Topic: European Explore the East
Class: Per. 1 World History
Essential Question: Why were peoples of the Age of Exploration willing to risk lives and fortune to expand the influence
of their homelands.
Qs:
1. Explain what led to
European exploration.
2. Describe steps in Portugal’s
discovery of a sea route to
Asia.
Name: Nirzana Ally
Date: 01/19/2021
As:
 God, Gold, Glory
 Europeans Seek new trade routes.
o New sources of wealth were the main reason of exploration.
o benefits from spices and luxury goods trade
o The Italians and Arabs controlled the trade up to the 15 th
century.
 The Spread of Christianity
o They hoped to gain popular goods from Asia/Christianize them
 Bernal Diaz del Castillo said, "To serve God and His
Majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness and
to grow rich as all men desire to do."
o The Europeans wanted to be rich and spread Christianity.
 Technology
o In the 1400s, the caravel was developed.
 Studier ships, triangular sails for wind (adopted from
Arabs)
o Europeans improved navigational techniques.
 Astrolabes shows sea locations (developed by Islamic
astronomers/mathematicians)
 Brass circle -rings marked in degrees, sight stars,
calculate latitude (north/south distance from
equator)
 Magnetic Compass (Chinese invention).
 16-point wind rose, was a Portuguese invention, which
shows the wind direction.
o Prince henry had to navigate a school to learn to use the sea
equipment.
o Measurements from tools/ocean current patterns marked in
pilot books/navigation charts were used for future voyages.
 Because of strong government investment
o Prince Henry-son of King, biggest supporter
o Started in 1415 -helped conquer Ceuta (N. Africa)
o After conquering and experiencing the wealth of Africa, prince
hennery tries to invest in more wealth.
 Henry determined to reach source of wealth in East & spread
 Christianity.
 In 1419, Henry founded a navigation school to learn about the sea
equipment.
 After a lot of investment, within several years, Portugal sailing down
western coast of Africa.
o By Henry's death (1460) -Portugal set up trading posts along
coast
o Traded with Africans (gold/ivory) and slaves
 Once set up on African coast, next move -> sea route to Asia
 Dias ventured down the coast of Africa until they reached the tip, but a
storm came, and after the storm they returned home.
 Believed to reach Asia -sail around tip of Africa.
o 1488 -Portuguese captain Bartolomeu Dias reached tip of Africa.
•In 1497 a Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama began exploring eastern
African coast.
•1498 -reached Calicut (SW India)
•Amazed by spices -> filled ships -> returned to Portugal in 1499
•Cargo/profit 60x worth of voyage
3. Explain the rivalry between •27,000-mile trip = Portugal route to India.
Spain and Portugal and how
the pope resolved it.

 1492 -Christopher Columbus convinced Spa in to finance voyage/bold

plan -> find route a cross Atlantic to Asia.
o October (1492) -Columbus reached island in Caribbean.
 Thought it was East Indies.
 The Portuguese believed that Spain reached Asia
o The Portugal thought that the Spain would claim land the
Portugal already had claimed.
 1493 -Pope Alexander VI -to keep peace -> drew imaginary line (N to S
through Atlantic)
o Line of Demarcation was drawn.
 West of line = Spain = most of the Americas
 East of line = Portugal
4. Identify nations that set up
 TREATY OF TORDESILLAS
trading empires in eastern
 Portugal complained line was unfair -> line moved west.
Asia.
o Modern-day Brazil now part of Portugal
o Was called Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494.
o It was signed by both countries.
o Era of Exploration about to ramp up.

 Spain
 Portugal
 European nations
  Years following da Gama's voyage, Portuguese monarchy investments
paid off.
o Built vast Indian Ocean trade empire.
o Took control from Muslim merchants.
 In 1509, Portugal defeated Muslim fleet of India
-possible because of onboard cannons.
 Control strengthened after fort built at Hormuz (1514)
o Controlled straits of Hormuz
 Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea -stopped Arabs from
reaching India.
 In 1510, Portuguese captured Goa -W. coast of India.
o Goa becomes the capital of the Portuguese trade empire.
o They sailed further to Indonesia (East Indies)
 In 1511 -attacked Malacca (W. coast of Malay Peninsula)
under captain Afonso de Albuquerque
 He now controlled strait of Malacca & Moluccas
-known as the Spice Islands.
 Portugal had crushed Muslim-Italian control of trade routes.
 1521 -Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines.
o Spain claimed islands and settled in 1565.
 By early 1600s the rest of Europe descended on Asia. They wanted their
own empires.
 Spain
 Portugal
 European nations

Summary: