III. Portugal Builds an Eastern EmpireA. The Portuguese gained footholds in southern India;

1) After Vasco da Gama’s voyage, Afonso de Albuquerque burst into the Indian Oceana) By this time, Muslim rulers, originally from central Asia,

had established the Mughal empire2) They seized the island of Goa and the East Indies port of

Malacca; a) Albuquerque did this by burning coastal towns and

destroying the Arab fleets at seab) They massacred the city of Malacca’s Muslims

3) Portugal then controlled the spice trade for most of the 1500s.a) In less than 50 years, the Portuguese had built their

trading empire with military and merchant outposts4) Portuguese impact was limited due to a lack of resources and

too much resistance from the local populations.

1 of 7

The Beginnings of Our Global Age: Europe, Africa, and AsiaSection 3: European Footholds in South and Southeast Asia

Witness History Audio: Gunfire Over Malacca

B. The Rise of the Dutch1) The Dutch were the first people to challenge Portuguese

domination of the Asian tradea) The Netherlands rose to become a powerful force in

Asian-European trade. b) Their strategic settlement at Cape Town, helped establish

a secure foothold in the region2) The Dutch East India Company was formed by a group of

wealthy merchantsa) From the beginning they had sovereign powers, unlike the

Portuguese who were tightly controlled by their government.

b) Dutch East India Company had the power to build armies, wage war, negotiate peace treaties, and govern overseas territory

c) The Dutch took Malacca from the Portuguese in 1641 and opened trade with China

2 of 7

Color Transparency: The Wreck of the Flor De la Mar

The Beginnings of Our Global Age: Europe, Africa, and AsiaSection 3: European Footholds in South and Southeast Asia

• They monopolized trade with the Spice Islands.3) The Dutch trading empire started to decline in the 1700s with

the growing power of England and France.a) Still, the Dutch maintained an empire in Indonesia until

the 1900s.

2 of 7

The Beginnings of Our Global Age: Europe, Africa, and AsiaSection 3: European Footholds in South and Southeast Asia

Note Taking Transparency 108

The Beginnings of Our Global Age: Europe, Africa, and Asia: Section 3Color Transparency 87: The Wreck of the Flor de la Mar

4 of 7

The Beginnings of Our Global Age: Europe, Africa, and Asia: Section 3

Note Taking Transparency 108

5 of 7

European Exploration in South and Southeast Asia

Spain

•Takes over the Philippines, a key link to its empire.•Converts the Filipinos to Christianity.

Netherlands

•Establishes Cape Town and gains a secure foothold in the region.•Forms the powerful Dutch East India Company.

Portugal

•Builds a rim of trading outposts and controls spice trade between Europe and Asia.•Makes efforts to convert people to Christianity.

Britain

•Establishes the British East India Company.•Drives the French from India and dominates there.