Chapter 15- Global Commerce

I should have blog about Chapter 15- Empires and Encounters, I wasn't in the mood of blogging and I didn't have the textbook. Thanks to one of my roommates she has the textbook. We both agree we will use it both in the semester, since I we have the class in different days.

Chapter 15 has interesting facts, two got my attention ; the Portuguese Empire and Spain and the Philippines. About the Portuguese being the first to make the global commerce possible, they have pros and cons being the first empire. Thanks to Vasco da Gama and his portuguese successors sailed from anything they hadn't known, they went towards the Indian Ocean. It's interesting that the Portuguese sought simply to enjoy in a peaceful trading, but the European trade goods were crude and unattractive in Asian markets and the Europeans would be unable to compete effectively. Later the Portuguese soon learned that most Indian Ocean merchant ships were not heavily armed and certainly lacked the onboard cannons that Portuguese ships carried. Fact, the Portuguese created in the Indian Ocean is very often known as a "trading post empire," for their goal was to control commerce, not big territories or populations, and to do so by force of arms, instead competing for economic reasons. European Monarchies were jealous of the Portuguese success, seeking the monopolize the spice trade. The King of Portugal, happily title himself "Lord of the Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India." Not for long, the Portuguese fame was decline in the trading world. The country was overextended and rising Asian states like Japan, Burma, Mughal India, Persia, and the sultanate of Oman working resisted Portuguese commercial control.

The Spanish were the first to challenge Portugal's situation. They realize that the Portuguese was gaining money and fame on the East, the Spaniards wanted to be part of this new way of living, but with bigger success and conquer other places. Biggest accomplishment is when they arrived in the Philippine Islands, named after the Spanish king Philip II, thanks to Ferdinand Magellan, funny to moment not a Spaniard but a Portuguese mariner sailing on behalf of the Spanish Crown. This voyage was during the famous "round- the world" (1519-1521). The Spanish rule was a major missionary work, which turned Filipino community into the major of Christianity in Asia. The role of religion play a big part in the Islands, believing that is better for the society.

Another thing, Slave trade also became big in the global commerce world. Will make a special blog later this semester about slave trade in the past to present and use the Somaly Mam's book.

-KMR