India and the wealth of Asian commerce were already known to European rulers, merchants, and financiers. The strategic problem was finding a route that avoided the taxes collected by the states between Europe and the Indian Ocean. Bankers and governments expected a plausible commercial return rather than funding an aimless voyage into an empty unknown. Portugal's project was therefore a calculated shortcut into a functioning network.
Chapter · 11:07-11:51
Portugal sought a shortcut, not an unknown world
Portuguese voyages aimed to enter known Asian trade systems while avoiding the tolls charged by intervening states.