown to finance a bold plan: finding a direct
route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. In October, he
reached an island in the Caribbean, but he thought he had hit the
East Indies. His voyage would start the European colonisation of the
New World. However, the immediate impact of this voyage was to
increase the tensions between Spain and Portugal.
3. The Portuguese believed that Columbus had reached Asia and laid
Spanish claim to lands which may have been discovered by
Portuguese sailors first. This added tension to the rivalry between
Spain and Portugal.
4. The Pope at the time was forced to step in to keep peace between the
two nations. He suggested an imaginary dividing line, draw north to
south, through the Atlantic Ocean. All lands to the west of this line
would be Spain’s while all lands to the east of this line would belong
to Portugal.
5. Portugal complained that the line gave too much land to Spain. So, it
was moved further west to include modern-day Brazil which would
now belong to the Portuguese. The Treaty of Tordesillas was signed
to ensure the honouring of this line.

IV. Trading Empires in the Empire Ocean

1. With the onset of the 16th century, Europeans had finally opened
direct sea trade with Asia. This also opened an era of violent conflict
 with the East as European nations scrambled to establish profitable
trading outposts in South and Southeast Asia.
A. Portugal’s Trading Empire
1. Portugal built a bustling trading empire throughout the Indian Ocean
in the following years. Subsequently, they took control of the spice
trade from Muslim merchants. In 1510, the Portuguese captured
Goa, a port city on the west coast of India, and made it the capital of
their trading empire.
2. The Portuguese later seized control of the Strait of Malacca in
Indonesia. Seizing this waterway gave them control of the Moluccas.
These were islands so rich in spices that they came to be known as
the Spice Islands
3. Portugal eventually broke the old Muslim-Italian domination on
trade from the East, much to the delight of European consumers.
Portuguese merchants brought back goods from Asia at about one-
fifth of what they cost when purchased through the Arabs and
Italians. As a result, more Europeans could afford these items.
B. Other Nations Challenge the Portuguese
1. In the 17th century, the English and Dutch also began to challenge
Portugal’s dominance over the Indian Ocean trade. In a short time
after their independence, the Dutch became a leading sea power. By
1600, they possessed the largest fleet of ships in the world of 20000
vessels. Pressure from the Dutch and English fleets eroded the
Portuguese control of the Asian region. The Dutch and English then
battled one another for dominance of the area.
2. Both countries had formed an East India Company to establish and
direct trade throughout Asia. These companies had the power to
mint money, make treaties, and even raise their own armies. The
Dutch East Indian Company was richer and more powerful than
England’s company. They eventually drove out the English and
established their dominance over the region.
C. Dutch Trade Outposts
1. In 1619, the Dutch established their trading headquarters on the
island of Java. From there, they expanded west to conquer several
nearby islands. In addition, the Dutch seized both the port of Malacca
and the Spice Islands from Portugal. Throughout the 1600s, the
Dutch increased their control over the Indian Ocean trade.
 2. By 1700, the Dutch ruled much of Indonesia and also had trading
posts in several Asian countries. They also controlled the southern
tip of Africa, which was used as a resupply stop.
3. The nation’s capital, Amsterdam, became a leading commercial
center due to the high amount of goods coming from the East.
D. British and French Traders
1. By the start of the 18th century, Britain and France had gained a
foothold in the region. Having failed to win control of the larger area,
the English East India Company focused much of its energy on
establishing outposts in India. There, the English developed a
successful business trading Indian cloth in Europe.
2. In 1664, France also entered the trade with its own East India
Company. It struggled at first, as it faced continual attacks by the
Dutch. Eventually, the French company established an outpost in
India in the 1720s. However, it never reached the profit gained by
the other European companies.
3. As the Europeans battled for a share of the profitable Indian Ocean
trade, their influence inland in Southeast Asia remained limited.
Their influence rarely spread inland from the port cities which they
controlled. From 1500 to about 1800, when Europeans began to
conquer much of the region, the people of Asia remained largely
unaffected by European contact.