The trading between Africa and Asia was disturbed by Portuguese invasion along the East African coast in the 15th Century. The Portuguese attempted to capture and control Indian Ocean trade, this lead to war between the Portuguese and the indigenous of East African coast. During this contact the most important countries in western were Spain and Portugal. These countries were included in trade through trading routes to India which passed off through Italy and the Muslims lands of the Middle East particularly Turkey.
The occurrence of wars in Muslims empire made the trade difficult and more expensive. The Portuguese by finding routes of the sea wanted to establish trading empire in the East Africa by controlling all trades in Europe.
This was made possible by the invention of ships. Prince Henry the navigator son of King John of Portuguese supported the voyages. They searched routes as resulted into voyages by Bartholomew Diaz in 1487 as the first Portuguese Explore to visit the coast of Africa. Vasco da Gama was the first second Portuguese to reach East Africa in 1498. Bartholomew Diaz reached the cape of good hope in south Africa in 1487.
Why Portuguese search for sea route to India via to Africa?
i. Presence of political conflict in the middle east under the Ottoman Empire.
ii. Presence of religious war in the middle east (Muslim against non muslims) jihad wars.
iii. High taxes imposed by Ottoman Empire in Turkey
How the Asian goods reached Europe before the Portuguese discovered the sea route to India via to Africa?
The Asian goods reached Europe through the middle east particularly Turkey.
GOODS THAT WERE EXCHANGED
Goods from Africa
Africa Portuguese obtained items such as:-
i. Ivory.
ii. Gold.
iii. Copper.
iv. Silver.
v. slaves.
vi. Tortoises shells.
vii. Animal skins.
viii. Bee wax.
ix. Ostrich feathers
Goods from Europe
i. Cloth
ii. Guguns.
iii. Looking mirror.
iv. Wines
ECONOMIC MOTIVES/ AIMS FOR PORTUGUESE INVATION IN EAST AFRICA
1. Searching for markets: The portuguese aimed at searching for cheapes markets for selling their commoditiea produced in Europe. Therefore they wanted to defeat the Asian trades and rules in their monopoly of the India trade. usually European countries admired the commodities founded in Africa so in order to get them they had to contact with African people.
2. Searching for raw materials: The Portuguese needed varieties of raw materials which were Ivory, tortoise’s shells, cotton, gold and palms.
3. To exploit African resources: Especially natural resource like mineral agricultural commodities and slaves in East African coastal cities and states Example: Kilwa, Mombasa, Bagamoyo and Mogadishu.
4. Searching for sea route to Asia: The Portuguese aimed aimed at searching for sea route to India due to the existence of political instability in the middle east it has made Portuguese to find the alternative way to Asia.
5. Searching areas for investment: The Portuguese aimed at searching for potential areas for investment of their surplus production.
SOCIAL MOTIVES
1. To spread Christianity.
2. They desired to establish anti-Muslims alliances.
3. They wanted to meet with Pastor John in Ethiopia.
THE EXPANSION OF PORTUGUESE RULE IN EAST AFRICA
By 15th C Portuguese succeeded to establish their rule in East Africa. After that the Portuguese built the Fort Jesus in Mombasa which could strengthen their military power thus establishing the effective control over the East Africa coastal areas.
1592 was the built of Fort Jesus.
1698 was the broke down of Fort Jesus.
1499 was the year when Vasco da Gama returned back to Portugal.
Other forts built by Portuguese in Africa were:-
i. Fort at Kilwa in 1505.
ii. Sofala (Mozambique) in 1480
iii. The Elimina caste (Ghana) built in 1482.
RESISTANCES AGAINST PORTUGUESE
There were source of resistance:-
1.The displaced people joined the resistance, for example Zimba of Zambezi valley and Segeju of Somalia in the Northern Eastern Africa. The constant attack and resisted against Portuguese rule lead to its decline and capture of Fort Jesus of Mombasa in 1698.
2. The reaction from the feudal lords and traders who counted to protect their social and economic interests.
MPACT PORTUGUESE INTRUSION IN EAST AFRICA
ECONOMIC IMPACTS
1. Introduction of new crops: especially cash crops in Africa e.g. Sugarcane, yellow maize, cassava, rice, pineapples, potatoes etc.
2. Decline of trade: the trade between East Africa, Far East and Middle East was interrupted by the Portuguese.
3. Introduction of slave trade.
4. Exposed Africa to the external world.
5. They built several forts in Africa example Fort Jesus of Mombasa 1592.
6. It has led to intensive exploitation of African resources.
SOCIAL IMPACTS
1. Decline of cities and states.
2. Growth of Swahili language: Swahili adapted some new Portuguese words i.e. Mvinyo from word Vincho, Meza Etc.
3. Insecurity, due to slave trade.
4. loss of manpower.
5. It led to destruction of African culture.
REASONS FOR THE COLLAPSE OF PORTUGUESE IN EAST AFRICA
1. They suffered from tropical disease like malaria.
2. The climate conditions of East African coast were in healthy for the Portuguese.
3. Social, culture and religion differences. These include Muslim against Christians.
4. Loss of trade due to Portuguese taxes and restrictions.
5. Harsh treatments and punishment practiced by Portuguese in their leadership.
6. Role played by Oman to the coastal city people. Hence that capture of fort Jesus marked the end of Portuguese in East Africa around 1700.
