Why Europe?

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Age of Exploration

• Why Europe?

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I. Why not China?

• China had been sailing the Indian Ocean and China
  sea since 1st century BCE
• Chinese had armed junks with multiple masts and
  sails since the 2nd century CE

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Why not China?

• Chinese junks had watertight compartments in the
  ships hull by the 2nd century CE
• China had axial rudder since 1st century CE

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Why not China?

• China invented the magnetic compass in the 12th
  century CE
• Chinese were more advanced with astronomy and
  celestial navigation

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Voyages of Zheng He (1405-33 CE)
During the reign of Yung Lo, several naval
expeditions were sent to India, Persia, and
Africa.
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Voyages of Zheng He (1405-33 CE)

• These voyages were under the leadership of Zheng
  He.
• Each expedition included hundreds of ships and
  thousands of sailors.
• Some ships were over 440 ft. long and carried
  1,000 men.

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Voyages of Zheng He (1405-33 CE)

• In contrast, Columbus fleet only had three
  ships, the largest only 115 ft. long and carried
  40 men.

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Voyages of Zheng He (1405-33 CE)

• After 1433, the Chinese government launched no
  further expeditions.
• In 1436, the emperor forbade building ships for
  overseas voyages.
• While Spain and Portugal explored and claimed new
  lands, China withdrew from sea voyage.

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Reasons China did not explore the world

• 1. The Chinese government had an inadequate
  system of collecting taxes. Spending exceeded
  revenue.
• 2. Chinese believed that their civilization was
  superior to all others, so foreign goods were
  inferior, and there was little to learn from
  foreigners.

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Reasons China did not explore the world

• 3. Neo-Confucian scholars held many important
  government posts. Their philosophy suppressed
  the desire for worldly things. So trade was held
  in contempt.
• 4. In the mid-1400s, Mongols began frequently
  attacking Chinas northern border.

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II. Why Not Arabs?

• Arabs dominated Mediterranean and Indian Ocean
  since 9CE

Arab dhow
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Why Not Arabs?

• Arab ships werent as big as the Chinese, but
  they dominated spice islands of Malaysia,
  gold-rich Africa, and cotton/silk-producing Asia!

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Indian Ocean Trade

• Arab merchants were ordained by the Prophet. I
  commend the merchants to you, for they are the
  courtiers of the horizons and Gods trusted
  servants on earth. Mohammed

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Why Not Arabs?

• Arabs had developed sophisticated methods of
  determining latitude

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Astrolabe Quadrant

• When a sailor loses sight of land, he must have a
  method of determining his direction. Determining
  latitude could be done by using the astrolabe (a
  simple wooden or brass stick with degrees marked
  around its edge), or by using the quadrant, (a
  quarter circle measuring 0 to 90 degrees marked
  around its curved edge).

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quadrants and astrolabes
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Ibn Battuta (14th century)

• Arabs traveled for discovery. Ibn Battuta, an
  Islamic historian traveled over 75,000 miles,
  making him one of most traveled men of his age.
  He visited India, China, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, and
  the African interior as far south as the Niger
  River.

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Ibn Battuta (14th century)

• Because he was only a passenger aboard ships he
  was never an explorer in the true sense, but this
  did not make his achievements any less important

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III. European Incentive

• The Crusades brought knowledge and goods from
  Asia and the Islamic world.

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European Incentive

• The Mongol Empire had fostered trade
• between east and west but its collapse
• disrupted
• this trade.

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European Incentive

• Asian spices improved European food.
• But spice had to be bought from Arab
• merchants
• became
• wealthy at the
• expense of
• Europe.

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Trade disadvantage of Europe

1. Lack of trade items other than gold and silver,
   Europe had nothing that the east wanted. This
   led to a drain of wealth in Europe.

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Trade disadvantage of Europe

• 2. Geography Europe was isolated from
• Asia. They
• were forced to
• Relay on Arab
• merchants that
• acted as the
• middle men in
• this trade
• network.

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Trade disadvantage of Europe

• 3. Lack of technology Europe did not have the
  technology to conquer of bypass the Arab world.

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European technological changes of the 15th century

• Better ships Europeans developed
• deep-draft ships capable of carrying
• heavy loads
• on the
• Atlantic
• Ocean.

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European technological changes of the 15th century

• 2. Magnetic compass Europe adopted the compass
  from the Arabs who themselves got it from the
  Chinese.

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European technological changes of the 15th century

• Mapmaking Mapmaking
• enhanced by
• humanism from
• the Renaissance
• became more
• accurate.

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European technological changes of the 15th century

• 4. Gunpowder Europe adopted the knowledge of
  gunpowder from the Chinese.

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European technological changes of the 15th century

• 5. Metalwork European advancements in
  metalworking allowed blacksmiths to create the
  first guns and cannons.

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IV. Portuguese Exploration

• The man chiefly responsible for Portugal's
• age of exploration Prince Henry The
• Navigator. He
• established a naval
• observatory for the
• teaching of navigation,
• astronomy, and
• cartography.

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Portuguese Exploration

• From 1419 until his death in 1460, Prince Henry
  sent expeditions down the west coast of Africa to
  outflank the Muslim hold on Asian trade routes.

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Portuguese Exploration

• It wasn't until 27 years after Henry's death that
  Bartolomeu Dias ship rounded the Cape of Good
  Hope in 1487.

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Portuguese Exploration

• Vasco da Gama
• rounded the
• Cape of Good
• Hope in 1497
• and continue
• sailing along the eastern coast of
• African. He located a route to India, but
• had to contend with Arab strongholds.

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Portuguese Exploration

• In 1502, he
• returned with
• 14 heavily
• armed ships and defeat the Arab fleet.
• By 1511, the Portuguese controlled the
• Spice routes. In 1513, Portuguese trade
• extended to China and Japan.

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V. Spanish Exploration

• Portuguese success inspires Columbus to sail west
  to reach the Indies
• Financed by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, who
  wanted to increase Spanish power.
• They had recently defeated the Muslims (Moors) in
  Spain, and need wealth to maintain control.
• They were also eager to Christianize the East.

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Spanish Exploration

• Columbus reaches the Caribbean which he believes
  to be the East Indies

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For Gold
For God
For Glory
Spanish Crown
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Line of Demarcation

• Since there were two catholic countries vying for
  territory in the new world.
• The Pope draws a line down the world ? Spain has
  rights to the land west of the line Portugal has
  rights to the land east of the line.
• Known as the Treaty of Tordesillas, it divides
  the world between Spain and Portugal.

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• The End!