How Did Europeans Enter Asian Commercial Networks

Context: In 1497-1499 Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese mariner started his voyage to India, which was the first European voyage to India. This voyage was the result of long planned effort to find a sea path to cross the Indian Ocean to southern India, so European met a commerce network, which was one of the richest and oldest networks that expanded from east Africa to China.

Introduction: This essay argues what were the motivations of Europeans to enter into Asian commercial networks in 15th and 16th centuries. These include the desire for important spices “aphrodisiacs” and other goods of the East. Another reason was returning the power of the European civilization after the “Black Death” disaster in the fourteen century. However, transporting products slowly from the Indian commercial network through the Middle East into the Mediterranean

Some of the spices which were used widely for preservatives and flavoring “aphrodisiacs” such as nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, cloves, especially pepper that “every man did buy it” (Strayer, 670). Other Asian goods were also in a high demand by European. For example, Indian cottons, emeralds, sapphires, rhubarb for medicine, Chinese silk, and rubies are several Asian products which Western is attracted to them (Strayer, 670).

Reconstruction of European civilization after the fourteenth century also played an important role in pushing Europeans to try to access the Asian networks. European society was growing again and its home rulers (monarchies) especially in England, Spain, Portugal, and France which led to the new experience of learning how to tax effectively and construct new military power (Strayer, 670). However, their cities were growing in which they became the centers of international trades. For instance, England and Netherlands became the inventor of personal ownership, market exchange and further investments (Strayer,