In that same year as well, Portuguese ships reached China, re-establishing direct trade for the first time since its termination 150 years prior. The Chinese were particularly eager to purchase Spanish silver from the Andes, which the Portuguese provided in exchange for Chinese silk, highly coveted throughout Europe. The Portuguese even went as far as Japan, where they established contact briefly before that country's isolation. Expeditions were also sent to conquer Malacca and explore Borneo in 1511 and 1524.
Odd as it may seem, the Portuguese were the first to establish viceroys to govern over their colonies in India. Beginning under King Manuel I, the Portuguese presence in India was cemented by the appointment of the first viceroy, Francisco de Almeida, who governed from 1505-08. His capital was established at Cochin, where he waged wars against a number of Indian rulers for control of commerce in the region. His successor as viceroy, Alfonso D'Albequerque is more widely known for his conquests of Goa, Socotra, and Hormuz, which gave Portugal a short-lived monopoly on European trade with India.
Thus, the Maritime revolution is in no small part attributable to the enterprising spirit of Portuguese explorers, who provided a path by which many others followed. For better of worse, the Portuguese example would open the door to the great maritime empires of the next three hundred years.
3. In the disciplines of Geography, History, Political Science, and International Relations, a variety of terms are used to describe the landmasses governed by sovereign rulers and enclosed by marked boarders. Countries, states, nations, and nation-states have been used interchangeably by some, however, this is incorrect usage. In fact, these terms have distinct and important meanings. While the terms country and state have mainly political connotations, the term nation-state refers to both a group of people who consider themselves a nation as well as political entity. Thus, a nation-state is comprised of the political entity of say, Poland, and is inhabited by the Polish nation. It is possible for a nation to exist without a state, however. One such example is Native American nations, who are groups of people considered to be nations in that they share a cultural and perhaps ethnic background. Nation-states, however, are political entities with a sovereign government, worldwide recognition, and a suitable infrastructure that also share a common culture, and, therefore, are comprised of a nation. France, Poland, German, and even the United States, therefore, would fit the criteria for a nation state. Each not only meets the political requirements of a state, but each also contains a shared culture (Rosenberg). This does not mean, however, that each individual living in the nation-state must share the nation-state's culture. For example, the Amish in the United States reject the mainstream culture. This group is a nation unto itself. The only prerequisite necessary for meeting the nation requirement is that the majority of people belong to one nation. Furthermore, some states, like the United Kingdom, may contain more than one nation.
The nation-state had its beginnings in the treaty of Westphalia. The contract that ended the Thirty Years War, this treaty took Europe away from a land wrought with feuding princes, religious officials, and ruling families to one composed of sovereign entities. Before the Thirty Years War, Feudalism was the primary governmental system of Europe throughout the Middle Ages. The Feudal government was one in which rulers gave away land for military service. Thus, no established boundaries between kingdoms existed. Kings gave away land to those who served them in their military. Those who did not own land simply worked for landowners in a capacity that rendered...
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now