WEBVTT

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This is a map
of the world's shipping lanes

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showcasing the intricate network
of maritime routes

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that connect our modern world
through global trade.

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Although some of these routes 
were established in more recent times

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such as the Suez and Panama canals,

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most of these oceanic highways
were chartered long ago

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in an age where there was
no reliable way of navigation

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other than local knowledge
and some rudimentary maps.

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However, just over 500 years ago

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at the beginning of the 16th century

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these international trade routes
did not even exist.

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Only due to the emergence
of the small Iberian nation of Portugal

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as a maritime superpower,

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were these connections 
to other parts of the world

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made possible through their daring
voyages and navigational prowess.

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Portugal quickly established
an empire for itself,

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stretching from Africa, to Asia
and South America.

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These maritime exploits
not only fueled Portugal's wealth.

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an astonishing rise to power,

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but also laid the foundation
for the interconnected global economy

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that we benefit from today.

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But how did this relatively obscure nation
on the edge of Europe emerged

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to forge an Empire that would shape
the course of History

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for centuries to come?

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This is the History 
of the Portuguese Empire.

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All of our videos are available to watch
ad free over on our substack page.

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you can also read along
to the original scripts

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as well as listen to the audio generation
as podcasts

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by following the link
in the video description below

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and subscribing with your email.

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Thank you.

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The kingdom of Portugal emerged out
of the series of events

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known to History as the Reconquista

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which was the the gradual reconquest
of Christian lands

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on the Iberian Peninsula
from the Muslim Moors

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who had invaded the territory
far back in the 8th century,

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having established itself 
as a sovereign kingdom

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by the middle of the 12th century,

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the Portuguese went on to push
out the remaining Moors to the South

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by capturing the territory
of the Algarve in 1249,

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effectively setting out the borders
of their kingdom

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along the same lines
to which they exist today.

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With their own territory secured
from external threats

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and the possibility of further expansion
on the Iberian Peninsula ruled out

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on account of their friendly relations

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with the neighboring Christian
kingdom of Castile to the east.

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Portugal turned its attention
towards the sea

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and the possibility
of exerting its own influence

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upon both it and the lands
that lay beyond in North Africa.

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The year 1415 marked a pivotal
moment in Portuguese expansion

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for a decision was made to orchestrate
an attack on the city of Ceuta,

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which was held by the Marinid Sultanate.

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Although many at the time
considered this

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nothing more than a continuation
of the hostilities

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between Christians and Muslims,

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in reality it paved the way 
for the Portuguese

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to expand their dominions 
and economic interests

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beyond the Iberian Peninsula

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and marked the beginning 
of the Portuguese Empire.

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Despite capturing the city,

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the Portuguese were not able
to advance further into North Africa

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as they had initially planned,

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owing to determined resistance
by local Muslim forces.

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Nevertheless they continued
to guarnison Ceuta

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and used its harbor as a base

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to explore the Atlantic 
coastline of Africa.

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This policy of maritime exploration

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was championed by a prominent figure

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in the early days 
of the Portuguese Empire´:

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Prince Henry, the Navigator.

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He was curious to know
how far the Muslim territories in Africa

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extended Southward,

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and whether it would be possible
to reach Asia by an easterly sea route.

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Consequently, scores of Portuguese ships
began to set off into the Atlantic Ocean

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and around the coast of North Africa

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probing further and further into what
were at the time uncharted waters.

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The islands of Madeira and the Azores

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were first cited in 1419 and 1427,
respectively,

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and were subsequently
incorporated

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as the latest additions
to the expanding Portuguese Empire.

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One of the first natural barriers

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the Portuguese encountered
on their explorations

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was Cape Bojador.

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The violent waters that surround it
had claimed many vessels

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that had previously tried to pass through

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and it was widely deemed 
to be a point of no return.

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That was until 1434,

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when Gil Eanes successfully
found the navigable passage

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around the cape

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and opened up further
exploration South

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towards subsaharan Africa.

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No sooner had this feat been achieved

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that the merchants of Lisbon
began to search

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for newer and more exotic markets

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to which they could trade to.

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gold, ivory, pepper, cotton and sugar,
all from Africa,

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soon became more commonplace

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amongst the trading stools of Lisbon

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as did the practice
of selling African slaves

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which began the long and

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dark history of the transatlantic slave
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trade that would continue for the next
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400
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years over the subsequent Decades of the
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15th century the Portuguese ventured
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further and further south down the coast
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of Africa reaching the cape verdie
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Islands in 1456 and the Gulf of Guinea
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by the
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1460s as they explored they left behind
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a series of padro stone crosses engraved
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with the Portuguese coat of arms marking
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out their territorial claims which were
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followed up with the construction of
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forts and trading posts from these bases
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they engaged profitably in the gold and
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slave trades which they held a virtual
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monopoly on for well over a
5:43
century the real prize for the
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Portuguese Merchants however was a
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supposed but as yet unconfirmed sea
5:49
route to Asia they hoped that the
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discovery of such a route would allow
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them direct access to the spice markets
5:56
of the Indies and bypass the expensive
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Arab and Venetian Merchants who
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controlled the Overland trade routes
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through the Middle East and across the
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Mediterranean into Europe then in 1488
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news reached the ears of the Portuguese
6:09
authorities that Bartholomew di had
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rounded the southern tip of Africa and
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reached the Indian Ocean proving that
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such an easterly passage did indeed
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exist however this Revelation would soon
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be eclipsed in magnitude Just 4 years
6:25
later when Christopher Columbus sailed
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westwards across the Atlantic Ocean in
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in search of his own theoretical route
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to the Indies and in the process
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inadvertently discovered an entirely New
6:36
World the discovery of the Americas
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which Columbus claimed in the name of
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Spain and initially believed to be part
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of Eastern Asia quickly created a
6:45
problem for the two Iberian Nations not
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knowing where one set of recently
6:49
discovered lands ended and another began
6:52
they consequently agreed to divide the
6:54
world in two spheres of influence
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between themselves marked by a north
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south line of Meridian roughly halfway
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between the cape verie Islands
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controlled by Portugal and the Caribbean
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islands of the Americas which Columbus
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had recently discovered and claimed for
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Spain the Treaty of pesas ratified this
7:12
agreement in 1494 and effectively carved
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the world in two with the lands to the
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east of this line to be claimed solely
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by Portugal and the lands to the West
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claimed solely by
7:23
Spain with the dispute settled Portugal
7:26
could finally begin to undertake its
7:28
long-standing ambition of charting a sea
7:30
route to Asia and so on the 8th of July
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1497 the Explorer Vasco de Gama left
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Lisbon with a fleet of four ships and a
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crew of 170 men Bound for the Indian
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Ocean in search of Asia after a voyage
7:45
of some 10 months de's Expedition
7:48
finally made landfall on the Malibar
7:50
coast of India in May 1498 and
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subsequently met with the zamorin or
7:55
king of Calicut to establish the trade
7:58
relations that they they had longed hop
8:00
for whilst the portuguese's arrival was
8:03
greeted with hospitality the local
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Indian Traders found little value in the
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Trinkets and commodities the Europeans
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had brought with them to exchange and so
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D's Expedition largely left empty-handed
8:15
their return Journey back to Portugal
8:17
took an agonizing amount of time owing
8:19
to the monsoon conditions they had to
8:21
face up at Sea which took an immense
8:23
toll on both the crew and the ships
8:26
nevertheless the survivors arrived back
8:28
in Lisbon during the summer of 1499 and
8:31
were given a hero's welcome despite the
8:34
me quantities of spices and other Goods
8:36
they had brought
8:37
back although the Expedition itself may
8:40
not have been profitable it demonstrated
8:42
that Maritime trade to Asia was possible
8:45
and had huge
8:47
potential the second expedition to India
8:49
set sail in 1500 under the command of
8:52
Pedro Alvarez Cabra although while
8:55
traversing across the Atlantic Ocean
8:56
sailed Too Far West and unexpectedly
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reached the coast of what is now
9:01
Brazil although this discovery may have
9:03
been unintentional some speculation
9:05
suggests that the Portuguese may have
9:07
already been aware of Brazil's existence
9:09
and secretly knew that this part of
9:11
South America fell within their
9:13
designated territory according to the
9:15
Treaty of
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tordas cabal recommended to the
9:19
Portuguese King Manuel the that the land
9:22
be settled and two follow-up voyages
9:24
were sent in 1501 and
9:26
1503 the land was found to be abundant
9:29
in brazilwood from which it later
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inherited its name but the failure to
9:33
find gold or silver meant that for the
9:35
time being the Portuguese instead
9:38
decided to concentrate their efforts on
9:39
the invaluable trade out of
9:41
India as the first decade of the 16th
9:44
century progressed the Portuguese
9:46
ventured further into other parts of
9:48
Asia such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia
9:51
where they discovered the sources of
9:52
cinnamon and Nutmeg so valuable were
9:55
these Commodities that Alfonso de
9:57
Albuquerque the first appointed Vice Roy
9:59
of Portuguese India ordered the