COMMERCE 7 



Europe during the fifteenth century. Towards the end of this period 

 the carrying and distributing trade passed into the hands of the 

 Italians. The Pisanese wrested Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearic 

 Islands from the Arabs, and, assisted by the Crusades, secured for 

 Pisa a lucrative trade, which passed to Genoa and finally to Venice, 

 the latter becoming the chief carrier of the world. She reopened the 

 sea-trade of the Red Sea and Alexandria, which was safer and cheaper 

 than the caravan routes ; she received and distributed all the drugs 

 and spices of the East, and thus acquired great power and great 

 wealth, the zenith of her prosperity being reached towards the end 

 of the fifteenth century. 



About this time, however, Henry the Navigator, son of King 

 John I. of Portugal, eager to annex the Indian trade, and convinced 

 by information obtained from the Arabs of the possibility of reaching 

 India by sea, explored the west coast of Africa, discovering Madeira 

 and establishing colonies on the mainland. The way was thus paved 

 for Vasco da Gama, who in 1498 discovered the sea route to India, 

 and landed on the Malabar Coast. The Portuguese established ports 

 on the coasts of India, Goa being the chief, colonised Mozambique, 

 the Spice Islands (1511), Ceylon (1518), Java, Sumatra, and Celebes. 

 About the same time Spain became a colonial power. In 1492 

 Columbus discovered San Salvador, and on his subsequent voyage 

 the West Indies. In 1519-1521 Mexico was conquered by Cortes, 

 and immediately afterwards (1529-1535) Peru and Chili by Pizarro. 

 The cities of Vera Cruz, Cartagena, and Caracas on the east, and of 

 Acapulco, Panama, and Lima on the west, were founded. 



The rich commerce of India was now soon diverted to Portugal, 

 and Lisbon succeeded Venice as the emporium for Europe, a position 

 which it occupied for nearly a century. To Lisbon or to Portuguese 

 merchants in Antwerp the Dutch and English repaired to obtain 

 their supplies of spices. Antwerp became the emporium of the 

 north. When, however, in 1580 Philip II. of Spain united Portugal 

 with Spain, and soon afterwards declared war against England, he 

 closed the ports of his empire to English merchants. This act was 

 followed by the revolt of the Netherlands from Spanish dominion, 

 and both the Dutch and the English found themselves compelled to 

 engage in a direct trade with India. 



They thus became rivals of the Portuguese and of one another. 

 The Dutch were at first the more successful. They established 

 themselves in India, in the East Indian Islands, the Moluccas and 

 the Sunda Islands ; they drove the Portuguese out, and took possession 

 of the entire trade with India, the East Indies, Japan, and China. 

 They also established colonies in the Cape, and in 1658 took Ceylon 

 from the Portuguese. Several of the West Indian Islands, and part 

 of the north-east of South America, fell into their hands. The com- 

 merce of all these colonies and countries flowed into Amsterdam, 



