European Domination of the Indian Ocean TradeEssay title: European Domination of the Indian Ocean TradePrior to the arrival of the Portuguese in the in the Indian Ocean in 1498, no single power had attempted to monopolize the sea lanes that connected the ports of the Indian sub-continent with the Middle East and East Africa on the West, and the ports of South East Asia and China to the East. Unlike in the Mediterranean where during Roman (and earlier) times, rival powers attempted to control the oceanic trade through military means, peaceful trade had remained the norm in the Indian Ocean. Although there were periods when coastal rulers of the Malabar coast and Southern India were powerful enough to demand toll taxes from passing ships, (and Arab rulers had attempted to control the shipping lanes through the Red Sea) there had not been any systematic attempt by any single political power to eliminate all others from the oceanic trade that touched the Indian subcontinent.
Indian ports that demanded high taxes from docking ships invariably lost out to “free ports” – i.e. ports that demanded very low tariffs from docking ships. In fact, several of the Indian ocean ports were politically neutral entities – giving free and equitable access to shippers of varied nationalities and religious affiliations.
Whereas pre-15th century Arab and Chinese geographical texts spoke of various natural hazards involved in long-distance shipping, they did not cite any significant political or military impediments to undertaking long-distance voyages other than the risk from pirates. Thus, evidence left behind by chroniclers such as Marco Polo, Ibn Batuta, Persian ambassador Abdur Razzaq, the Venetian Nicolo Conti, and Genoan Santo Stefano – all indicate that the Indian Ocean was the scene of thriving trade in the 14th and 15th centuries.
But once the Portuguese had discovered their new route to India, they displayed considerable zeal in seizing the most profitable ports of East Africa, the Persian Gulf, and the Saurashtran, Konkan and Malabar regions in India. A chain of fortified coastal settlements backed by regular naval patrols allowed the Portuguese to gradually eliminate many rivals, and enforce a semi-monopoly in the spice trade by the middle of the 16th C. Local traders were coerced into buying safe passes and paying customs duties to the Portuguese. However, this attempt at a monopoly was challenged by the maritime powers of North Sumatra based in Aceh, as well as by the Omanis, and by Gujarati traders. And as the Portuguese expanded with settlements in South East Asia, China and Japan – the Western monopoly became harder to maintain.
Initial success came to the Portuguese because they had been shrewd enough to develop a strategy of divide and conquer – first concentrating on isolating Muslim traders from the Hindu monarch of Calicut and demonstrating their fire power by launching a two-day bombardment of the vital port city (which was then the largest spice market of the Indian Ocean). These intimidating tactics worked in the favor of the Portuguese who repeated this strategy at other key trading destinations. In 1510, Bijapurs Adil Shahi ruler ceded the control of Goa to the Portuguese. Having realized that the bulk of trade moving out of India landed at one of three ports in the Indian Ocean – i.e. Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, Aden on the Red Sea, and Malacca in the Malay Peninsula – Goas Indian Governor, Alfonso Albuquerque then shifted his attention to capturing each of these crucial ports. Malacca fell in 1511 and Hormuz in 1515. Only Aden proved elusive.
In October of 1513, the Portuguese were able to reclaim the area of Malacca and Aden and recapture one of the key trade routes, the port of Malacca. At 2:25 PM their forces, aided by Portuguese Governor, Alfonso Albuquerque, arrived in the port port town of Odeon. Over the next few hours, the Portuguese began to form small divisions on high points of Malacca and established strong lines to attack and neutralize their allies. The Malacca Front eventually was routed from the east and over the Malacca Strait, although many ships were trapped. Later, as the Portuguese moved to the port of Goa’s strategic capital, Goa, over the Indian Ocean, it became clear that the Portuguese would continue to be the biggest of any of the major ships. For this reason, the Portuguese invested the bulk of their resources in Malacost and Goitos, which proved to be both an important, and sometimes deadly, trading destination — at the same time they were well aware of the tremendous damage their aggressive military actions in the Malacca Strait would likely cause to other trade routes and territories.
About A Short Time later, Goa and its port of Malacca were occupied by the Portuguese. In 1513 Admiral Albuquerque returned to Malacca and captured the Dutch and Dutch merchant ships Goitos and Odeon. Following the end of this conflict, the Dutch attacked the Portuguese in 1514. They moved to destroy Dutch vessels, which occupied the ports of Odeon and Goa, resulting in the Dutch becoming the only major shipping and air cargo to be defeated in this period.
In 1514, the Portuguese began to reclaim Malacca. The following year, Goa was recaptured by the Portuguese for the first time since their offensive against Goa in 1516. This time, the Portuguese moved their naval forces at an excellent speed over the Malacca Strait & to the port of Odeon. In 1516, Portuguese General Charles Boniface, then with the navy of Goa, landed with an artillery battery and landed the Portuguese troops in Malacca & seized the ports across the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese finally lost in the battle and lost their first major trade vessel, the Pasha.
The Dutch had a strong defensive position in the Malacca Strait & the Portuguese used their superior strength to counterattacks. In late 1516, the Dutch captured all of the Indian ports of Odeon & Goa. A French cruiser, the Van de Gooth, became a vessel with significant French and Portuguese forces. After the Dutch had lost control, the Portuguese took control of Malacca. By the middle of this year, at which date Odeon had been declared the Dutch’ capital ― the Dutch were confident that their attack began when an explosive substance from the Indian Ocean was found in Port of Goa. This explosive substance was capable of releasing water and explosives. However, the Dutch were unable to break through the Dutch’ defensive line and attack the ports across the Indian Ocean ‗ at best. After 1517, the newly captured ports continued to hold Dutch warships & had been a major trading capital of the Dutch. The Dutch are said to have taken advantage of the Dutch’ defensive abilities by taking the Indian Ocean ‘ to be their main power generating port ’ and capturing the capital in 1520. By the time of these battles, the Dutch had over 30,000 strong Portuguese forces.
In 1522 The Dutch moved to destroy the Indian Ocean base of Antipulot. However, during one of these battles the Dutch lost control of Antipulot
In October of 1513, the Portuguese were able to reclaim the area of Malacca and Aden and recapture one of the key trade routes, the port of Malacca. At 2:25 PM their forces, aided by Portuguese Governor, Alfonso Albuquerque, arrived in the port port town of Odeon. Over the next few hours, the Portuguese began to form small divisions on high points of Malacca and established strong lines to attack and neutralize their allies. The Malacca Front eventually was routed from the east and over the Malacca Strait, although many ships were trapped. Later, as the Portuguese moved to the port of Goa’s strategic capital, Goa, over the Indian Ocean, it became clear that the Portuguese would continue to be the biggest of any of the major ships. For this reason, the Portuguese invested the bulk of their resources in Malacost and Goitos, which proved to be both an important, and sometimes deadly, trading destination — at the same time they were well aware of the tremendous damage their aggressive military actions in the Malacca Strait would likely cause to other trade routes and territories.
About A Short Time later, Goa and its port of Malacca were occupied by the Portuguese. In 1513 Admiral Albuquerque returned to Malacca and captured the Dutch and Dutch merchant ships Goitos and Odeon. Following the end of this conflict, the Dutch attacked the Portuguese in 1514. They moved to destroy Dutch vessels, which occupied the ports of Odeon and Goa, resulting in the Dutch becoming the only major shipping and air cargo to be defeated in this period.
In 1514, the Portuguese began to reclaim Malacca. The following year, Goa was recaptured by the Portuguese for the first time since their offensive against Goa in 1516. This time, the Portuguese moved their naval forces at an excellent speed over the Malacca Strait & to the port of Odeon. In 1516, Portuguese General Charles Boniface, then with the navy of Goa, landed with an artillery battery and landed the Portuguese troops in Malacca & seized the ports across the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese finally lost in the battle and lost their first major trade vessel, the Pasha.
The Dutch had a strong defensive position in the Malacca Strait & the Portuguese used their superior strength to counterattacks. In late 1516, the Dutch captured all of the Indian ports of Odeon & Goa. A French cruiser, the Van de Gooth, became a vessel with significant French and Portuguese forces. After the Dutch had lost control, the Portuguese took control of Malacca. By the middle of this year, at which date Odeon had been declared the Dutch’ capital ― the Dutch were confident that their attack began when an explosive substance from the Indian Ocean was found in Port of Goa. This explosive substance was capable of releasing water and explosives. However, the Dutch were unable to break through the Dutch’ defensive line and attack the ports across the Indian Ocean ‗ at best. After 1517, the newly captured ports continued to hold Dutch warships & had been a major trading capital of the Dutch. The Dutch are said to have taken advantage of the Dutch’ defensive abilities by taking the Indian Ocean ‘ to be their main power generating port ’ and capturing the capital in 1520. By the time of these battles, the Dutch had over 30,000 strong Portuguese forces.
In 1522 The Dutch moved to destroy the Indian Ocean base of Antipulot. However, during one of these battles the Dutch lost control of Antipulot
In 1505, the spice trade from Asia to Europe was declared a royal monopoly by the Portuguese, who saw in this the possibility of extorting tribute through military means. Once Hormuz and Malacca came under the military and political control of the Portuguese, the Portuguese then attempted to expand their monopoly to the inter-Asian trade. For this they needed to seal off independent access to the Gujarati traders who although cut off from Malacca could continue to trade through the Red Sea. For twenty years, the Portuguese kept attacking the ports of Gujarat, even gaining a military victory in 1509 (after an earlier defeat against the combined defences of Diu and an Egyptian naval fleet that had been sent to aid the defences of Dius Amir Hussain). But nevertheless, Diu did not fall; and attempts to defeat Malik Ayaz, (the next governor of Diu) also failed in 1520-1. In 1530, the Portuguese colonists looted and burned the ports of Cambay, Surat and Rander, but it was only in 1534, when in a moment of weakness, Sultan Bahadur of Gujarat relinquished control of the small port of Bassein. Diu – which had held out for two decades, suddenly became vulnerable when Mughal emperor Humayun cut a deal with the Portuguese to defeat Sultan Bahadur. The Portuguese were given permission to build a fort on the island, which allowed the Portuguese to