Asian+Transitions+in+an+Age+of+Global+Change

Asian Transitions in an Age of Global Change Notes on pages 484 - 491

The Asian Trading World and the Coming of the Europeans Main Idea: There was very little competition and warfare amongst the three trading zones, because they were all there for a similar cause. Details: - There was an extensive trading network that stretched from the Middle East and Africa along all the coasts of the giant Asian continent. - It was referred to as the **Asian sea trading network**, which can be broken into three segments. In the west is the Arab zone, in the middle, the Indian zone, and the eastern part, the Chinese zone. - India dominated the central portions of the system, with cotton textiles. - China excelled in producing paper, porcelain, and silk textiles. - Arab zone was focused on glass, carpets, and tapestries of Islamic heartlands. - The open seas posed a great threat for ships, so they mainly took coastal routes. - There was no central control. - Military force was usually absent from commercial exchanges within it. Trading Empires: The Portuguese Response to the Encounter at Calicut Main Idea: The Portuguese disrupted the peaceful trading network along the Asian coast when they decided to take by force what they couldn't receive with fair trade. Details: - However, when the Portuguese arrived in Asia, they had little to trade with them, other than silver and gold. - They decided that they would take by force that they could not get through fair trade. They extracted spices and other Asian goods, they realized that even though they lacked goods and numbers, they made up for their technology such as ships and weapons. - The Asian people could not muster fleets able to withstand the firepower and maneuverability of the Portuguese. - The Portuguese strove for wealth and religious converts. - From 1507 forth, they strove to capture towns and build fortresses at a number of strategic points on the Asian trading network.In that same year, they captured **Ormuz** and the southern end of the Persian Gulf, and in 1510 they captured **Goa** on the western Indian coast.In 1511, they successfully captured Malacca on the tip of the Malayan Peninsula. They served as ports and factories where spices and other products could be stored until they were sent to Europe. Portuguese Vulnerability and the Rise of the Dutch and English Trading Empires Main Idea: The Portuguese were never able to gain full control of the Asian trading network, and were slowly weakening. By the early 17th century, the Dutch had taken their thunder and took control. Details: - The Portuguese never got their fairytale ending, they were able to handle much of the flow of spices such as nutmeg and mace, but they failed to gain control of pepper and cinnamon. - The Portuguese had no shot when the Dutch and English challenged it in the early 17th century. - The Dutch successfully captured the port and fortress at Malacca. Then continued to build a new port at **Batavia** on the island of Java in 1620. - The Dutch trading empire was made up of the same basic components as the Portuguese: forified towns and factories, warships on patrol, and monopoly control of a limited number of products. They wiped out all other competition of spices. - The Dutch figured out that the greatest profits in the long run could be gained from peacefully working themselves into the long-established Asian trading system. Going Ashore: European Tribute Systems in Asia Main Idea: The Europeans began to move inland, where they began to make large profits off of coffee! Details: - European weapons and ships allowed them to gain access to the Asian trading network in the 16th and 17th centuries. However, they moved inland, gradually becoming weak. - Many small kingdoms were able to resist the European power. - The Europeans discovered that inland was perfect for coffee-growing. - The conquest of **Luzon** and the northern islands was facilitated by the fact that animistic inhabitants lived in small states that could be captured one by one. - The Spanish failed to conquer the southern island of **Mindanao**. Spreading the Faith: The Missionary Enterprise in South and Southeast Asia Main Idea: Details: - The spread of Roman Catholicism was a major part of the global mission of the Portuguese and Spanish. - India appeared to be one of the most promising fileds for religious conversion. - Franciscan and Dominican missionaries, as well as the Jesuit Francis Xavier, were willing to mistier to the poor, low-caste fishers and untouchables along the southwest coast, converted tens of thousands. - There wasn't much success in converting high-caste groups. - Robert di Nobili created a different conversion method. He learned Sanskrit and several other languages to help him read the sacred texts of Hindus. He wore garments worn by Indian brahmans and adopted a vegetarian diet. This proved to be successful only in the early stages. - His success were undone by high-caste Hindu converted to worship with the low-caste groups and give up many of their traditional beliefs and religious rituals.