The Portuguese Age of Discovery (1415–1580)

Portugal launched the "Age of Discovery" by combining navigational technology with a state-sponsored mission to bypass trans-Saharan and Ottoman trade monopolies.

1. Early Expansion and Prince Henry (1415–1460)

• 1415: Conquest of Ceuta (North Africa). This provided a strategic base and intelligence on gold caravan routes.
• 1419–1427: Discovery and colonization of Madeira and the Azores.
• 1434: Gil Eanes sailed past Cape Bojador, breaking the psychological barrier of the "Sea of Darkness."
• Institutional Support: Prince Henry "The Navigator" established a research center at Sagres, aggregating cartographers, astronomers, and shipbuilders.

2. Technological Innovation: The Caravel

The development of the Caravel (c. 1440) was the primary enabler of long-distance exploration.

• Design: Small (50–80 tons), shallow draft, and lateen (triangular) sails.
• Capability: Unlike square-rigged ships, caravels could sail "close to the wind," allowing for the difficult return trip from Africa (Volta do Mar) by tacking against prevailing winds.
• Navigation: Use of the mariner's astrolabe and quadrant to determine latitude via celestial bodies.

3. The Route to India (1481–1498)

• 1488: Bartolomeu Dias rounded the southern tip of Africa, naming it the Cabo das Tormentas (Cape of Storms), later renamed Cape of Good Hope by King João II.
• 1494: Treaty of Tordesillas: A Papal-brokered agreement dividing the world between Portugal and Spain along a meridian 370 leagues west of Cape Verde. This secured Portugal's route to Africa and the Indian Ocean.
• 1498: Vasco da Gama: Reached Calicut, India on May 20. The 10-month voyage proved that a direct sea route to the spice markets of Asia was viable.

4. Global Dominance and the Estado da India (1500–1515)

• 1500: Pedro Álvares Cabral made landfall in Brazil, claiming it for Portugal.
• 1505: Francisco de Almeida was appointed the first Viceroy of India.
• 1510: Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa, which became the capital of the Estado da India.
• 1511: Conquest of Malacca, securing the gateway to the "Spice Islands" (Moluccas).
• 1515: Capture of Hormuz, giving Portugal control over the entrance to the Persian Gulf.

5. Economic and Social Impact

The Casa da India in Lisbon managed the royal monopoly on spices (pepper, cloves, cinnamon). The profit margins were immense: pepper bought in India for 3 ducats could be sold in Europe for 80.

• Trade Policy: Implementation of the Cartaz system, requiring all non-Portuguese ships in the Indian Ocean to pay a tax or face seizure.
• Decline: The 1580 death of King Sebastian without an heir led to the Iberian Union under Philip II of Spain, exposing Portuguese territories to attack by the Dutch and English.

Key Timeline Data

• 1415: Conquest of Ceuta.
• 1434: Crossing of Cape Bojador.
• 1488: Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope.
• 1494: Treaty of Tordesillas.
• 1498: Vasco da Gama reaches India.
• 1500: Cabral reaches Brazil.
• 1510: Goa becomes the center of the Asian Empire.