1.In the text, the author argues how the Portugal Empire came to be. He informs the reader of how the time that Portugal came into the picture was beneficial to them. It was favorable for them because no one noticed them due to the other countries being too busy doing their things such as fighting wars, fighting for power, controlling their people, and more.
Another reason is that they made allies and exploited local rivalries. The author tells of two competitors that were pretty clear allies and rivals. These two cases were the conflict between Melinde with Mombasa and Cochin with Calicut on the Malabar Coast.
The third reason is that by them being so close to the ocean, it gave them a great advantage. The arrival of Portugal got looked over by countries more onshore because they were more concerned about what was happening on the landmass. China closed its trading ports, so they didn't want to bother with Portugal. Finally, Asia ignored them until Portugal was too established.
2.Portugal was triumphant in Asia because they were the first European country to launch the age of exploration. It was Portuguese sailors who first sailed from Europe to Asia by circumnavigating the African Continent. They used new technologies and new ideas to find Asia, and they continued bringing new ideas to the table once they settled.
Portugal was also successful because it had the economic and political rationale to establish colonies in places that were deemed desirable for their general potential for economic development and trade. We can see this still today because former Portuguese colonies like Macao and Goa are among the most developed areas in all of Asia.
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