jan 1, 1498 - Portuguese Trading Post established at Calicut

Description:

The goal of the Portuguese in establishing commercial trading posts overseas was not to conquer territories but rather to control trade by forcing merchant vessels to call at fortified trading sites and pay duties on the cargoes of their goods there. Vasco de Gama established a trading post in Calicut, and more were founded in Western Africa and east Asia. They traded in African slaves at Sao Jorge and attempted to control the trade in African gold from Mozambique while also controlling access to the Persian Gulf from Hormuz, organizing the trade in Indian Pepper from Goa, and overseeing the shipping of goods, especially spices and cloves, between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean from Melaka. Portuguese vessels were able to overpower other ships due to their heavy artillery and gunpowder weapons. Afonso d'Alboquerque sought to control Indian Ocean trade by forcing merchants to purchase safe conduct passes and present them at fortified Portuguese trading ports, which merchant vessels with no passes being subject to confiscation and punishment. However, Arab, Indian and Malay merchants continued to play prominent roles in Indian Ocean trade without safe conduct passes because Arab vessels delivered shipments through the Red Sea which the Portuguese were never able to control. Also, the Portuguese trading empire eventually declined because they had too small a population and too little resources to support a large seaborne trading empire.

Added to timeline:

Date: