GS302 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Mughal Empire, Mercantilism, First Colony
Document Summary
Gs302 lesson 6: modern european encounters, colonialism, orientalism. Unlike economic philosophy that emerges late 1700s, this period the states are convinced that the way they can look after their security is by hoarding wealth/gold/silver/precious metals (mercantilism: different from free trade, capitalism (criticisms of mercantilism) Look for high priced luxury commodities, spices, textiles, etc. which are trickling into europe through existing trade routes that are largely monopolized by middle eastern merchants at the time (arabs) Vasco da gama arrives in calicut (1493: direct sea routes to circumvent arab traders, portuguese arrive, then dutch, french, british. Spices (pepper, cardamom, cinnamon), textiles (cotton, silk) Eic approached to maintain commercial interests using its armed forces. Once he becomes ruler of bengal, he makes very aggressive moves against the british (destroys a factory in bengal) At this point british have bases around the coast of india. Robert clive and the battle of plassey (1757)