The trade routes between Europe and Asia during the 15th and 16th centuries served to transport numerous goods between the two continents, especially spices, metals and silk.
Some of these products have served to name some of the most famous routes, such as that of silk or that of spices. Both were terrestrial and came to unite the Hispanic kingdoms and China.
On the other hand, some maritime routes began to open. The Portuguese were the first to control this route after passing the Cape of Good Hope and reaching the shores of India.
That allowed them to dominate the maritime trade for decades, with the consequent riches that this brought.
Background
You cannot talk about the trade routes between Europe and Asia without naming the pioneer in traveling the roads between the two continents to establish commercial ties. It is about the famous Venetian explorer Marco Polo.
This merchant made his journey to the court of Genghis Khan in the 13th century together with his father.
He spent no less than 10 years touring the various territories. Upon returning, he wrote about his experiences, awakening a great interest in Asian merchandise.
Silk and Spice Route
For several centuries it was the most followed route to transport the exotic products that the Asian continent offered to Europe.
Since the time of the Crusades, European kingdoms had known items such as silk and other fabrics, as well as a large number of spices.
The land routes allowed the opportunity to unite both territories, although in a rather dangerous and slow way.
Spice route
The origin of these spices was mainly the Middle East. For this reason, the most frequent way of trading was through the Mediterranean Sea.
It was the Portuguese and the different republics of what is now Italy (Venice, Genoa, among others) who dominated these routes.
The constant presence of pirates in the area made it very dangerous, which was aggravated in the 15th century by the taking of Constantinople, today Istanbul.
Silk Road
In reality, more than a simple route, it was a real network with several different branches. In its most extensive form, it linked Spain, to the west, with Xian, located in China.
There were also other branches that were diverted to Syria, Constantinople and Samarkand.
Finally, there was a commercial line that, instead of continuing to China, descended to various cities in India.
This route, apart from the time it took for the caravans to travel it, was highly exposed to attacks during the journey.
The takeover of the current capital of Turkey by the Ottomans made it even more risky, so at the end of the 15th century Europeans were eager to find new alternatives.
In fact, it should be remembered that Christopher Columbus was trying to find a faster and safer route to reach the Asian coasts when he discovered the American continent.
Maritime route
The search for different routes to reach Asia made Portuguese sailors jump into the sea to try to find a way to get there.
In 1487 they discovered the cape that separated South Africa and the Indian Ocean. Later, in 1497, Vasco de Gama managed to cross the aforementioned cape and reach India.
Despite the loss of men and ships, the riches he brought with him on his return amounted to a profit 60 times greater than the expenses, so the new route was greeted with enthusiasm.
References
- Mgar. The search for spices. Recovered from mgar.net
- Rivero Gracia, Pilar. Merchants and finance in 16th century Europe. Recovered from clio.rediris.es
- Biography.com. Marco Polo. Retrieved from biography.com
- Wikipedia. Silk Road. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org
- Szczepanski, Kallie. Indian Ocean Trade Routes. Retrieved from thoughtco.com