Question

1.3 Conquest, Disease and Trade
The pre-modern world shrank greatly in the sixteenth century after
European sailors found a sea route to Asia and also successfully
crossed the western ocean to America. For centuries before, the
Indian Ocean had known a bustling trade, with goods, people,
knowledge, customs, etc. criss-crossing its waters. The Indian
subcontinent was central to these flows and a crucial point in their
networks. The entry of the Europeans helped expand or redirect
some of these flows towards Europe.​

Answer 1

The pre-modern world shrank greatly in the 16th century.’ Explain.

Ans. (i) Because the European sailors found a sea route to Asia and successfully crossed the western ocean to America.

The Portuguese and the Spanish conquests and colonialisation of America was decisively under way by the mid-16th century.

Precious metals, particularly silver, from mines located in presently Peru and Mexico enhanced Europe’s wealth and financed its trade with Asia.