0:00:10.214,0:00:14.116
This is a map[br]of the world's shipping lanes

0:00:14.339,0:00:17.081
showcasing the intricate network[br]of maritime routes

0:00:17.111,0:00:19.797
that connect our modern world[br]through global trade.

0:00:19.847,0:00:23.655
Although some of these routes [br]were established in more recent times

0:00:23.865,0:00:26.319
such as the Suez and Panama canals,

0:00:26.509,0:00:30.270
most of these oceanic highways[br]were chartered long ago

0:00:30.330,0:00:33.779
in an age where there was[br]no reliable way of navigation

0:00:33.799,0:00:36.678
other than local knowledge[br]and some rudimentary maps.

0:00:38.108,0:00:41.158
However, just over 500 years ago

0:00:41.188,0:00:43.573
at the beginning of the 16th century

0:00:43.654,0:00:46.921
these international trade routes[br]did not even exist.

0:00:47.991,0:00:51.439
Only due to the emergence[br]of the small Iberian nation of Portugal

0:00:51.499,0:00:53.688
as a maritime superpower,

0:00:53.751,0:00:56.716
were these connections [br]to other parts of the world

0:00:56.736,0:01:00.631
made possible through their daring[br]voyages and navigational prowess.

0:01:00.778,0:01:04.194
Portugal quickly established[br]an empire for itself,

0:01:04.427,0:01:07.931
stretching from Africa, to Asia[br]and South America.

0:01:08.961,0:01:12.187
These maritime exploits[br]not only fueled Portugal's wealth.

0:01:12.237,0:01:14.205
an astonishing rise to power,

0:01:14.205,0:01:18.307
but also laid the foundation[br]for the interconnected global economy

0:01:18.376,0:01:19.881
that we benefit from today.

0:01:20.381,0:01:24.801
But how did this relatively obscure nation[br]on the edge of Europe emerged

0:01:24.864,0:01:27.704
to forge an Empire that would shape[br]the course of History

0:01:27.704,0:01:29.393
for centuries to come?

0:01:29.700,0:01:32.628
This is the History [br]of the Portuguese Empire.

0:01:36.948,0:01:40.911
All of our videos are available to watch[br]ad free over on our substack page.

0:01:42.063,0:01:44.616
you can also read along[br]to the original scripts

0:01:44.626,0:01:47.607
as well as listen to the audio generation[br]as podcasts

0:01:47.607,0:01:50.206
by following the link[br]in the video description below

0:01:50.206,0:01:51.829
and subscribing with your email.

0:01:51.999,0:01:53.255
Thank you.

0:01:53.885,0:01:56.833
The kingdom of Portugal emerged out[br]of the series of events

0:01:56.833,0:01:59.363
known to History as the Reconquista

0:01:59.413,0:02:02.208
which was the the gradual reconquest[br]of Christian lands

0:02:02.208,0:02:04.843
on the Iberian Peninsula[br]from the Muslim Moors

0:02:04.873,0:02:08.144
who had invaded the territory[br]far back in the 8th century,

0:02:08.504,0:02:11.078
having established itself [br]as a sovereign kingdom

0:02:11.108,0:02:12.765
by the middle of the 12th century,

0:02:12.785,0:02:16.388
the Portuguese went on to push[br]out the remaining Moors to the South

0:02:16.428,0:02:20.021
by capturing the territory[br]of the Algarve in 1249,

0:02:20.121,0:02:22.867
effectively setting out the borders[br]of their kingdom

0:02:22.877,0:02:25.565
along the same lines[br]to which they exist today.

0:02:25.600,0:02:28.186
With their own territory secured[br]from external threats

0:02:28.216,0:02:31.749
and the possibility of further expansion[br]on the Iberian Peninsula ruled out

0:02:31.759,0:02:33.881
on account of their friendly relations

0:02:33.891,0:02:36.914
with the neighboring Christian[br]kingdom of Castile to the east.

0:02:36.914,0:02:39.287
Portugal turned its attention[br]towards the sea

0:02:39.397,0:02:41.885
and the possibility[br]of exerting its own influence

0:02:41.971,0:02:45.667
upon both it and the lands[br]that lay beyond in North Africa.

0:02:46.595,0:02:50.656
The year 1415 marked a pivotal[br]moment in Portuguese expansion

0:02:50.997,0:02:54.722
for a decision was made to orchestrate[br]an attack on the city of Ceuta,

0:02:54.813,0:02:57.331
which was held by the Marinid Sultanate.

0:02:57.921,0:02:59.847
Although many at the time[br]considered this

0:02:59.847,0:03:02.246
nothing more than a continuation[br]of the hostilities

0:03:02.286,0:03:03.915
between Christians and Muslims,

0:03:03.955,0:03:06.891
in reality it paved the way [br]for the Portuguese

0:03:06.941,0:03:09.714
to expand their dominions [br]and economic interests

0:03:09.766,0:03:12.038
beyond the Iberian Peninsula

0:03:12.068,0:03:14.629
and marked the beginning [br]of the Portuguese Empire.

0:03:15.849,0:03:17.870
Despite capturing the city,

0:03:17.870,0:03:21.265
the Portuguese were not able[br]to advance further into North Africa

0:03:21.379,0:03:22.960
as they had initially planned,

0:03:22.960,0:03:25.615
owing to determined resistance[br]by local Muslim forces.

0:03:25.915,0:03:28.803
Nevertheless they continued[br]to guarnison Ceuta

0:03:28.843,0:03:30.857
and used its harbor as a base

0:03:30.917,0:03:33.094
to explore the Atlantic [br]coastline of Africa.

0:03:33.824,0:03:36.197
This policy of maritime exploration

0:03:36.237,0:03:38.384
was championed by a prominent figure

0:03:38.404,0:03:40.637
in the early days [br]of the Portuguese Empire´:

0:03:40.677,0:03:42.399
Prince Henry, the Navigator.

0:03:42.769,0:03:46.297
He was curious to know[br]how far the Muslim territories in Africa

0:03:46.370,0:03:47.845
extended Southward,

0:03:47.865,0:03:51.373
and whether it would be possible[br]to reach Asia by an easterly sea route.

0:03:52.177,0:03:56.461
Consequently, scores of Portuguese ships[br]began to set off into the Atlantic Ocean

0:03:56.501,0:03:58.768
and around the coast of North Africa

0:03:58.848,0:04:03.215
probing further and further into what[br]were at the time uncharted waters.

0:04:03.782,0:04:06.113
The islands of Madeira and the Azores

0:04:06.113,0:04:10.045
were first cited in 1419 and 1427,[br]respectively,

0:04:10.098,0:04:12.344
and were subsequently[br]incorporated

0:04:12.364,0:04:15.171
as the latest additions[br]to the expanding Portuguese Empire.

0:04:15.971,0:04:17.767
One of the first natural barriers

0:04:17.767,0:04:20.227
the Portuguese encountered[br]on their explorations

0:04:20.244,0:04:22.029
was Cape Bojador.

0:04:22.031,0:04:25.099
The violent waters that surround it[br]had claimed many vessels

0:04:25.099,0:04:27.104
that had previously tried to pass through

0:04:27.114,0:04:29.781
and it was widely deemed [br]to be a point of no return.

0:04:30.031,0:04:32.105
That was until 1434,

0:04:32.135,0:04:35.537
when Gil Eanes successfully[br]found the navigable passage

0:04:35.637,0:04:37.043
around the cape

0:04:37.053,0:04:38.926
and opened up further[br]exploration South

0:04:38.969,0:04:40.907
towards subsaharan Africa.

0:04:41.137,0:04:43.190
No sooner had this feat been achieved

0:04:43.256,0:04:45.921
that the merchants of Lisbon[br]began to search

0:04:45.921,0:04:48.355
for newer and more exotic markets

0:04:48.355,0:04:49.801
to which they could trade to.

0:04:49.981,0:04:54.208
gold, ivory, pepper, cotton and sugar,[br]all from Africa,

0:04:54.248,0:04:56.085
soon became more commonplace

0:04:56.105,0:04:58.363
amongst the trading stools of Lisbon

0:04:58.363,0:05:00.698
as did the practice[br]of selling African slaves

0:05:00.868,0:05:05.089
which began the long and dark history[br]of the transatlantic slave trade

0:05:05.109,0:05:08.539
that would continue for the next 400 years

0:05:09.285,0:05:11.870
Over the subsequent decades[br]of the 15th century,

0:05:11.870,0:05:14.207
the Portuguese ventured [br]further and further South

0:05:14.277,0:05:16.006
down the coast of Africa.

0:05:16.006,0:05:18.745
reaching the Cape Verde Islands[br]in 1456

0:05:18.855,0:05:21.825
and the Gulf of Guinea by the 1460s.

0:05:22.215,0:05:25.469
As they explored, they left behind[br]a series of "padrões",

0:05:25.469,0:05:29.152
stone crosses engraved[br]with the Portuguese coat of arms,

0:05:29.212,0:05:31.523
marking out their territorial claims

0:05:31.543,0:05:34.154
which were followed up[br]with the construction of forts

0:05:34.164,0:05:35.589
and trading posts.

0:05:35.629,0:05:39.312
From these bases they engaged[br]profitably in the gold and slave trades

0:05:39.342,0:05:41.693
which they held a virtual monopoly on

0:05:41.733,0:05:43.709
for well over a century.

0:05:43.989,0:05:46.852
The real prize for the[br]portuguese merchants however

0:05:46.852,0:05:50.502
was a supposed, but as yet unconfirmed,[br]sea route to Asia .

0:05:51.268,0:05:53.901
They hoped that the discovery[br]of such a route

0:05:53.921,0:05:57.211
would allow them direct access [br]to the spice markets of the Indies

0:05:57.268,0:06:00.800
and bypass the expensive[br]arab and venetian merchants

0:06:00.871,0:06:04.118
who controlled the overland trade routes[br]through the Middle East

0:06:04.148,0:06:06.341
and across the Mediterranean[br]into Europe.

0:06:06.351,0:06:10.308
Then, in 1488 news reached[br]the ears of the Portuguese authorities

0:06:10.358,0:06:14.251
that Bartholomew Dias had rounded[br]the southern tip of Africa

0:06:14.271,0:06:15.921
and reached the Indian Ocean,

0:06:15.921,0:06:19.328
proving that such an easterly[br]passage did indeed exist.

0:06:20.138,0:06:24.627
However, this revelation would soon[br]be eclipsed in magnitude,

0:06:24.687,0:06:26.221
just four years later,

0:06:26.221,0:06:29.582
when Christopher Columbus sailed[br]westwards across the Atlantic Ocean

0:06:29.634,0:06:32.110
in search of his own theoretical route[br]to the Indies

0:06:32.110,0:06:36.403
and in the process inadvertently[br]discovered an entirely New World.

0:06:37.473,0:06:39.578
The discovery of the Americas

0:06:39.578,0:06:41.904
which Columbus claimed[br]in the name of Spain

0:06:41.914,0:06:44.205
and initially believed to be part[br]of Eastern Asia

0:06:44.215,0:06:47.144
quickly created a problem[br]for the two Iberian Nations.

0:06:47.144,0:06:50.645
Not knowing where one set of recently[br]discovered lands ended

0:06:50.665,0:06:52.645
and another began,

0:06:52.685,0:06:56.190
they consequently agreed to divide[br]the world in two spheres of influence,

0:06:56.190,0:06:59.586
between themselves, marked [br]by a north/south line of Meridian

0:06:59.667,0:07:01.021
roughly halfway

0:07:01.096,0:07:03.580
between the Cape Verde Islands[br]controlled by Portugal

0:07:03.610,0:07:06.492
and the Caribbean Islands of the Americas

0:07:06.492,0:07:09.566
which Columbus had recently discovered [br]and claimed for Spain.

0:07:09.798,0:07:13.918
The Treaty of Tordesilhas[br]ratified this agreement in 1494

0:07:13.958,0:07:16.808
and effectively carved the world in two.

0:07:17.048,0:07:20.528
with the lands to the East of this line[br]to be claimed solely by Portugal

0:07:20.608,0:07:23.353
and the lands to the West [br]claimed solely by Spain.

0:07:24.413,0:07:27.676
With the dispute settled,[br]Portugal could finally begin to undertake

0:07:27.686,0:07:31.497
its long-standing ambition[br]of charting a sea route to Asia

0:07:31.547,0:07:34.383
and so, on the 8th of July 1497,

0:07:34.393,0:07:37.651
the explorer Vasco de Gama left Lisbon

0:07:37.676,0:07:41.244
with a fleet of four ships [br]and a crew of 170 men

0:07:41.334,0:07:44.278
bound for the Indian Ocean[br]in search of Asia.

0:07:45.288,0:07:48.301
After a voyage of some 10 months[br]Vasco da Gama's expedition

0:07:48.341,0:07:51.223
finally made landfall [br]on the Malibar coast of India

0:07:51.242,0:07:53.313
in May 1498

0:07:53.343,0:07:56.923
and subsequently met with the Zamorin,[br]or king of Calicut

0:07:57.163,0:07:59.354
to establish the trade relations

0:07:59.354,0:08:01.279
that they they had long hoped for.

0:08:01.489,0:08:04.496
Whilst the Portuguese's arrival[br]was greeted with hospitality,

0:08:04.586,0:08:07.193
the local indian traders[br]found little value

0:08:07.193,0:08:09.178
in the trinkets and commodities

0:08:09.178,0:08:11.537
the Europeans had brought with them[br]to exchange

0:08:11.577,0:08:15.092
and so, da Gama's expedition[br]largely left empty-handed.

0:08:15.824,0:08:19.221
Their return journey back to Portugal[br]took an agonizing amount of time

0:08:19.231,0:08:21.979
owing to the monsoon conditions[br]they had to face up at sea

0:08:22.085,0:08:25.812
which took an immense toll[br]on both the crew and the ships

0:08:26.272,0:08:31.317
Nevertheless the survivors arrived back[br]in Lisbon during the summer of 1499

0:08:31.694,0:08:33.895
and were given a hero's welcome.

0:08:33.945,0:08:36.746
Despite the meager quantities[br]of spices and other goods

0:08:36.776,0:08:38.802
they had brought back.

0:08:38.942,0:08:41.824
Although the expedition itself [br]may not have been profitable,

0:08:41.914,0:08:45.128
it demonstrated that maritime trade[br]to Asia was possible

0:08:45.241,0:08:47.199
and had huge potential .

0:08:48.339,0:08:51.353
The second expedition to India[br]set sail in 1500

0:08:51.383,0:08:54.033
under the command of[br]Pedro Alvares Cabral.

0:08:54.175,0:08:56.698
Although while traversing

0:08:56.766,0:08:58.891
across the Atlantic Ocean[br]sailed too far West

0:08:58.921,0:09:02.197
and unexpectedly, reached [br]the coast of what is now Brazi.

0:09:02.284,0:09:04.719
Although this discovery[br]may have been unintentional

0:09:04.815,0:09:06.891
some speculation suggests

0:09:06.891,0:09:09.929
the Portuguese may have[br]already been aware of Brazil's existence

0:09:09.929,0:09:12.768
and secretly knew that this part[br]of South America

0:09:12.808,0:09:17.122
fell within their designated territory [br]according to the Treaty of Tordesilhas.

0:09:17.902,0:09:21.584
Cabral recommended[br]to the Portuguese King, Manuel I,

0:09:21.734,0:09:23.411
that the land be settled

0:09:23.411,0:09:27.174
and two follow-up voyages[br]were sent in 1501 and 1503.

0:09:27.984,0:09:30.725
The land was found to be abundant[br]in brazilwood

0:09:30.725,0:09:33.066
from which it later inherited its name

0:09:33.066,0:09:36.441
but the failure to find gold or silver[br]meant that for the time being

0:09:36.741,0:09:39.689
the Portuguese instead decided[br]to concentrate their efforts

0:09:39.749,0:09:41.833
on the invaluable trade out of India.

0:09:42.823,0:09:45.635
As the first decade of the 16th century[br]progressed,

0:09:45.655,0:09:48.721
the Portuguese ventured further[br]into other parts of Asia

0:09:48.771,0:09:51.344
such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia,

0:09:51.374,0:09:54.100
where they discovered the sources [br]of cinnamon and nutmeg.

0:09:54.650,0:09:58.528
So valuable were these commodities[br]that Alfonso de Albuquerque.

0:09:58.528,0:10:01.152
the first appointed Vice-Roy[br]of Portuguese India

0:10:01.202,0:10:04.877
ordered the construction[br]of trading posts and fortifications

0:10:04.927,0:10:07.671
along the 14,000 miles long route,

0:10:07.671,0:10:10.107
stretching from Portugal [br]to the East Indies.

0:10:10.164,0:10:13.620
These served as basis of operations[br]for conducting trade

0:10:13.631,0:10:16.484
and ensured the safeguarding[br]of their valuable cargos

0:10:16.556,0:10:19.617
that were to be transported [br]on the long arduous journey

0:10:19.627,0:10:21.968
back to the markets of Europe.

0:10:22.028,0:10:24.803
Shortly thereafter,[br]the Portuguese trading network

0:10:24.823,0:10:27.909
stretched to cover an area[br]surrounding the coastlines of Africa,

0:10:27.949,0:10:32.693
Arabia, India, Indonesia [br]and even as far as China and Japan.

0:10:34.283,0:10:37.075
Although the Portuguese were[br]primarily motivated

0:10:37.135,0:10:39.576
to establish trade relations[br]through peaceful means

0:10:39.591,0:10:43.897
their arrival into Asia was often met[br]with a fair degree of suspicion

0:10:43.937,0:10:46.264
from local merchants[br]who saw them

0:10:46.294,0:10:49.318
as nothing more than foreign[br]interlopers on their territory.

0:10:49.868,0:10:51.995
Consequently as tensions grew,

0:10:52.055,0:10:54.654
the Portuguese took to enforcing[br]their trading activity

0:10:54.684,0:10:56.643
with the use of force

0:10:56.876,0:10:59.740
Throughout the 16th century[br]numerous conflicts broke out

0:10:59.770,0:11:01.737
across the wider indopacific region,

0:11:01.757,0:11:03.702
as the Portuguese engaged in warfare

0:11:03.702,0:11:06.629
against the numerous[br]sultanates and empires of Asia.

0:11:07.319,0:11:09.463
Often possessing[br]superior military technology

0:11:09.523,0:11:11.048
over their adversaries,

0:11:11.048,0:11:14.982
the Portuguese were largely successful[br]at defending their commercial enterprises

0:11:15.042,0:11:18.489
as well as going on the offensive[br]to capture strategic targets

0:11:18.489,0:11:21.133
that they wish to take for themselves.

0:11:21.213,0:11:23.808
However, it was not just[br]trade and conquest

0:11:23.865,0:11:26.447
that advanced the realms [br]of the Portuguese Empire.

0:11:26.506,0:11:29.041
Religion also had its part to play

0:11:29.251,0:11:33.199
Accompanying the officials, merchants,[br]mariners and soldiers,

0:11:33.239,0:11:35.323
on board the ships leaving Lisbon

0:11:35.418,0:11:38.707
were small numbers [br]of priests and missionaries

0:11:38.747,0:11:40.919
typically belonging to the Jesuit order.

0:11:41.089,0:11:43.404
They had been ordered[br]by the Portuguese monarchy

0:11:43.444,0:11:45.145
to spread the Catholic faith

0:11:45.165,0:11:47.446
amongst the native peoples[br]of Asia and Africa

0:11:47.496,0:11:49.632
who they had come into contact with.

0:11:49.642,0:11:52.085
this policy had mixed successes

0:11:52.085,0:11:54.959
for, though their efforts[br]help towards establishing relations

0:11:55.049,0:11:58.817
and new settlements, such as the port[br]of Nagasaki in Japan, in 1571,

0:11:58.949,0:12:01.649
Elsewhere the priests and missionaries

0:12:01.679,0:12:04.566
spread the word of God[br]through violence and coercion.

0:12:04.839,0:12:07.334
In the case of the Goa,[br]Inquisition for example,

0:12:07.354,0:12:11.231
they heavily persecuted the Hindu[br]population of Portuguese India

0:12:11.314,0:12:13.913
in a bid to convert them [br]to Christianity.

0:12:14.461,0:12:16.796
The early period [br]of the Portuguese Empire

0:12:16.846,0:12:20.069
was concentrated on developing[br]trade across Asia and Africa,

0:12:20.279,0:12:23.338
which were much more lucrative[br]and easily accessible compared to Brazil.

0:12:23.405,0:12:24.962
12:25[br]attitudes towards this quickly changed[br]12:27[br]however when other Europe European[br]12:29[br]explorers particularly the French began[br]12:31[br]to develop interests of their own in the[br]12:33[br]territory and established a trading post[br]12:35[br]there in[br]12:37[br]1531 the Portuguese response as decreed[br]12:40[br]by King XO III on the 28th of September[br]12:43[br]1532 was to deter further French[br]12:45[br]incursions to the region by initiating a[br]12:47[br]large-scale colonization program that[br]12:50[br]would see the land divided up and ruled[br]12:52[br]by 15 separate captaincies with[br]12:55[br]instructions to build settlements Grant[br]12:57[br]allotments and administer Justice[br]12:59[br]each Captain was responsible for[br]13:01[br]developing and absorbing the costs of[br]13:03[br]colonization although they were not[br]13:05[br]allowed to own the land[br]13:06[br]outright despite their best efforts[br]13:09[br]however only two of the captaincies[br]13:11[br]reached any stage of significant[br]13:12[br]development owing principally to their[br]13:15[br]dedication in growing the highly[br]13:16[br]profitable crop of sugar cane this[br]13:19[br]required an enormous amount of Labor to[br]13:21[br]produce and over time it became[br]13:23[br]exclusively reliant on enslaved Africans[br]13:25[br]to work in its Fields such was the scale[br]13:28[br]and importance of the sugar industry[br]13:30[br]that of the estimated 4 million Africans[br]13:32[br]who were sold into slavery in the[br]13:33[br]Americas between the 16th and 19th[br]13:35[br]centuries up to 40% ended up in Brazil[br]13:40[br]the Portuguese presence in South America[br]13:42[br]began to slowly develop As Time passed[br]13:44[br]with the cities of Bahia sa Paulo and[br]13:47[br]Rio de Janeiro all being founded in the[br]13:49[br]mid-6th[br]13:50[br]century however a significant change in[br]13:53[br]the progress of the Portuguese Empire[br]13:55[br]occurred in 1580 when a succession[br]13:58[br]crisis triggered by the untimely death[br]14:00[br]of King Sebastian 2 years earlier saw[br]14:02[br]Philip II of Spain invade Portugal and[br]14:05[br]take the throne for himself with that[br]14:09[br]the two crowns and overseas empires of[br]14:11[br]Spain and Portugal were United under the[br]14:13[br]Iberian Union although they would[br]14:16[br]continue to be ruled separately and[br]14:18[br]distinctly from one[br]14:19[br]another during this time however in the[br]14:22[br]late 16th century Spain was at war with[br]14:25[br]England France and the Netherlands and[br]14:28[br]as a result of the union with its[br]14:29[br]Iberian neighbor Portugal quickly found[br]14:31[br]itself embroiled in The Wider conflict[br]14:33[br]with European Rivals who were all[br]14:35[br]competing to establish overseas empires[br]14:37[br]of their own the Dutch in particular[br]14:40[br]posed the most comprehensive threat to[br]14:42[br]Portugal at this time for they had just[br]14:44[br]gained their independence from the[br]14:45[br]Spanish hapsburg monarchy in 1581 and[br]14:48[br]being Adept merchants and Maritime[br]14:50[br]explorers were Keen to participate in[br]14:52[br]the lucrative trade to Asia for[br]14:54[br]themselves these Ambitions were also[br]14:56[br]shared by the English and both soon[br]14:58[br]learned of the navigational routes