World History, Grades 9-12

534 Chapter 19

In time, Portugal’s success in Asia attracted the attention of other European

nations. As early as 1521, a Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan arrived

in the Philippines. Spain claimed the islands and began settling them in 1565. By

the early 1600s, the rest of Europe had begun to descend upon Asia. They wanted

to establish their own trade empires in the East.

Other Nations Challenge the PortugueseBeginning around 1600, the English

and Dutch began to challenge Portugal’s dominance over the Indian Ocean trade.

The Dutch Republic, also known as the Netherlands, was a small country situated

along the North Sea in northwestern Europe. Since the early 1500s, Spain had

ruled the area. In 1581, the people of the region declared their independence from

Spain and established the Dutch Republic.

In a short time, the Netherlands became a leading sea power. By 1600, the Dutch

owned the largest fleet of ships in the world—20,000 vessels. Pressure from Dutch

and also English fleets eroded Portuguese control of the Asian region. The Dutch

and English then battled one another for dominance of the area.

Both countries had formed an East India Company to establish and direct trade

throughout Asia. These companies had the power to mint money, make treaties, and

even raise their own armies. The Dutch East India Companywas richer and more

powerful than England’s company. As a result, the Dutch eventually drove out the

English and established their dominance over the region.

Dutch Trade OutpostsIn 1619, the Dutch established their trading headquarters

at Batavia on the island of Java. From there, they expanded west to

Analyzing Issues

How were the

Dutch able to domi-

nate the Indian

Ocean trade?

Seville

Luanda

Mozambique

Hormuz

Columbo

Delhi

Malacca

Manila

Nagasaki

Kyoto

Beijing

Guangzhou

Batavia

Mombasa

Kilwa

Cape

Town

Lisbon

Macau

Melilla

Ceuta

St. Louis

Fernando Po

Goree Is.

Gambia

Canary Is.

Madeira

Azores

Cape

Verde Is.

Bombay

Madras

Calcutta

Pondicherry

Ft. Dauphine

Mauritius

Bourbon

(Réunion)

Goa

Calicut

Cochin

Diu Daman

OTTOMAN

EMPIRE

ANGOLA

SRI

LANKA MALAYA

JAPAN

CHINA

INDIA

EAST INDIES

MOLUCCAS(SPICE IS.)

BORNEO

ENGLAND

NETHERLANDS

PORTUGALSPAIN

MADAGASCAR

PH

ILI

PP

IN

ES

JAVA

TIMOR

NEW

GUINEA

FORMOSA(TAIWAN)

SUMATRA

FRANCE

GOLD

COAST

ASIA

EUROPE

AFRICA

Cape of

Good Hope

ARABIAN

PENINSULA

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

INDIAN

OCEAN

Arabian

Sea

Strait of

Malacca PACIFIC

OCEAN

Medite

rraneanSea

0 ° 40 °E 80 °E 120 °

E

160

°E

0 ° Equator

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Capricorn

40 °S

Dutch

English

French

Portuguese

Spanish

Dutch

English

French

Portuguese

Spanish

Dias's route

Aug. 1487– Feb. 1488

Da Gama's route

July 1497–May 1498

European

territories

European

trading posts

0 2,000 Miles

0 4,000 Kilometers

Europeans in the East, 1487–1700

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps

1.PlaceWhy would a fort at Hormuz help the Portuguese to stop trade between the

Arabian Peninsula and India?

2.RegionWhere was the Dutch influence the greatest?