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Unit 4 European Voyages of Discovery (Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries)

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Unit 4 European Voyages of Discovery (Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries) The Rise of the Modern West UNIT 4 EUROPEAN VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY (FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH CENTURIES) Structure 4.0 Objectives 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Motives of Voyages and Expansion by the Iberian States (Portugal and Spain) 4.3 Role of Navigational /Technical Knowledge 4.4 Importance of Renaissance and Sea Voyages 4.5 Discoveries and Voyages 4.6 Nature of Portuguese and Spanish Possessions (Early Colonial Empires) 4.7 Types of the Colonies 4.8 Slavery: Plantation and Mining 4.9 Impact of Colonization 4.10 Let Us Sum Up 4.11 Keywords 4.12 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises 4.13 Suggested Readings 4.0 OBJECTIVES After going through this unit, you will be able to: discuss the process of early colonization; examine the dynamics of economy and polity within Europe, and linkages with the New World; familiarize the processes by which Europe’s economy benefited from colonial expansion as well as exploitation of indigenous and slave labour; analyze the impact of trade and colonization on Western Europe, the New World, West Africa and parts of Asia; and Understand the concept of Eurocentrism. 4.1 INTRODUCTION In the fifteenth century Europe entered into an age of international trade and subsequently commercial activity. The era was marked by full swing maritime activities as well as geographical discoveries by the Iberian peninsula, that led to the findings of the western Hemisphere and significant expansion in America, Asia and Africa. It was the Portuguese and the Spain who pioneered the discovery of new sea routes, encouraged voyages and formed early colonial empires in fifteenth and early sixteenth century. They led expeditions and patronized search 42 to the unknown and distant lands, and were followed by the north-western European Voyages of European states. From fifteenth to eighteenth centuries the process of colonization Discovery intensified, resulting into conflicts, wars, and rivalry. European states began to embark on a series of explorations that inaugurated a new chapter in world history mentioned as the Age of Discovery. Discovery, or the Age of Exploration. This era is defined by figures such as Ferdinand Magellan, whose 1519–1522 expedition was the first to traverse the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and the first to sail the globe. 4.2 MOTIVES OF VOYAGES AND EXPANSION BY THE IBERIAN STATES (PORTUGAL AND SPAIN) In this sub unit we will discuss the factors that motivated the states towards explorations and conquests. Amid the many motives which led Europeans to take part in the overseas movements of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the desire was to strike the infidel a blow, to strengthen their native state, to ascertain the shape and the nature of the earth, to gain great wealth or perhaps all of these. Adam Smith had stated in 1770, the discovery of America and the route to the Cape of Good Hope are the two most important events in history of mankind. D.K. Fieldhouse felt this as a Eurocentric view and said that the Turkish power stretched from western Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, India had colonized South East Asia earlier and controlled much of the trade, Muslims over Middle East and Southern Asia and towards the East was the Chinese. The discoveries and colonial empires affected the entire world and they became part of the European world-economy as a whole. The overseas expansion liberated Europe from geographical and psychological barriers. It is relevant to understand the motives for overseas voyages, explorations and expansion and pertinent to raise question what led to the rise of colonial empires that was initiated by Portugal and Spain? It is not easy to generalize the motives of the voyages and expansion. Prior to the fifteenth century trade was a monopoly of the merchants from Venice and Genoa through the Mediterranean sea that brought in variety of goods like spices, cotton cloth and silk through Levant. It provided an impulse in the fifteenth century and motivated the others to turn to the lucrative trade. As per G V Scammel, gamut of motives have been identified, be it economic or ideological factors or their adventurous temperament, for European colonization. The understanding of motives of early exploration by European sea voyages are factors like God, Gold and Glory highlighting religious, economic and personal factors. The Mediterranean (Iberian Peninsula) between Spain and North Africa was conquered by Islam until the capture of Ceuta by Portugal in 1415. Portuguese made early transition into maritime reconnaissance and accomplished her part in the Reconquista from the Moors where as Castile was still confronted by the Moorish enclave of Granada until its fall in1492. The fight against Muslim rulers referred to as the “Reconquest”— inspired a sense of commonality among Catholics. Historians put Dorn Pedro alongside his brother Prince Henry the Navigator as architects of early maritime exploration, trade, and conquest in the name of Portugal. Scholars acknowledge his voyages but also question the motives behind voyages. The monarchy’s need for external sources of wealth and power cannot 43 The Rise of the Modern West be overlooked. Under the guidance of Prince Henry the Portuguese explored the West African coastline with the aim of capturing the supplies of gold from South of the Sahara, one of the sources of the Moors’ wealth, and also attacking Islam thus making two motives work simultaneously. Fifteenth century Castile then was contented with the acquisition of the Canary Islands. God implied factors especially the history of crusades between the Christians and the Muslims which led to the discovery of new sea routes. Gold dust can be identified with economic motives of exploring this region. It was sailors dream to find Antilla, a mythical land with its riches. Glory was for those who undertook the task of discoveries and voyages. According to J. H. Parry with the capture of Ceuta the crusading zeal passed to its modern stage and took form of struggle to carry the Christian faith along with European commerce to other parts of the world. Even the papal privileges granted were mainly concerned with the trading monopolies and advancement of Christendom. Henry desired the discovery of those regions whose inhabitants were to worship the Christ with the hope of Indies and Prester John. Internal politics, economic pressures and personal factors were more responsible for exploring the Atlantic coast of Africa. It was also to defuse the internal situation in Portugal, since military expansion would give the nobility something to direct their attention while commercial expansion would strengthen the position of the Royal Treasury. Portuguese achievements were confined to deliberate intentions, be it religious or economic motives in Africa and Asia or to break Venetian monopoly and establish trading base and to organize the explorers, and cannot overlook the sheer urge for discovery. Despite Portugal’s small size and meagre population its achievements cannot be overlooked. Scholars also consider the rise of Ottoman Empire or the fall of Constantinople in the hands of the Turks to have obstructed the land route to Asia and goods from Red Sea stopped coming and this encouraged them to look for diverse routes. This argument problematizes the fact that despite rising spice trade the prices were falling. The Turks did not conquer Levant till the sixteenth century, by then the Portuguese were already sailing across and the Turkish were reducing taxes, in other words they facilitated trade. The dual motive for imperialism was ideology and wealth, aptly expressed by Bernal Diaz, who accompanied the conquistadores into Mexico in 1519: ‘We came here to serve God and also to get rich’. This period was marked by the rise of nation states in Western Europe where they conflicted as rivals for power and encouraged expeditions. European powers established militarized entrepots at key points in commercial networks and began to extend political authority and settlement. Another motive that survives the argument has been the demographic factor. Scholars mention that throughout the Mediterranean there was increase in the population during the sixteenth century. At Seville immigrants were the ones attracted by voyages to the Indies, who came from everywhere and at Lisbon there was constant flow of immigrants. The expanding towns attracted attention of Italian merchants and the bankers. The overseas expedition provided more of land and resources. Others argue that when the initial voyages were made, Europe’s population was static or declining. Except for bullion rich Spanish Indies, emigrants were not keen to settle in the new discovered land, rather emigrants remained in short supply. Notwithstanding that in the sixteenth century the Iberian monarchies were obliged to seek supplies from European neighbors. Scammel says nor was there immense pressure to look for food. North Africa where Portugal first colonized was a grain producer. But in Morocco Portuguese were more 44 concerned with loot than food. In Atlantic Islands wheat was soon replaced by European Voyages of production of sugar and wine. The group of crops in which they were deficient Discovery was the spices, imported from Asia at huge expense. The quest for gold of the early explorers is a more understandable motive. Ralph Davis talks about economic stresses and internal politics as main factors for voyages. The motive that holds ground is about Europe’s urge to economic aspects with the desire to locate gold and silver to meet the bullion shortage. Portuguese were happy to have found gold but it is not clear if it was their initial motive. Scholars feel that such economic determinants are doubtful in Portugal expansion as it was a poor country, overpopulated and economically weaker but still she looked for luxuries like sugar, spices. Braudel denies that Portugal was a poor country and it did provide a lot of commodities to Northern Europe.
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