Spice Trade in Southeast Asia

1. Spice Trade in Southeast Asia World History I

2. Southeast Asia • In 1500, Southeast Asia was a stable region which was made up of many kingdoms. • In 1511, the Portuguese took control of Melaka, a Muslim trading center, and took control of the Moluccas. • It was the chief source of the spices that originally attracted Europeans to Southeast Asia. • They set up trading posts throughout the area. • In the early 1600s, the Dutch began pushing the Portuguese and English out of this area. • The Dutch took political and military control over the whole area.

3. Impact on the Mainland • The Portuguese established limited trade with the mainland states. • Mainland states – part of a continent, as distinguished from peninsulas or islands. • The mainland states were able to unite and drive European traders out. • Economic opportunities were limited. • Monarchies resisted foreign intrusion. • European countries made large profits through the spice trade on the islands and peninsulas of Southeast Asia, but were unsuccessful on the mainland.