Chapter 14: Economic Transformations: Commerce and Consequence, 1450-1750

The homework reading described the early Europeans forceful interruption of the spice trade of the Indian Ocean. As a result, Europeans were able to develop new relationships with Asian societies.

1498- Portuguese mariner VASCO encountered an ancient rich network of commerce that stretched from East Africa to China. (spices, silk, cotton, emeralds, rubies, etc).

There was a persistent European problem. The source of the supply for the much-desired goods (spices) lay solely in Muslim hands. Problem was, the european products in the eastern markets were either crude and unattractive. As a result, the traders in the middle east (Arabs) demanded payment for  goods in cash only -- meaning silver, gold.  And the rich silver deposits of Mexico & Bolivia provided a temporary solution to this problem. This problem contributed to the intense desire for precious metals. This is how the Portuguese, Spanish, French, Dutch, and British found their way into the ancient Asian world of Indian Ocean Trade commerce.

Portuguese first established fortified bases in the Indian Ocean -East Africa, entrance to the Persian Gulf, west coast of India, Malaca in southeast Asia, and Macao on the south coast of China. How? Their naval technology and naval warfare were far more advanced than anyone trading on the Indian Ocean, thus they were able to out-gun and out maneuver competing naval forces. They wanted to control commerce, not territories.  Eventually, they failed to dominate the Indian Ocean, commerce and assimilated themselves to ancient patterns. They sold their shipping services. By 1600, Portuguese trading posts were in decline. ((Created what is know as Trading Post Empire))

Next, Spain attempted to establish themselves in the spice trade. 

1. Settled in Philippines (Spanish King Philiph II)
2. Found by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese sailor sailing under Spanish Crown
3. Established colonial rule 1565/ Spanish colony territory 
4. Accompanying Spanish rule was missionary effort, which turned Filipino society into the only major post of Christanity in Asia
5. Chinese resistance to conversion wiped out all Chinese on the Island of Manila 1600

European competitors for spice trade- Dutch & English displaced the Portuguese early 1700s

1. Dutch focused on the Islands of Indonesia, British focused on India
2. Taiwan became officially Chinese. Local people were unwilling to participate in commercial agriculture. The Dutch opened the island to large scale Chinese immigration
3. The British were unable to practice "trade by warfare in India" because of the powerful Mughal Empire that ruled India
4. The Dutch and English played a minor role in their prosperous economies 

Japan was plagued by Europeans. they unified under a supreme commander known as the shogun, who viewed European's as threats. He expelled Christian missionaries, killed Japanese converts.

Despite a strong presence of Europeans in the Indian Trade commerce, Asian merchants did not disappear. They benefitted from the upsurge in seaborne commerce. Southeastern Asian merchants, many of them women, continued a long tradition of involvement in international trade. Malay proverbs from 16th century encouraged, "teaching daughters how to make profit."

Personal Thoughts: I was surprised to learn that women became trade merchants during the 16th century on the Indian Ocean. Why did that happen? Were women treated differently and allowed more freedom, rights in southeast Asia as opposed to women in other parts of the world?  I was disappointed to learn about how Taiwan became part of China. Do we know what the indigenous people of Taiwan looked like or  about their culture  before the immigration of Chinese people? Also, since Spain had moved to the Philippines  in 1565, they used the precious metals they stole from Central America (Aztecs) to use for trade on the Indian Ocean. They ended the Aztec empire in 1521 and it only took them another 44 years before they took over another country, Philippines. How's it that the Philippines did not suffer the same fate as the Aztecs?