The shift from Mediterranean to Atlantic
and the “discovery” of the Indian Ocean network
in the early modern era
dr. A. Singh
An important feature of the early modern period is the shift in traders, capital and trading-hubs from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. While Venice, Genoa and Milan show signs of decline, Lisbon, Amsterdam and London were on a rise, attracting merchants and commodities from the Mediterranean South to the Atlantic North. The so-called “discoveries” of the New World marked by Columbus’s landing in America, coupled with Vasco da Gama’s rounding of the Cape of Storms and reaching India by sea -- i.e., the discovery of a sea-route to the Old World -- meant that there was much more to the Mediterranean world than what meets the eye at first sight. In this seminar we explored connections and networks beyond the Mediterranean. We examined concepts like “European expansion” and -- by visiting the legend of Vasco da Gama -- considered the process of history writing, critical source reading, and perspectives in early modern historiography.
The pages here showcase the seminar's projects on early modern Mediterranean networks.
The pages here showcase the seminar's projects on early modern Mediterranean networks.