European states began developing maritime empires to enrich themselves, spread Christianity, and become the greatest state in the world (Gold, God, and Glory).
European powers competed for dominance in sea-based trade networks, especially in the Indian Ocean.
Key European Powers and Their Methods
Portuguese
First to establish a trading post empire around Africa and throughout the Indian Ocean.
Dominated through military force, loading ships with powerful guns to control trade.
Spanish
Set up colonies in the Philippines using tribute systems, taxation, and coerced labor, similar to their methods in the Americas.
Dutch
Overtook Portuguese dominance in Indian Ocean trade using advanced ships called "flouts".
Employed similar methods of control as the Portuguese.
British
Initially struggled to establish control in India due to the Mughal Empire's strength.
Established trading posts that evolved into colonial rule in India by the 18th century.
Continuity and Change in Trade
Existing Asian merchants continued to use the Indian Ocean trade network and benefited from increased profits due to European entry.
Asian states resisted European intrusion, notably in:
Tokugawa Japan: Expelled Christian missionaries to prevent cultural fracturing.
Ming China: Expelled Portuguese traders to maintain isolationist trade policies.
Impact on African States
Assante Empire
Key trading partner with Europeans, trading gold, ivory, and enslaved people.
Became wealthy and expanded military power, resisting British colonization for a time.
Kingdom of Congo
Developed strong ties with Portuguese, trading gold, copper, and enslaved people.
Conversion to Christianity among the ruling class facilitated economic connections.
European Colonial Economies in the Americas
Focused on agriculture, requiring labor systems to maintain economies.
Used existing and new labor systems:
Mita System: Adapted from Inca for silver mining operations.
Chattel Slavery: Enslaved Africans treated as property, with slavery being race-based and hereditary.
Indentured Servitude: Laborers bound by contract, mainly poorer Europeans.
Encomienda System: Indigenous people forced to work in return for food and protection.
Hacienda System: Large estates with forced labor focused on agricultural export.
Development and Impact of Slavery
Continuity: African slave trade existed in Mediterranean and Indian Ocean networks before maritime empires.
Enslaved people in the Islamic world often became domestic servants or held significant roles.
Change:
Transatlantic slave trade involved a larger number of enslaved Africans (over 12.5 million).
Slavery in the Americas was racial, associating Blackness with slavery and inhumanity.
Conclusion
European powers established vast maritime empires with significant changes and continuities in trade and slavery.
Resistance from Asian and African states highlights the complexities of European imperial expansion.