NOTES TO ADD

BRItish East India Company- founded 1600- began with desire for Asian riches and goods

Dutch govt. gave the company the right to sign treaties or even make war- at its height, the company had 150 merchant ships and 40 warships and 50,000 employees. They sent over a million Europeans to the East to participate in trade. They controlled close to half of all European foreign trade, which inspired much fighting 

the Dutch violently established monopoly of trade in Banda island

see Amboina massacre- Dutch captured Japanese man who said the English were plotting against them

several English-dutch wars followed

so EIC turned away from spice islands and focused on India (pepper, raw silk, raw cotton, indigo, calico, salt peter- chemical needed for gun powder) Mughal empire was in decline and 

also French East India Co.- most seafaring European countries had an "East India" company

rivaled the Dutch- Dutch also found the route to Asia

SPICE ISLANDS- AKA Moluccas, island of Banda- especially important- Europeans fought for control of these islands and their spices

Portugal built

treaty of Tordesillas gave Portugal control of Asian trade? In Europe?

Goa