African Periplus

African Periplus is the name of a series of voyages undertaken by the Portuguese in the 15th century, initially along the Mediterranean Sea, but above all along the coast of Africa.

The objective was to find an alternative way to reach the Indies and be able to bring the products without having to buy them in Genoa or Venice.

Introduction to the African Journey

Portuguese navigation gained an important impulse through the encouragement of Infante Dom Henrique (1394-1460), who sponsored the "school" of Sagres, as well as numerous expeditions.

The Portuguese navigators responsible for working on the African journey were Bartolomeu Dias (1450-1500), Vasco da Gama (1469-1524), Diogo Cão (1440-1486), Gil Eanes (15th century) and Pero da Covilhã (1450-1530). ).

On the route were reached:

• Ceuta (1415)
• Wood (1419)
• Azores (1431)
• Cape Bojador (1434)
• River of Gold (1436)
• White Cape (1441)
• Cape Verde (1445)
• Mine (1475)
• Congo (1482)
• Sao Tome (1484)
• Cape of Storms (1487)
• Mozambique (1498)
• Mombaça (1498)
• Malinde (1498)
• Ascension (1501)
• Saint Helena (1502)

When they arrived in the regions, the Portuguese created factories, which consisted of points on the coast where forts were built.

In the factories remained some representatives of the crown who would be responsible for negotiating the products of the region with the natives.

In this period, taking possession of land and marketing products was the only objective of the Portuguese, who had not yet decided on exploration through colonization. It was also not the intention of the Portuguese Crown to settle the population.

Bojador Cape

Cabo do Bojador represented a difficult limit to be crossed and doing so became the goal of all navigators who set out to seek new lands.

In Gil Eanes' expedition, in 1434, the ships moved away from the African coast (a much feared maneuver) and only later did they find it again. Thus, once they passed Cape Bojador, they realized that the region was easily navigable.

The African Periplus and the Monopoly of the Crown

From 1460, the trade in people to be enslaved already represented a lucrative business in the area that stretched from Senegal to Sierra Leone.

That was the year of Infante Dom Henrique's death, but the trips continued to receive support from the Crown. In 1462, gold is discovered in Guinea by Pedro Sintra (15th century).

It was King Dom João II (1455-1495), whose reign began in 1481, who decreed exclusivity for the Portuguese crown to exploit the goods of the colonies.

The so-called royal monopoly changed the characteristics of mere exploitation. Now, settlement would be fixed and local production organized.

Cape of Storms or Good Hope?

With the good results, the navigations continued. Thus, in 1488, Bartolomeu Dias, an experienced navigator, managed to cross the Cabo das Tormentas, named in this way because of the storms he faced.

Later, this landform would change its name to Cape of Good Hope. The navigator Vasco da Gama manages to cross it between 1497 and 1498. He reaches the Indies and lands in Calicut, where he negotiates products and commercial treaties with the local chiefs.

Vasco da Gama's investment resulted in profits of over 6,000% because the Italians controlled the purchase of Indian products.

There are more texts on this subject for you :

• Portuguese Navigations
• Conquest of Ceuta
• European Maritime Expansion
• Pre-Colonial Africa
• Slave Ships