Pax Portugal - The Battle of Diu Part 1

Hello again and thanks for listening! Today we have a very cool little story about the spice trade, Portuguese exploration, Ottoman galleys and the fight for early global trade. To hear what sources I used and get a sneak peek into next weeks episode stick around until the end. Access it can be argued is one of the most consistent reasons for conflicts around the world and throughout history. Japan wanted access to raw materials in its lead up to WWII, Russia has always wanted access to a warm water port which has been the root of countless wars, the US has repeatedly gone to war to gain access or deny access to other countries for various reasons. Access to resources, rare goods, or simply to new markets has driven nations to explore, expand, and ultimately to war forever. With the advent of the age of Sail and Discovery a large number of European countries tried their hand at gaining access to the riches of the Asian East with varying degrees of success. The Portuguese were the first and for a time the only European country to have any real favorable outcome at forcing access and it all stemmed from a nasty little naval battle not far off the coast of a city called Diu. Portuguese victory at Diu went on to shake nations. The Egyptian Mamluk sultanate crumbled with the lack of income from the loss of the Indian trade and within a decade it was consumed by the Ottomans. The Ottomans had shortsightedly given marginal support and so spent the next 50 years challenging the Portuguese for control of both Diu and the Indian Ocean. Even Suleiman the Magnificent got in on the action sending his admiral Hussein Pasha to lay siege to Diu, but predictably this failed and the Ottomans had finally had enough allowing the Portuguese to have the subcontinent and the riches of the indies. The Gujarat Sultan Mahmud Begada died in 1511 and his sultanate, that in a way started the whole thing, fell to the Mughal Empire by the end of the century. Success would prove the Portuguese undoing as the other Atlantic European nations saw the potential riches that access to these markets and trade goods could bring. Soon the Dutch, English, and French swooped in like a bunch of seagulls looking to challenge Portugal for possession of India. Limited by its size and battered by so many dynamic and explosive competitors Portugal was unable to hold on but it can't be denied that for a brief moment, Portugal, used its access to stand alone as the first truly global power!

The song we used is called “Action” and is off the album American Dreams by Monplaisir
This weeks book sources - William Weir’s 50 Battles That Changed The World
This weeks web sources - https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2010/07/21/battle-of-diu-february-3-1509/
http://www.worldheritageofportugueseorigin.com/2015/06/21/the-battle-of-diu/
https://www.livehistoryindia.com/cover-story/2018/10/17/how-the-battle-of-diu-changed-world-history

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