The Portuguese did not disappear from the region, but their defeat meant that they were no longer controlling major trade routes and putting heavy taxes on shipping. Provide evidence to support this statement.
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Answer:
From the rise of Islam until the 16th century, Muslim traders dominated the commerce of the East by land and by sea. The Venetians acquired the major share and the Genoese the minor share of this lucrative trade that crowded the Red Sea and expanded from there to the Mediterranean ports. After 1381, Genoa began to decline, but Venice’s supremacy as the maritime leader in the Mediterranean continued unchallenged. The arrival of the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean in 1498 reduced the flow of trade to the Mediterranean and spelled ruin not only for Venice, but also for two other powerful rival states – Egypt and Turkey.
In the 15th century, inspired by the spirit of discovery and a crusading mission to spread Christianity, the Portuguese embarked on an ambitious scheme of military and mercantile activities that paved the way for further expansion and colonization. However, the underlying motive of the Lusitanian Crown (Portuguese) was a desire to control completely the extremely lucrative commerce of the Indian Ocean, particularly the spice trade, by wresting it from the Muslim merchants who controlled it. From their vantage geographical position and with the advantage of their superior nautical skills and advanced shipbuilding industry, the courageous and enterprising people of the Iberian Peninsula were the first Europeans to penetrate the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf.
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