Questions and Answers
What event significantly impacted direct contact between Europe and India in the 15th century?
Which of the following factors contributed to the European desire for a direct sea route to India in the 15th century?
What technological advancements in Europe during the 15th century contributed to the quest for a sea route to India?
What economic factors in 15th-century Europe fueled the demand for Indian goods?
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What is the main idea conveyed in the text about the historical periods mentioned?
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What was the primary motivation for European explorers to seek a sea route to India?
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Why was the Red Sea trade route considered a state monopoly in the 15th century?
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What is the significance of the Renaissance in the context of European exploration in the 15th century?
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What was one of Prince Henry of Portugal's main goals?
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What significant event happened in 1497?
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How did the Treaty of Tordesillas affect Portugal and Spain?
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What role did Genoa play in aiding Portugal and Spain?
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What was the primary motivation behind Pope Nicholas V's bull granted to Prince Henry?
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What achievement is Bartholomew Dias known for?
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What was the primary challenge faced by Venice and Genoa in regard to exploration?
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What event marked the starting point for the Portuguese incursion into the waters around India?
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Study Notes
Overview of Indian History
- History is a continuity, with no clear distinction between ancient, medieval, and modern periods.
- To understand modern India, we need to go back to the medieval period, i.e., the 15th century.
The Quest for a Sea Route to India
- After the decline of the Roman Empire in the 7th century, Arabs dominated Egypt and Persia, affecting direct contact between Europe and India.
- The Red Sea trade route was a state monopoly, earning tremendous revenues for Islamic rulers.
- The land routes to India were also controlled by Arabs, prompting Europeans to find a direct sea route to India.
Factors Contributing to Exploration
- 15th-century Europe was characterized by the Renaissance, calling for exploration and making great advances in ship-building and navigation.
- Economic development in Europe led to increased demand for oriental luxury goods, such as spices, calicoes, silk, and precious stones.
The Role of European Nations
- Venice and Genoa, which had prospered through trade in oriental goods, were too small to take on the Ottoman Turks or to undertake major exploration on their own.
- North Europeans were ready to aid Portugal and Spain with money and men, while the Genoese were ready to provide ships and technical knowledge.
- Portugal had assumed the leadership in Christendom's resistance to Islam and was keen to find an ocean route to India.
Prince Henry of Portugal
- Prince Henry, nicknamed the 'Navigator', was obsessed with finding an ocean route to India and circumventing Muslim domination of the eastern Mediterranean.
- Pope Nicholas V gave Prince Henry a bull in 1454, conferring on him the right to navigate the "sea to the distant shores of the Orient".
The Treaty of Tordesillas
- In 1494, the rulers of Portugal and Spain divided the non-Christian world between them by an imaginary line in the Atlantic.
- Portugal could claim and occupy everything to the east of the line, while Spain could claim everything to the west.
The Portuguese Incursion into Indian Waters
- In 1487, Bartholomew Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope and sailed up the eastern coast, convinced that the long sought-after sea route to India had been found.
- In 1497, an expedition of Portuguese ships set out for India and arrived in May, marking the beginning of Portuguese incursions into Indian waters.
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Description
Explore the continuity of Indian history from medieval to modern periods, and discover how the quest for a sea route to India shaped its history.
