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Questions and Answers
What event significantly impacted direct contact between Europe and India in the 15th century?
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?
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 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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
What was one of Prince Henry of Portugal's main goals?
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What significant event happened in 1497?
What significant event happened in 1497?
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How did the Treaty of Tordesillas affect Portugal and Spain?
How did the Treaty of Tordesillas affect Portugal and Spain?
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What role did Genoa play in aiding Portugal and Spain?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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.
