1
00:00:10,214 --> 00:00:14,116
This is a map
of the world's shipping lanes

2
00:00:14,339 --> 00:00:17,081
showcasing the intricate network
of maritime routes

3
00:00:17,111 --> 00:00:19,797
that connect our modern world
through global trade.

4
00:00:19,847 --> 00:00:23,655
Although some of these routes 
were established in more recent times

5
00:00:23,865 --> 00:00:26,319
such as the Suez and Panama canals,

6
00:00:26,509 --> 00:00:30,270
most of these oceanic highways
were chartered long ago

7
00:00:30,330 --> 00:00:33,779
in an age where there was
no reliable way of navigation

8
00:00:33,799 --> 00:00:36,678
other than local knowledge
and some rudimentary maps.

9
00:00:38,108 --> 00:00:41,158
However, just over 500 years ago

10
00:00:41,188 --> 00:00:43,573
at the beginning of the 16th century

11
00:00:43,654 --> 00:00:46,921
these international trade routes
did not even exist.

12
00:00:47,991 --> 00:00:51,439
Only due to the emergence
of the small Iberian nation of Portugal

13
00:00:51,499 --> 00:00:53,688
as a maritime superpower,

14
00:00:53,751 --> 00:00:56,716
were these connections 
to other parts of the world

15
00:00:56,736 --> 00:01:00,631
made possible through their daring
voyages and navigational prowess.

16
00:01:00,778 --> 00:01:04,194
Portugal quickly established
an empire for itself,

17
00:01:04,427 --> 00:01:07,931
stretching from Africa, to Asia
and South America.

18
00:01:08,961 --> 00:01:12,187
These maritime exploits
not only fueled Portugal's wealth.

19
00:01:12,237 --> 00:01:14,205
an astonishing rise to power,

20
00:01:14,205 --> 00:01:18,307
but also laid the foundation
for the interconnected global economy

21
00:01:18,376 --> 00:01:19,881
that we benefit from today.

22
00:01:20,381 --> 00:01:24,801
But how did this relatively obscure nation
on the edge of Europe emerged

23
00:01:24,864 --> 00:01:27,704
to forge an Empire that would shape
the course of History

24
00:01:27,704 --> 00:01:29,393
for centuries to come?

25
00:01:29,700 --> 00:01:32,628
This is the History 
of the Portuguese Empire.

26
00:01:36,948 --> 00:01:40,911
All of our videos are available to watch
ad free over on our substack page.

27
00:01:42,063 --> 00:01:44,616
you can also read along
to the original scripts

28
00:01:44,626 --> 00:01:47,607
as well as listen to the audio generation
as podcasts

29
00:01:47,607 --> 00:01:50,206
by following the link
in the video description below

30
00:01:50,206 --> 00:01:51,829
and subscribing with your email.

31
00:01:51,999 --> 00:01:53,255
Thank you.

32
00:01:53,885 --> 00:01:56,833
The kingdom of Portugal emerged out
of the series of events

33
00:01:56,833 --> 00:01:59,363
known to History as the Reconquista

34
00:01:59,413 --> 00:02:02,208
which was the the gradual reconquest
of Christian lands

35
00:02:02,208 --> 00:02:04,843
on the Iberian Peninsula
from the Muslim Moors

36
00:02:04,873 --> 00:02:08,144
who had invaded the territory
far back in the 8th century,

37
00:02:08,504 --> 00:02:11,078
having established itself 
as a sovereign kingdom

38
00:02:11,108 --> 00:02:12,765
by the middle of the 12th century,

39
00:02:12,785 --> 00:02:16,388
the Portuguese went on to push
out the remaining Moors to the South

40
00:02:16,428 --> 00:02:20,021
by capturing the territory
of the Algarve in 1249,

41
00:02:20,121 --> 00:02:22,867
effectively setting out the borders
of their kingdom

42
00:02:22,877 --> 00:02:25,565
along the same lines
to which they exist today.

43
00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,186
With their own territory secured
from external threats

44
00:02:28,216 --> 00:02:31,749
and the possibility of further expansion
on the Iberian Peninsula ruled out

45
00:02:31,759 --> 00:02:33,881
on account of their friendly relations

46
00:02:33,891 --> 00:02:36,914
with the neighboring Christian
kingdom of Castile to the east.

47
00:02:36,914 --> 00:02:39,287
Portugal turned its attention
towards the sea

48
00:02:39,397 --> 00:02:41,885
and the possibility
of exerting its own influence

49
00:02:41,971 --> 00:02:45,667
upon both it and the lands
that lay beyond in North Africa.

50
00:02:46,595 --> 00:02:50,656
The year 1415 marked a pivotal
moment in Portuguese expansion

51
00:02:50,997 --> 00:02:54,722
for a decision was made to orchestrate
an attack on the city of Ceuta,

52
00:02:54,813 --> 00:02:57,331
which was held by the Marinid Sultanate.

53
00:02:57,921 --> 00:02:59,847
Although many at the time
considered this

54
00:02:59,847 --> 00:03:02,246
nothing more than a continuation
of the hostilities

55
00:03:02,286 --> 00:03:03,915
between Christians and Muslims,

56
00:03:03,955 --> 00:03:06,891
in reality it paved the way 
for the Portuguese

57
00:03:06,941 --> 00:03:09,714
to expand their dominions 
and economic interests

58
00:03:09,766 --> 00:03:12,038
beyond the Iberian Peninsula

59
00:03:12,068 --> 00:03:14,629
and marked the beginning 
of the Portuguese Empire.

60
00:03:15,849 --> 00:03:17,870
Despite capturing the city,

61
00:03:17,870 --> 00:03:21,265
the Portuguese were not able
to advance further into North Africa

62
00:03:21,379 --> 00:03:22,960
as they had initially planned,

63
00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,615
owing to determined resistance
by local Muslim forces.

64
00:03:25,915 --> 00:03:28,803
Nevertheless they continued
to guarnison Ceuta

65
00:03:28,843 --> 00:03:30,857
and used its harbor as a base

66
00:03:30,917 --> 00:03:33,094
to explore the Atlantic 
coastline of Africa.

67
00:03:33,824 --> 00:03:36,197
This policy of maritime exploration

68
00:03:36,237 --> 00:03:38,384
was championed by a prominent figure

69
00:03:38,404 --> 00:03:40,637
in the early days 
of the Portuguese Empire´:

70
00:03:40,677 --> 00:03:42,399
Prince Henry, the Navigator.

71
00:03:42,769 --> 00:03:46,297
He was curious to know
how far the Muslim territories in Africa

72
00:03:46,370 --> 00:03:47,845
extended Southward,

73
00:03:47,865 --> 00:03:51,373
and whether it would be possible
to reach Asia by an easterly sea route.

74
00:03:52,177 --> 00:03:56,461
Consequently, scores of Portuguese ships
began to set off into the Atlantic Ocean

75
00:03:56,501 --> 00:03:58,768
and around the coast of North Africa

76
00:03:58,848 --> 00:04:03,215
probing further and further into what
were at the time uncharted waters.

77
00:04:03,782 --> 00:04:06,113
The islands of Madeira and the Azores

78
00:04:06,113 --> 00:04:10,045
were first cited in 1419 and 1427,
respectively,

79
00:04:10,098 --> 00:04:12,344
and were subsequently
incorporated

80
00:04:12,364 --> 00:04:15,171
as the latest additions
to the expanding Portuguese Empire.

81
00:04:15,971 --> 00:04:17,767
One of the first natural barriers

82
00:04:17,767 --> 00:04:20,227
the Portuguese encountered
on their explorations

83
00:04:20,244 --> 00:04:22,029
was Cape Bojador.

84
00:04:22,031 --> 00:04:25,099
The violent waters that surround it
had claimed many vessels

85
00:04:25,099 --> 00:04:27,104
that had previously tried to pass through

86
00:04:27,114 --> 00:04:29,781
and it was widely deemed 
to be a point of no return.

87
00:04:30,031 --> 00:04:32,105
That was until 1434,

88
00:04:32,135 --> 00:04:35,537
when Gil Eanes successfully
found the navigable passage

89
00:04:35,637 --> 00:04:37,043
around the cape

90
00:04:37,053 --> 00:04:38,926
and opened up further
exploration South

91
00:04:38,969 --> 00:04:40,907
towards subsaharan Africa.

92
00:04:41,137 --> 00:04:43,190
No sooner had this feat been achieved

93
00:04:43,256 --> 00:04:45,921
that the merchants of Lisbon
began to search

94
00:04:45,921 --> 00:04:48,355
for newer and more exotic markets

95
00:04:48,355 --> 00:04:49,801
to which they could trade to.

96
00:04:49,981 --> 00:04:54,208
gold, ivory, pepper, cotton and sugar,
all from Africa,

97
00:04:54,248 --> 00:04:56,085
soon became more commonplace

98
00:04:56,105 --> 00:04:58,363
amongst the trading stools of Lisbon

99
00:04:58,363 --> 00:05:00,698
as did the practice
of selling African slaves

100
00:05:00,868 --> 00:05:05,089
which began the long and dark history
of the transatlantic slave trade

101
00:05:05,109 --> 00:05:08,539
that would continue for the next 400 years

102
00:05:09,285 --> 00:05:11,870
Over the subsequent decades
of the 15th century,

103
00:05:11,870 --> 00:05:14,207
the Portuguese ventured 
further and further South

104
00:05:14,277 --> 00:05:16,006
down the coast of Africa.

105
00:05:16,006 --> 00:05:18,745
reaching the Cape Verde Islands
in 1456

106
00:05:18,855 --> 00:05:21,825
and the Gulf of Guinea by the 1460s.

107
00:05:22,215 --> 00:05:25,469
As they explored, they left behind
a series of "padrões",

108
00:05:25,469 --> 00:05:29,152
stone crosses engraved
with the Portuguese coat of arms,

109
00:05:29,212 --> 00:05:31,523
marking out their territorial claims

110
00:05:31,543 --> 00:05:34,154
which were followed up
with the construction of forts

111
00:05:34,164 --> 00:05:35,589
and trading posts.

112
00:05:35,629 --> 00:05:39,312
From these bases they engaged
profitably in the gold and slave trades

113
00:05:39,342 --> 00:05:41,693
which they held a virtual monopoly on

114
00:05:41,733 --> 00:05:43,709
for well over a century.

115
00:05:43,989 --> 00:05:46,852
The real prize for the
portuguese merchants however

116
00:05:46,852 --> 00:05:50,502
was a supposed, but as yet unconfirmed,
sea route to Asia .

117
00:05:51,268 --> 00:05:53,901
They hoped that the discovery
of such a route

118
00:05:53,921 --> 00:05:57,211
would allow them direct access 
to the spice markets of the Indies

119
00:05:57,268 --> 00:06:00,800
and bypass the expensive
arab and venetian merchants

120
00:06:00,871 --> 00:06:04,118
who controlled the overland trade routes
through the Middle East

121
00:06:04,148 --> 00:06:06,341
and across the Mediterranean
into Europe.

122
00:06:06,351 --> 00:06:10,308
Then, in 1488 news reached
the ears of the Portuguese authorities

123
00:06:10,358 --> 00:06:14,251
that Bartholomew Dias had rounded
the southern tip of Africa

124
00:06:14,271 --> 00:06:15,921
and reached the Indian Ocean,

125
00:06:15,921 --> 00:06:19,328
proving that such an easterly
passage did indeed exist.

126
00:06:20,138 --> 00:06:24,627
However, this revelation would soon
be eclipsed in magnitude,

127
00:06:24,687 --> 00:06:26,221
just four years later,

128
00:06:26,221 --> 00:06:29,582
when Christopher Columbus sailed
westwards across the Atlantic Ocean

129
00:06:29,634 --> 00:06:32,110
in search of his own theoretical route
to the Indies

130
00:06:32,110 --> 00:06:36,403
and in the process inadvertently
discovered an entirely New World.

131
00:06:37,473 --> 00:06:39,578
The discovery of the Americas

132
00:06:39,578 --> 00:06:41,904
which Columbus claimed
in the name of Spain

133
00:06:41,914 --> 00:06:44,205
and initially believed to be part
of Eastern Asia

134
00:06:44,215 --> 00:06:47,144
quickly created a problem
for the two Iberian Nations.

135
00:06:47,144 --> 00:06:50,645
Not knowing where one set of recently
discovered lands ended

136
00:06:50,665 --> 00:06:52,645
and another began,

137
00:06:52,685 --> 00:06:56,190
they consequently agreed to divide
the world in two spheres of influence,

138
00:06:56,190 --> 00:06:59,586
between themselves, marked 
by a north/south line of Meridian

139
00:06:59,667 --> 00:07:01,021
roughly halfway

140
00:07:01,096 --> 00:07:03,580
between the Cape Verde Islands
controlled by Portugal

141
00:07:03,610 --> 00:07:06,492
and the Caribbean Islands of the Americas

142
00:07:06,492 --> 00:07:09,566
which Columbus had recently discovered 
and claimed for Spain.

143
00:07:09,798 --> 00:07:13,918
The Treaty of Tordesilhas
ratified this agreement in 1494

144
00:07:13,958 --> 00:07:16,808
and effectively carved the world in two.

145
00:07:17,048 --> 00:07:20,528
with the lands to the East of this line
to be claimed solely by Portugal

146
00:07:20,608 --> 00:07:23,353
and the lands to the West 
claimed solely by Spain.

147
00:07:24,413 --> 00:07:27,676
With the dispute settled,
Portugal could finally begin to undertake

148
00:07:27,686 --> 00:07:31,497
its long-standing ambition
of charting a sea route to Asia

149
00:07:31,547 --> 00:07:34,383
and so, on the 8th of July 1497,

150
00:07:34,393 --> 00:07:37,651
the explorer Vasco de Gama left Lisbon

151
00:07:37,676 --> 00:07:41,244
with a fleet of four ships 
and a crew of 170 men

152
00:07:41,334 --> 00:07:44,278
bound for the Indian Ocean
in search of Asia.

153
00:07:45,288 --> 00:07:48,301
After a voyage of some 10 months
Vasco da Gama's expedition

154
00:07:48,341 --> 00:07:51,223
finally made landfall 
on the Malibar coast of India

155
00:07:51,242 --> 00:07:53,313
in May 1498

156
00:07:53,343 --> 00:07:56,923
and subsequently met with the Zamorin,
or king of Calicut

157
00:07:57,163 --> 00:07:59,354
to establish the trade relations

158
00:07:59,354 --> 00:08:01,279
that they they had long hoped for.

159
00:08:01,489 --> 00:08:04,496
Whilst the Portuguese's arrival
was greeted with hospitality,

160
00:08:04,586 --> 00:08:07,193
the local indian traders
found little value

161
00:08:07,193 --> 00:08:09,178
in the trinkets and commodities

162
00:08:09,178 --> 00:08:11,537
the Europeans had brought with them
to exchange

163
00:08:11,577 --> 00:08:15,092
and so, da Gama's expedition
largely left empty-handed.

164
00:08:15,824 --> 00:08:19,221
Their return journey back to Portugal
took an agonizing amount of time

165
00:08:19,231 --> 00:08:21,979
owing to the monsoon conditions
they had to face up at sea

166
00:08:22,085 --> 00:08:25,812
which took an immense toll
on both the crew and the ships

167
00:08:26,272 --> 00:08:31,317
Nevertheless the survivors arrived back
in Lisbon during the summer of 1499

168
00:08:31,694 --> 00:08:33,895
and were given a hero's welcome.

169
00:08:33,945 --> 00:08:36,746
Despite the meager quantities
of spices and other goods

170
00:08:36,776 --> 00:08:38,802
they had brought back.

171
00:08:38,942 --> 00:08:41,824
Although the expedition itself 
may not have been profitable,

172
00:08:41,914 --> 00:08:45,128
it demonstrated that maritime trade
to Asia was possible

173
00:08:45,241 --> 00:08:47,199
and had huge potential .

174
00:08:48,339 --> 00:08:51,353
The second expedition to India
set sail in 1500

175
00:08:51,383 --> 00:08:54,033
under the command of
Pedro Alvares Cabral.

176
00:08:54,175 --> 00:08:56,698
Although while traversing

177
00:08:56,766 --> 00:08:58,891
across the Atlantic Ocean
sailed too far West

178
00:08:58,921 --> 00:09:02,197
and unexpectedly, reached 
the coast of what is now Brazi.

179
00:09:02,284 --> 00:09:04,719
Although this discovery
may have been unintentional

180
00:09:04,815 --> 00:09:06,891
some speculation suggests

181
00:09:06,891 --> 00:09:09,929
the Portuguese may have
already been aware of Brazil's existence

182
00:09:09,929 --> 00:09:12,768
and secretly knew that this part
of South America

183
00:09:12,808 --> 00:09:17,122
fell within their designated territory 
according to the Treaty of Tordesilhas.

184
00:09:17,902 --> 00:09:21,584
Cabral recommended
to the Portuguese King, Manuel I,

185
00:09:21,734 --> 00:09:23,411
that the land be settled

186
00:09:23,411 --> 00:09:27,174
and two follow-up voyages
were sent in 1501 and 1503.

187
00:09:27,984 --> 00:09:30,725
The land was found to be abundant
in brazilwood

188
00:09:30,725 --> 00:09:33,066
from which it later inherited its name

189
00:09:33,066 --> 00:09:36,441
but the failure to find gold or silver
meant that for the time being

190
00:09:36,741 --> 00:09:39,689
the Portuguese instead decided
to concentrate their efforts

191
00:09:39,749 --> 00:09:41,833
on the invaluable trade out of India.

192
00:09:42,823 --> 00:09:45,635
As the first decade of the 16th century
progressed,

193
00:09:45,655 --> 00:09:48,721
the Portuguese ventured further
into other parts of Asia

194
00:09:48,771 --> 00:09:51,344
such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia,

195
00:09:51,374 --> 00:09:54,100
where they discovered the sources 
of cinnamon and nutmeg.

196
00:09:54,650 --> 00:09:58,528
So valuable were these commodities
that Alfonso de Albuquerque.

197
00:09:58,528 --> 00:10:01,152
the first appointed Vice-Roy
of Portuguese India

198
00:10:01,202 --> 00:10:04,877
ordered the construction
of trading posts and fortifications

199
00:10:04,927 --> 00:10:07,671
along the 14,000 miles long route,

200
00:10:07,671 --> 00:10:10,107
stretching from Portugal 
to the East Indies.

201
00:10:10,164 --> 00:10:13,620
These served as basis of operations
for conducting trade

202
00:10:13,631 --> 00:10:16,484
and ensured the safeguarding
of their valuable cargos

203
00:10:16,556 --> 00:10:19,617
that were to be transported 
on the long arduous journey

204
00:10:19,627 --> 00:10:21,968
back to the markets of Europe.

205
00:10:22,028 --> 00:10:24,803
Shortly thereafter,
the Portuguese trading network

206
00:10:24,823 --> 00:10:27,909
stretched to cover an area
surrounding the coastlines of Africa,

207
00:10:27,949 --> 00:10:32,693
Arabia, India, Indonesia 
and even as far as China and Japan.

208
00:10:34,283 --> 00:10:37,075
Although the Portuguese were
primarily motivated

209
00:10:37,135 --> 00:10:39,576
to establish trade relations
through peaceful means

210
00:10:39,591 --> 00:10:43,897
their arrival into Asia was often met
with a fair degree of suspicion

211
00:10:43,937 --> 00:10:46,264
from local merchants
who saw them

212
00:10:46,294 --> 00:10:49,318
as nothing more than foreign
interlopers on their territory.

213
00:10:49,868 --> 00:10:51,995
Consequently as tensions grew,

214
00:10:52,055 --> 00:10:54,654
the Portuguese took to enforcing
their trading activity

215
00:10:54,684 --> 00:10:56,643
with the use of force

216
00:10:56,876 --> 00:10:59,740
Throughout the 16th century
numerous conflicts broke out

217
00:10:59,770 --> 00:11:01,737
across the wider indopacific region,

218
00:11:01,757 --> 00:11:03,702
as the Portuguese engaged in warfare

219
00:11:03,702 --> 00:11:06,629
against the numerous
sultanates and empires of Asia.

220
00:11:07,319 --> 00:11:09,463
Often possessing
superior military technology

221
00:11:09,523 --> 00:11:11,048
over their adversaries,

222
00:11:11,048 --> 00:11:14,982
the Portuguese were largely successful
at defending their commercial enterprises

223
00:11:15,042 --> 00:11:18,489
as well as going on the offensive
to capture strategic targets

224
00:11:18,489 --> 00:11:21,133
that they wish to take for themselves.

225
00:11:21,213 --> 00:11:23,808
However, it was not just
trade and conquest

226
00:11:23,865 --> 00:11:26,447
that advanced the realms 
of the Portuguese Empire.

227
00:11:26,506 --> 00:11:29,041
Religion also had its part to play

228
00:11:29,251 --> 00:11:33,199
Accompanying the officials, merchants,
mariners and soldiers,

229
00:11:33,239 --> 00:11:35,323
on board the ships leaving Lisbon

230
00:11:35,418 --> 00:11:38,707
were small numbers 
of priests and missionaries

231
00:11:38,747 --> 00:11:40,919
typically belonging to the Jesuit order.

232
00:11:41,089 --> 00:11:43,404
They had been ordered
by the Portuguese monarchy

233
00:11:43,444 --> 00:11:45,145
to spread the Catholic faith

234
00:11:45,165 --> 00:11:47,446
amongst the native peoples
of Asia and Africa

235
00:11:47,496 --> 00:11:49,632
who they had come into contact with.

236
00:11:49,642 --> 00:11:52,085
this policy had mixed successes

237
00:11:52,085 --> 00:11:54,959
for, though their efforts
help towards establishing relations

238
00:11:55,049 --> 00:11:58,817
and new settlements, such as the port
of Nagasaki in Japan, in 1571,

239
00:11:58,949 --> 00:12:01,649
Elsewhere the priests and missionaries

240
00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,566
spread the word of God
through violence and coercion.

241
00:12:04,839 --> 00:12:07,334
In the case of the Goa,
Inquisition for example,

242
00:12:07,354 --> 00:12:11,231
they heavily persecuted the Hindu
population of Portuguese India

243
00:12:11,314 --> 00:12:13,913
in a bid to convert them 
to Christianity.

244
00:12:14,461 --> 00:12:16,796
The early period 
of the Portuguese Empire

245
00:12:16,846 --> 00:12:20,069
was concentrated on developing
trade across Asia and Africa,

246
00:12:20,279 --> 00:12:23,338
which were much more lucrative
and easily accessible compared to Brazil.

247
00:12:23,405 --> 00:12:24,962
12:25
attitudes towards this quickly changed
12:27
however when other Europe European
12:29
explorers particularly the French began
12:31
to develop interests of their own in the
12:33
territory and established a trading post
12:35
there in
12:37
1531 the Portuguese response as decreed
12:40
by King XO III on the 28th of September
12:43
1532 was to deter further French
12:45
incursions to the region by initiating a
12:47
large-scale colonization program that
12:50
would see the land divided up and ruled
12:52
by 15 separate captaincies with
12:55
instructions to build settlements Grant
12:57
allotments and administer Justice
12:59
each Captain was responsible for
13:01
developing and absorbing the costs of
13:03
colonization although they were not
13:05
allowed to own the land
13:06
outright despite their best efforts
13:09
however only two of the captaincies
13:11
reached any stage of significant
13:12
development owing principally to their
13:15
dedication in growing the highly
13:16
profitable crop of sugar cane this
13:19
required an enormous amount of Labor to
13:21
produce and over time it became
13:23
exclusively reliant on enslaved Africans
13:25
to work in its Fields such was the scale
13:28
and importance of the sugar industry
13:30
that of the estimated 4 million Africans
13:32
who were sold into slavery in the
13:33
Americas between the 16th and 19th
13:35
centuries up to 40% ended up in Brazil
13:40
the Portuguese presence in South America
13:42
began to slowly develop As Time passed
13:44
with the cities of Bahia sa Paulo and
13:47
Rio de Janeiro all being founded in the
13:49
mid-6th
13:50
century however a significant change in
13:53
the progress of the Portuguese Empire
13:55
occurred in 1580 when a succession
13:58
crisis triggered by the untimely death
14:00
of King Sebastian 2 years earlier saw
14:02
Philip II of Spain invade Portugal and
14:05
take the throne for himself with that
14:09
the two crowns and overseas empires of
14:11
Spain and Portugal were United under the
14:13
Iberian Union although they would
14:16
continue to be ruled separately and
14:18
distinctly from one
14:19
another during this time however in the
14:22
late 16th century Spain was at war with
14:25
England France and the Netherlands and
14:28
as a result of the union with its
14:29
Iberian neighbor Portugal quickly found
14:31
itself embroiled in The Wider conflict
14:33
with European Rivals who were all
14:35
competing to establish overseas empires
14:37
of their own the Dutch in particular
14:40
posed the most comprehensive threat to
14:42
Portugal at this time for they had just
14:44
gained their independence from the
14:45
Spanish hapsburg monarchy in 1581 and
14:48
being Adept merchants and Maritime
14:50
explorers were Keen to participate in
14:52
the lucrative trade to Asia for
14:54
themselves these Ambitions were also
14:56
shared by the English and both soon
14:58
learned of the navigational routes