Table of Contents
What did Europeans desire from the East?
Europeans hoped to obtain popular goods directly from the peoples of Asia. They also hoped to Christianize them. Bartolomeu Dias, an early Portuguese explorer, explained his motives: “To serve God and His Majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness and to grow rich as all men desire to do.”
Why did Europeans desire to trade with the East?
At the same time, nations saw trade as a way of increasing their wealth. Merchants dreamed of new sources for goods such as gold and spices. They wanted to trade directly with Africa and Asia, but this meant that they had to find a new sea route.
What kinds of goods did Europeans want to get from Asia?
Spices from Asia, such as pepper and cinnamon, were very important to the Europeans, but other items Europeans coveted included silk and tea from China, as well as Chinese porcelains.
What drove European rulers send explorers in search of a water route to Asia?
Because the Silk Road was frequently closed due to various wars, European rulers began to pay for explorations to find a sea route to Asia so they could get spices more easily and for cheaper. Portugal was the first European country that sent explorers to search for the sea route to Asia.
What items did Europeans want from the Indies?
They wanted to bring the luxury goods produced there ‘pepper, spices such as cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, silks, cottons, tea and coffee’ into Europe. Before the East India Company was set up, these luxury goods from the East Indies came to Europe in small quantities via complex trade routes.
What two items were the European powers trying to obtain from the Orient?
As well as spices and tea, they included silks, cottons, porcelains and other luxury goods. Since few European products could be successfully sold in bulk in Asian markets, these imports were paid for with silver. The resulting currency drain encouraged Europeans to imitate the goods they so admired.
Why did Europe want spices?
One of the major motivating factors in the European Age of Exploration was the search for direct access to the highly lucrative Eastern spice trade. In the 15th century, spices came to Europe via the Middle East land and sea routes, and spices were in huge demand both for food dishes and for use in medicines.
What spices were in the spice trade?
The spice trade involved historical civilizations in Asia, Northeast Africa and Europe. Spices such as cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, star anise, clove and turmeric were known and used in antiquity and traded in the Eastern World.