Territorial states used the sea for power projection, invasion defence and attacks on enemy trade. Naval force could also protect commerce as a source of state revenue, although those paying for protection did not necessarily welcome it. The reading gives Denmark's Sound toll and Portuguese protection payments in the Indian Ocean as examples. For territorial rulers, warfare at sea formed part of competition with domestic and foreign rivals. Merchant centres used force chiefly to protect trade and make investments in ships and commerce profitable. Convoys let commercial interests pool their defensive resources.
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Why territorial states and merchant centres used naval force
Territorial states and merchant centres had different motives for using sea power, including state revenue, trade protection and commercially organised convoys.