1. Spanish & Portuguese in Afro-Eurasia vs. the Americas
A comparison

4. Spanish and Portuguese had same motives
Changed status quo
Longer expeditions
Break monopolies on trade
Bring in specie to strengthen national monarchies
Convert non-Christians
Drive out or do battle with Muslim forces

5. Wealth of conquered territories
By 15th century trade was revived
Collapsed during the Black Death of the 1300’s
IO Network: rich trading states on coastal India (Malabar), Persian Gulf, Eastern Africa, Malacca, Southern Coast of China
Large amounts of spice – esp. Pepper
Many port cities Muslim
IO Free Trade Zone prior to Portuguese domination
Revival of the IO trade network left link between E. African Coast, S. Asia, SE Asia to China
Indian subcontinent center of trade routes

7. Africans were savvy Attempted to control relationships with Portuguese
Sent ambassadors
Threatened to end trade if necessary
Established royal monopolies

8. East Africans – savvy and Muslim
Trading states Muslim, but city-states
Malinda only state to side with Portuguese against its neighbors
Bombardment campaign necessary to establish Portuguese control
Alliance with Christian Ethiopia against Ottoman influence

9. Middle Easterners – savvy and strong
Ottoman Empire able to help
Encouraged overland trade routes by protecting caravans and providing safe rest stops.
Revenue helped finance Ottoman military expansion
Portuguese still took Hormuz
Couldn't’t take Aden
Aden & Hormuz were major trading hubs between Asia and Arabs. Portuguese wanted to take over both to prevent Arabs trade.

11. Indians – Savvy but under-armed
Calicut, previous site of humiliation, conquered through use of cannon
Gujarat conquered
Areas that resisted were cut off from trade
No attempt at penetration beyond entrepot cities

12. Malaccans – savvy but divided
Some supported integration of new traders
Already multicultural
Unable to resist Portuguese cannon
Malacca captured and controlled by Portuguese

13. Chinese – savvy and strong
Trade welcomed but limited to Macao
Portuguese used to transport trade between China and Japan – the yearly “black ships”
No penetration into interior

14. Chinese – savvy and strong
Internal growth in Ming dynasty fueled Eurasian commerce
Elaborate trade networks developed
Domestic production of silk and porcelain expanded
Foreign demand for silk and porcelain increased
Foreigners paid for Chine products with silver
Silver became the basis of Ming monetary system
Japan and eventually the Americas were major sources of silver

15. Important Factors
Resistance to disease of Afro-Eurasians meant no penetration into interior
Portuguese cannon on ships allowed for establishment of a Maritime Trade Empire, but NOT complete control
Monopoly of Italians broken; Portugal became very wealthy

16. The Americas – Very different
Motives of explorers exploitation of natural resources, slave trade
Amerindians naïve, ritualistic in warfare
Little resistance to long-established Afro-Eurasian diseases – up to 50% of population died
Little metallurgy; Europeans had technological advantage e.g. swords and armor
No firearms
No horses for cavalry

20. The Aztec empire and the Spanish conquest
1. Mexica Society
In Mesoamerica, the Mexica had created a large, complex empire that embraced perhaps 25 million people.
The Aztec state was based on extensive kinship networks.
Priest played a powerful role as well.
The Mexica believed in a cyclical universe and a coming apocalypse.
Captives were sacrificed to the gods.
From 1440 onward, the Aztec empire was under stress.
Conquered people on the periphery were rebelling.

21. Aztec Cortés and Conquest
Hernan Cortés arrived in early sixteenth century.
Aztec ruler Moctezuma and his ministers feared Cortés and his men were the god Quetzalcoátl and his entourage and sent emissaries to distract them, but made little effort to fortify the empire.
Doña Marina, a daughter of a local Indian noble farmer, was the key to translating between Aztecs and Spanish.
Cortés made alliances with aggrieved Aztec enemies.
Cortés entered the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, in 1519 and captured Moctezuma, who then ruled as a Spanish puppet.
The Aztecs rose in rebellion two years later but were defeated by the Spanish and their allies.
Spanish had more advanced technology.
Aztecs fought to capture, not to kill.
Diseases brought over by the Spanish wiped out much of the Aztec population and made resistance all the more difficult.
Cortés became governor of the colony "New Spain."Unhappy minority populations within brutal Aztec joined with Spanish conquistadores
Attempts at parley resulted in Mocteczuma being held hostage in Tenochtitlan
Seeing their emperor fall broke the religious faith that sustained the power structure

22. Aztec Disease wiped out many, reduced chance to resist conquistadores
Clever, long-known European military strategies used effectively (e.g. Cavalry charge)
After brief resistance, empire fell

23. Inca Already weakened by smallpox when Pizarro arrived
Had been through succession battle and civil war just prior
Ceremonially welcomed Pizarro
Pizarro’s men betrayed Ayathualpa, cut down litter which ended religious authority

24. Inca From capital of Cuzco, Incas governed an empire of 4 to 6 million
As Spanish arrived, internal strife over inheritance of empire
Smallpox epidemic struck
Spanish led by Francisco Pizarro, take advantage of internal conflict to conquer the Incas in 1532.
After conquest, Spanish establish their capital in Lima.
Spanish fight over spoils of the empire.

28. General factors -- Americas
Religious nature of state meant ceremonial warfare
When leaders fell, religious basis of power put into question
Spread of epidemic diseases seemed inspired by gods
Lack of military techniques and technology
Dishonesty of conquistadors

29. Major differences: Port v. Spanish
Portuguese
Encountered experienced populations with almost as good tech
Couldn’t use spread of disease to penetrate inland
Had a MARITIME trade empire
Focused on dominating the IO trade, trade with West Africa
Spanish
Encountered Naïve populations with little technology
Used spread of Smallpox to weaken population
Established LAND EMPIRES
Focused on extracting resources (esp. Specie) from land