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Video Notes: Zhenghe, Vasco De Gama, and Columbus
Indian ocean trade dominated by muslims merchants, involving ports in india, middle east, africa, indonesia and china
all three became sailors for wealth
Zheng he
Muslim??
China has experience with muslim bc previously ruled by mongols
Eunuch - Person without balls
eunuch
greatest chinese admiral in history
1405-1433
zhenghe led total of 7 voyages in the Indian ocean with treasure ships
300 ships vs 3 ships -columbus
ships way biggrer
was not explorer, followed known routes
china use tribute system
country ambassador come to china kowchow and offer money for goods
zhenghe ships also escort ambassadors back
receive many tribute including exotic animals
voyage end bc
1.
zhenghe died
2.
appointing emperor died
3.
future emperors weren't interested in maritime trade, more concerned with protecting china
Vasco De Gama
Portugal: large coastline, little resources, rely heavily on trade
only place in Europe with large muslim pop
portugal very advanced in terms of sea navigation
Commissioned sailors to search for two things
1.
path to indian ocean
2.
kingdom of prester john (fictional christian king living in africa)
De gama first person to make it around africa and into indian ocean trade route
land in Calicut in india
say three words “Gold and Christians”
Portugal capture many costal cities, creating “trading post empires”
portuguese capture merchant ships and force them to buy trade permit (cartaz)
without cartaz, cannot trade in any Portuguese controlled town
Portuguese = glorified pirates
pope split glove between spain and Portugal
Columbus
Columbus’ crew knew the earth was round, misestimated size of earth
first of 4 journeys:
landed on island he called san salvador in search of gold and christians
convinced spain to fund expeditions by promising riches and conversion of natives
in hopes of another crusade
hired two sets of researchers, both said was impossible
desperate to get riches
returned with neither spices nor gold
least successful of the three
huge negative impact on the natives of Americas