Download Age of Exploration

Age of Exploration
1420 to 1750
Zheng He (1371–1435)
• Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, & admiral
• Believed to be a Muslim (according to his chronicler)
• Known to speak both Arabic and Chinese
• Given command of seven voyages by Ming ruler
• Traveled to India, Arabia and Africa (1405 – 1433)
• Emperor’s Purpose of Travels
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Establish Imperial Presence
Impose Control on Trade
Extend Tributary System
Impress Foreigners
Zheng He (1371–1435)
• First fleet consisted of between
200 – 317 ships (27,800 men)
• “Treasure Ships” described as
being gigantic in size (500 men)
 Marco Polo (1271 - 1295)
 Ibn Battuta (1325 - 1354)
• 440 Foot Command Ship -vsColumbus’ 85 Foot Santa Maria
• Major Ports & Trade Centers
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Champa (Vietnam)
Java (Indonesia)
Malacca (Malaysia)
Sumatra (Indonesia)
Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
Calicut (India)
Hormuz (Persia)
Dhufur (Arabian Peninsula)
Aden (Arabian Peninsula)
Mogadishu (East Africa)
Malindi (East Africa)
Zheng He (1371–1435)
• Erected the Galle Trilingual Inscription (stone
tablet) in Ceylon around 1410 CE
 Stone carved in Chinese, Tamil, and Arabic
 Stone gave praise to Buddha, Shiva and Allah
 Tributes of gold, silver, silk & jewels made to each
• Erected a Commemorative Pillar in Fujian, China
in 1432 CE
 Dedicated to the Taoist Goddess (Tian Fei)
 Provided details about his voyages
• Brought back rare animals and animal goods as
tributes from distant lands:
 Ivory Tusks
 Camels
 Zebras
 Ostriches
 Giraffes
Gift from Somalia during the 12th
year of the Yongle Emperor (c. 1415)
The Great Ming Amalgamated Map
(“Da Ming Hun Yi Tu”)
• Earliest Asian Map of known World
(Centered on China)
• Made in China circa 1320’s CE
• Based on input from Chinese and
Islamic Geographers
The Gangnido (Kangnido) Map
("Map of Integrated Lands and Regions
of Historical Countries and Capitals”)
• Second Asian Map of known World
(Centered on China)
• Made in Korea in 1402 CE
• Based on previous map (c. 1320’s)
Henry the Navigator (1394 - 1460 )
• Prince Henry was the third son of King John I
• Learned about the Trans-Sahara trade routes from
merchants in Morocco
• Was intrigued about Africa and the legend Prester John
• Father granted him land at tip of Portugal
known as Sagres Point
• Prince Henry built his “Villa de Infante” to
include a palace, chapel and observatory
• Sponsored scientific work in map making,
ship building, and numerous explorations
• Employed Arab & Jewish mathematicians,
Italian mapmakers, and Portuguese sailors
Legendary King of Ethiopia
Henry the Navigator (1394 - 1460 )
• His Patronage sponsored numerous early explorers
 Joao Zarco’s discovery of Medeira Islands (1420)
 Gil Eannes rounding Cape Bajador in 1434
 Nuno Tristao sailing to Cape Blanc in 1441
 Alvisa Cadamosto reaching the Gambia River by 1456
 Diego Gomes sailing to Cape Palmas in 1459 - 1460
Caravel
• Developed under sponsorship of
Prince Henry “the Navigator”
• Tonnage of 50 to 160 Tons with 1 to 3
masts and triangular “Lateen” sails
• Sallow draft and keel allowed it to sail
up rivers and in shallow coastal waters
• Lighter weight, sleeker design, and use
of Lateen sails made it fast and agile
• Limited capacity for cargo and crew
were major drawbacks
• Its economy, speed, agility and power
made it very popular with sailors
Carrack
• Larger version of the popular Caravel
• Developed in 15th Century Europe by
the Spanish and Portuguese
• Designed as ocean going vessels for
exploration and trade on the Atlantic
Christopher Columbus’ Santa Maria
• Large enough to be stable on high seas
and roomy enough to carry provisions
• New design had a high rounded stern
with bow and large fore and aft castles
• Usually had three to four masts with
large square mainsails & smaller lateens
Ferdinand Magellan’s Victoria
Fra Mauro Map
• Created by the Venetian
monk Fra Mauro (c. 1450)
• Assisted by Andrea Bianco
(sailor-cartographer)
• Commissioned by King
Afonso V of Portugal
• Circular portolan planisphere
(orientation w/ South at top)
• Includes numerous notes
and inscriptions concerning
locations and navigation
• Mentions a Chinese ship
sailing around the tip of
Africa (circa 1420 CE)
Fra Mauro Map
(circa 1450)
The Gangnido (Kangnido) Map
("Map of Integrated Lands and Regions
of Historical Countries and Capitals”)
(circa 1402)
Different Perspectives and Points of View
“Jerusalem is indeed the center
of the inhabited world”
Fra Mauro Map Inscription
China is identified as the center
of the known world on the Gangnido
Map
Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506)
• Italian born explorer commissioned by Spanish Monarchy
• Inspired by the Travels of Marco Polo
• Sailed west in 1492 to find shorter route to India
• Discovered an Island in the Bahamas that he called San Salvador (The Savior)
• Initial voyage was followed by three consecutive voyages to the new world
Treaty of Tordesillas (7 June 1494)
• Intended to solve the dispute between Spain and Portugal over new lands
• Divided the globe between Eastern (Portugal) and Western (Spain) Hemispheres
• Violated when the Portuguese discovered and claimed Brazil in 1500
• Second agreement (Treaty of Saragossa) signed in 1529 to resolve misunderstandings
• Joint rule of Spain and Portugal between 1580 – 1640 made treaty meaningless
Portuguese lead the way to the East
Bartolomeu Dias (1457 – 1500)
Led the first European expedition
around the Cape of Good Hope
in 1488
(Storm knocked him off course)
Vasco da Gama (1460 – 1524)
First European to sail to India
and back between 1497 - 1499
Pedro Alvares Cabral
(1467 – 1520)
First European to sight Brazil in
1500 and claim it for Portugal
(Actually spotted by Amerigo Vespucci)
Portuguese lead the way to the East
Diago Dias (1462 – 1515)
First European to sail to the island
of Madagascar (in 1500)
Alfonso de Albuquerque (1460
– 1524)
Sailed to the Spice Islands to
coordinate trade (1507 – 1511)
Ferdinand Magellan (1480 – 1521)
First European to lead expedition
around the world (1519 – 1522)
(Died in 1522 in the Philippines)
Spain starts claiming the West
Panfilo de Narvaez (1470 – 1528)
Spanish conquistador who helped
conquer Cuba
Vasco de Balboa (1475 – 1519)
Spanish conquistador who was the
first to see the Pacific (1513) by
crossing the Isthmus of Panama
Juan Ponce de Leon (1460 – 1521)
Spanish Conquistador who was the
first to set foot in Florida (1513)
(Suppose to be in search of the legendary
Fountain of Youth)
Spain starts claiming the West
Hernan Cortes (1485 – 1547)
Spanish Conquistador who
conquered the Aztecs (1519 -1522)
Francisco Pizarro (1478 – 1541)
Spanish Conquistador who
conquered the Incas (1532 -1533)
Hernando de Soto (1500 – 1542)
Spanish conquistador who was the
first to explore Southeast North
America (1524)
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
(1510 – 1554)
Spanish conquistador who was the
first to explore Southwest North
America (1540 – 1542)
The Rest of Europe joins the Search
Giovanni Caboto (1450 – 1499)
Italian born English Explorer sailed
to Newfoundland & Canada in 1497
Giovanni de Varrazzano
(1485 – 1528)
Italian born French explorer to
sail the East Coast of North
America in 1524
Jacques Cartier (1491 – 1557)
French explorer who sailed up
the St. Lawrence River &
named Canada in 1541
The Rest of Europe joins the Search
Sir Francis Drake (1545 – 1596)
English explorer who sailed around
the world from 1577 - 1580
Sir Humphrey Gilbert
(1539 - 1583)
English explorer who established
colony in Newfoundland in 1583
Sir Walter Raleigh (1554 - 1618)
English Explorer who established
colony in Virginia in 1585
Piri Reis Map
(c. 1513)
• Compiled by Ottoman-Turkish
Admiral and Cartographer Piri Reis
• Based on naval military intelligence
acquired from various maps
• Included information from Arabian,
Indian, and Portuguese sources
• Discovered in 1929 by German
Historian Gustav Adolf Deissmann
• Initially believed to be the earliest
known map to accurately depict
the East Coast of South America
Piri Reis Map
(c. 1513)
Disputes on Authenticity
• Charles Hapgood (1904-1982)
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American Professor
Verified Global Exploration
Advanced Mathematics
Surpassed Instrumentation
• Gregory C. Mcintosh
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Historian of Cartography
Author of The Piri Reis Map
Use of Columbus’ lost maps
Errors due to multiple sources
• Gavin Menzies
 Amateur Historican
 Author of 1421: The Year
China Discovered America
 Claims Chinese maps were
partial sources used
The tip of Brazil is easy to place (A-a).
To the west (b) we have a large river flowing into a
broad recess. This can only be the Amazon (B).
The sharp southern recess in the coast of Brazil (C-c) is
easy to see on both maps.
A large river with a big delta flowing out of a convex
coastline (d), and a big island offshore (e). It's a nearly
perfect match for the Orinoco (D) and the island is
Trinidad (E).
One of the two rivers at g is almost
certainly the Magdalena (G).
The coastal bend north of Panama is
fairly clear (F-f).
Coastal features like points and bays
are accurately rendered, then south of
the smoothly curving coast at I-i there
must be a cusp on the coast (j-J).
The next prominent point k could be the
point beyond the Rio de la Plata (K).