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Portuguese Crown Trade Monopoly
The Portuguese crown's statutory monopoly over eastern spices, precious metals, and other long-distance trade from the late 15th century to the first…
Timeline
- 1493–1494Lisbon · PortugalPope Alexander VI's division of navigational rights and the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas confirming Portugal's priority on African and Asian sea routes provided the international legal basis for the crown's monopoly on eastern trade.
- 1500–1510Lisbon · LisbonThe crown established the Casa da Índia to centrally manage eastern trade licenses, tariff collection, and fleet dispatch, transforming the monopoly from a legal declaration into routine administrative operation.
- 1521–1530Lisbon · LisbonBetween 1521 and 1530, the crown's monopoly system enforced passes and tariffs at eastern outposts through the Estado da Índia's governor's office; spice revenues flowed largely to the crown, and private illicit trade was severely punished.
Sources
- The Portuguese Empire in Asia, 1500-1700: A Political and Economic History — M. N. Pearson (1993)
- A History of Portugal and the Portuguese Empire, Volume 2: The Portuguese Empire — A. R. Disney (2009)