"The King... possesses many slaves, both from his own land and from neighboring countries, whom he obtains in various ways: by taking them in war, or by purchasing them from other lords... The Portuguese merchants bring him horses, which are of great value here, and other goods of Europe, receiving in return these slaves, whom they carry to the Atlantic islands or to Portugal. Yet the King allows no Portuguese to build any stone house or fort on his coast, for he fears they will seize his land, and so all trade is conducted from the ships or at the water's edge."
—Adapted from Alvise Cadamosto, Venetian navigator in the service of Prince Henry of Portugal, *Navigationes*, 1455
Based on the passage, which of the following best describes the early trade relations between West African rulers and Portuguese merchants?
- European merchants operated under the authority of sovereign West African leaders who regulated the trade and protected their territory.Cevap
- BWest African kingdoms were forced to trade captives under the legal authority of the Spanish encomienda system.
- CThe exchange was primarily organized under temporary indentured servitude contracts that granted African laborers land in Portugal.
- DPortuguese merchants dominated the trade by introducing American agricultural crops like potatoes and maize to establish leverage over local rulers.