“Going forward along this coast, there is an island close to the mainland on which there is a town called Kilwa... It is very well built of stone and mortar... A great trade in gold is carried on here. The Portuguese arrived here, defeated the local ruler, and built a fortress to secure their control over the trade routes of the Indian Ocean.”
— Duarte Barbosa, Portuguese official, *The Book of Duarte Barbosa*, c. 1516
Which of the following processes in the period 1450 to 1750 is most directly illustrated by the Portuguese actions described in the passage?
- The establishment of a trading post empire to control maritime commerceAnswer
- BThe promotion of free-market capitalism to allow merchants to trade without state-enforced monopolies
- CThe biological transfer of American agricultural crops and livestock to East Africa as part of the Columbian Exchange
- DThe rapid conquest of large inland territories through the exclusive use of advanced military technology
Answer
The establishment of a trading post empire to control maritime commerce
The correct answer is correct because the Portuguese focused on building a network of fortified coastal trading posts (such as Kilwa, Goa, and Malacca) to monopolize and tax maritime trade routes, rather than conquering large inland territories.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Portuguese Trading Post Empire