How Did Maritime Empires Serve As An Agent Of Globalization

Additionally, maritime empires also served as an agent of globalization, but through the approach of trade. Europeans established trading post networks on coastal routes as a way of expansion. These empires proved fundamental for rulers and merchants involved in overseas trade. Maritime empires such as the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and British began to rise. This international trade began to develop further when chartered companies, such as the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company, were created. These trade relations included a vast group including Europeans, Indians, Chinese and Muslims. One of the most important examples of a maritime empire was the Portuguese trading post empire. “The Portuguese venturers who penetrated the Indian Ocean on
carracks bristling with artillery gave Asian and African merchants an economic jolt” (Panorama, 529). Prince Henry the Navigator wanted to solidify Portugal's maritime dominance. In order to do this he sent ships to seize cities along the coast, which allowed vessels to venture from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. For a while, the Portuguese remained powerful in Indian Ocean trade.
In addition to the Portuguese, Europeans settled trading post empires in Africa and Asia while Spain, the Netherlands, France and Britain created new sea-based empires in the Americas. The Portuguese held on to most of their ports in Asia and continued trafficking. Some European states formed companies that traded in the Indian Ocean with varying success (Panorama, 530). A painting of the port of Manilla shows how much these trading posts thrived. The picture, painted on the lid of a wooden chest, is centered on the fortified area reserved for Spaniards. The picture shows an abundance of ships in the port as people wait on the dock for the loads. The area is densely populated. This painting was created circa 1650 by an artist name Jose Luis Bello. At this time in the world, the Port of Manila was handling trade primarily with China and other Asian countries as well as Mexico, and Spain when the port was opened to all trade ships. This painting seems reliable because of its great detail and Spanish artist. This piece of art shows how dominant Manilla was in the trade world, but also the dominance of maritime empires in trade
networks. The plethora of ships, people and goods in the picture make it obvious that this port economically thrived (Panorama, 514). Maritime empires contained ports where various ethnic merchants of many backgrounds would come together to exchange. Relations were created while ideas, religion and food spread with these people. In this era, new maritime technologies and patterns of trade allowed a circulation of different goods and markets. Maritime empires were important in aiding globalization because they not only increased trans-regional and global trade networks, but they helped to promote the spread various culture, people and goods. Maritime empires were fundamental to globalization through the dependency and ease of trade networks. The two hemispheres came into consistent contact with one another due to new technological innovations, trade networks and military pursuits. Land-based empires and maritime empires were fundamental to globalization from 1450-1750. With imperialistic expansions and maritime trade networks, globalization of the world was made possible. All these factors contributed to this transformation that altered world relations.