Section 3: European Footholds in Southeast Asia and India

Chapter 15: The First Global Age

Section 3: European Footholds

Portugal was the first European power to gain a foothold in Asia

Section 3: European Footholds

Superior firepower helped win control of the spice trade and build a trading empire in Asia

I. Portugal's Empire in the East

In 1510, the Portuguese seized Goa and made it a major military and colonial base

I. Portugal's Empire in the East

Afonso de Albuquerque ended Muslim power by burning coastal towns and sinking Arab fleets

Afonso "the Great" de Albuquerque - Builder of

Portugal's Eastern Empire

I. Portugal's Empire in the East In 1511, Albuquerque took Malacca and massacred Muslims, making the Europeans hated and feared

A. Trading Outposts Within 50 years, the Portuguese had built a trading empire across the southern seas

A. Trading Outposts

For most of the 1500s, Portugal controlled the spice trade between Europe and Asia

B. Impact of the Portuguese

The Portuguese did not conquer much territory and remained on the fringe of Asian trade

B. Impact of the Portuguese

In stronger empires like India and China they received permission to trade

B. Impact of the Portuguese

The intolerance of Portuguese missionaries caused resentment

B. Impact of the Portuguese

The Portuguese sank pilgrim ships going to Mecca, destroyed Hindu temples, and introduced the Inquisition

II. Rise of the Dutch

The Dutch were the first Europeans to challenge Portuguese domination in Asia

A. Sea Power In 1599, a Dutch fleet returned from Asia carrying a cargo of pepper, cloves, and other spices

The Return of the Dutch East India Fleet, 1 May 1599

A. Sea Power Investors earned a 100% profit, leading to a frenzy of overseas activity

A. Sea Power

Dutch warships and trading vessels put the Netherlands in the forefront of European commerce

A. Sea Power

The Dutch used their sea power to set up colonies and trading posts around the world

B. Dutch Dominance

In 1602, a group of wealthy Dutch merchants formed the Dutch East India Company

Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie)

B. Dutch Dominance

In 1641, they captured Malacca from the Portuguese and opened trade with China

B. Dutch Dominance

The Dutch used military force to establish a monopoly over trade and shipping in the Spice Islands

B. Dutch Dominance

Trade made the Dutch wealthy but by the 1700s, England and France had taken over

Section 3: European Footholds in Southeast Asia and India

Chapter 15: The First Global Age

III. Spain Seizes the Philippines

Magellan claimed the archipelago in 1521 and within 50 years, Spain had colonized the islands

III. Spain Seizes the Philippines

The Philippines became a key link in Spain's overseas trading empire

III. Spain Seizes the Philippines

The Spanish shipped silver from Mexico and Peru to the Philippines and used it to buy goods in China

IV. Mughal India and European Traders

Before the 1700s, European traders made little impression on India

A. Industry and Commerce

India was the world leader in textile manufacturing and exported quantities of silk and cotton cloth

A. Industry and Commerce

The Mughal empire, founded in 1526 by Babur, was larger, richer, and more powerful than any kingdom in Europe

Emperor Babur

A. Industry and Commerce

The Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French were permitted to build forts and warehouses in coastal towns

B. Turmoil and Decline

Conflicts between Hindu and Muslim princes and years of civil war drained Mughal resources

B. Turmoil and Decline

In the early 1700s, corruption became widespread and the government collapsed

C. British-French Rivalry

French and English trading companies made alliances with local officials and independent rajahs

C. British-French Rivalry

Each company organized its own army of sepoys, or Indian troops

Sepoys of the Bombay, Bengal and

Madras armies

C. British-French Rivalry

By the mid-1700s, the British and French were fighting for global power

C. British-French Rivalry

War erupted in Europe in 1756 and spread to their colonies in Asia and the Americas

C. British-French Rivalry

Robert Clive of the British East India Company used an army of British troops and sepoys to drive the French from their trading posts

June 23 1757: Battle of Plassey, India. Robert Clive commanding 700 English troops, 550 sailors, 1700 native troops, and 14 guns defeats Suraj, the Nawab of Bengal, commanding 40000 cavalry, 60000 foot troops, 50 elephants, and 30 guns served by French artillerists. Clive’s guns out range those of his opponents, and the Bengalis flee in panic after their cavalry are defeated. The Nawab is later murdered by his own people.

C. British-French Rivalry

By the late 1700s, the British East India Company had become the de facto ruler of Bengal and influenced other parts of India