Today's chapter in An Edible History of Humanity was a bit longer, a bit more specific in its span, and a whole lot more interesting than yesterday's. I don't for a second believe spices were the only reason for European expansion/exploration/colonization. I doubt it was even the dominant effect. But control of the spice trade was certainly important. Columbus cited spices as a main reason to sail West to the Indies, and repeatedly bolstered his claims of finding Asia with spurious discoveries of known spices. Later Spanish conquistadors, even after subduing advanced indigenous civilizations and taking away immense amounts of gold, decried their failure to find a source of spices.
Portugal initially explored Africa for non-spice reasons. But after accidentally passing the Cape of Good Hope, Portuguese sailors discovered it was possible to sail directly to India. Spices then became a dominant reason for future exploration. Later expeditions caused the discovery of Brazil, for which I have a soft spot, and expansion past India to various Pacific islands. The Muslim traders in the Indian sea were largely unarmed and unprepared for Portuguese warships. Hence, the Portuguese laid waste to maritime trade in the Indian Ocean in short order, thereby increasing their own control of spices as quickly as they were marginalizing Muslim control of them. The islands they colonized, such as the Moluccas, were the starting point for the Dutch East India Company, which from my US History classes had an important impact a couple centuries later. A dispute with England over their control of Run, a small island, was later resolved by trading it for an even smaller island - Manhattan. And the profits reaped by the Dutch East India Company, as well as Dutch expeditions, helped fund the Dutch golden age which led to, among other things, the artwork of the Dutch Masters being possible. I suppose I should be thankful that early Dutch advancement led to the modern, advanced Dutch state, which has produced perhaps as its finest export Robin van Persie. But I digress.
There was much mentioned in this chapter that I wish I knew more about. These include: the historic rise and fall of Venice, the merging of Spain and Portugal's crowns in 1580, the establishment of the British commonwealth not long after, and the general Portuguese-Muslim warfare in the Indian Ocean. I am sure each of these topics offers quite a bit for me to sink my teeth into.
As a parting (Parthian) shot, I did a bit of Portuguese work last night. I really need to stay on track with it and force it to become a habit. I think I am doing well, much better than with Russian anyway, and it shows promise if I can stick with it.
Portugal initially explored Africa for non-spice reasons. But after accidentally passing the Cape of Good Hope, Portuguese sailors discovered it was possible to sail directly to India. Spices then became a dominant reason for future exploration. Later expeditions caused the discovery of Brazil, for which I have a soft spot, and expansion past India to various Pacific islands. The Muslim traders in the Indian sea were largely unarmed and unprepared for Portuguese warships. Hence, the Portuguese laid waste to maritime trade in the Indian Ocean in short order, thereby increasing their own control of spices as quickly as they were marginalizing Muslim control of them. The islands they colonized, such as the Moluccas, were the starting point for the Dutch East India Company, which from my US History classes had an important impact a couple centuries later. A dispute with England over their control of Run, a small island, was later resolved by trading it for an even smaller island - Manhattan. And the profits reaped by the Dutch East India Company, as well as Dutch expeditions, helped fund the Dutch golden age which led to, among other things, the artwork of the Dutch Masters being possible. I suppose I should be thankful that early Dutch advancement led to the modern, advanced Dutch state, which has produced perhaps as its finest export Robin van Persie. But I digress.
There was much mentioned in this chapter that I wish I knew more about. These include: the historic rise and fall of Venice, the merging of Spain and Portugal's crowns in 1580, the establishment of the British commonwealth not long after, and the general Portuguese-Muslim warfare in the Indian Ocean. I am sure each of these topics offers quite a bit for me to sink my teeth into.
As a parting (Parthian) shot, I did a bit of Portuguese work last night. I really need to stay on track with it and force it to become a habit. I think I am doing well, much better than with Russian anyway, and it shows promise if I can stick with it.
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