Is it a shock to some foreigners (or even young Dutch people today) that your country had this extensive and large empire for centuries?
Since time immemorial from the days of the Medieval Era, Portugal became a pioneer in sea exploration, venturing the great beyond in search of vast riches and access to Asia, It has achieved great territorial expansion and influence through the centuries reaching its peak in the 16th-17th century spanning from the colonies of Brazil to the Far East stations of Macau. However much of the wealth it has acquired were of vast slave colonies and marked by especially brutal administrations for much of Portugal's history. The reactionary governments from the old House of Braganca to Salazar's fascist Estado Novo, to the revisionist liberalist military state of Craveiro Lopes, all exploited Portuguese and colonial workers alike (with the latter more so). No more! The plight of the Portuguese worker has shattered the colonialist institutions of Portugal for good, committed to ending the Imperial project of Portugal and fulfilling the demands of the colonized masses to become independent republics and members of the International community. With the failure of the Portuguese Commonwealth project, the military capitulated to the demands of the Socialist-led government in Lisbon and they instructed their advisors and forces mired up in the Colonial War to withdraw post-haste from the conflict, The East Asian colonies of East Timor became independent mid-1970 alongside the Republic of Cape Verde and the Republic of Cabinda, completing the unraveling of Europe's longest-standing empire. However, only the territories of the Azores and Sao Tome and Principe, with local referendums notwithstanding, decided to remain as an autonomous territory inside Portugal.
Cape Verde has decided in a referendum overwhelmingly for independence with the CVIP at it’s head. All regional political parties have agreed to form a democratic body of government post independence. The status of the Bissagos Islands which were annexed into the Cape Verde territory after the peace treaty with Guinea Bissau were decided that they would be returned back to Guinea Bissau but annexation into Guinea Bissau was out of the question due to the conditions of the referendum
The Republic of Cabinda became independent in July 1970, but in the interest to safeguard its sovereignty and national security decided to sustain Portuguese military cooperation to deter threats on their borders. Its small size, population, and larger neighbors mean it will be under the constant potential of attack. The Portuguese Afri
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Context: Instead of being rebuffed by the Portuguese in their mid-16th century naval conflicts over the Indian Ocean trade routes and the waters around the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, the Ottomans are able push the Portuguese and their allies back and seriously threaten their shipping to the Spice Islands. Making connections with local Islamic rulers on Sumatra (Aceh for instance) and the Malay peninsula, the Ottoman fleets in the East are able to dislodge the Portuguese from Malacca and their other ports in the area (somewhat damaging their presence in India in the process) by around 1600 , establishing a permanent presence in the region. Their goal to build alliances with local Sultanates to establish regional security, control and profit off the flow of spices and other Southeast Asian goods to Europe, and build up religious legitimacy through actions such as continuing the spread of Islam through the region and facilitating the pilgrimage to Mecca.
How might this change affect the world?
The Battle of the Three Kings
Sebastian of Portugal, a young and jealous king, has launched an invasion into Morocco under the pretense of a crusade. The Saadis, however, are not impressed and gather their army to meet the invaders. The Iberians may have superior technology, mercenaries, and the help of a local puppet sultan, but the sultan’s forces are fighting to protect their homes.
https://www.ageofempires.com/news/preorder-aoe3de-african-royals/
Oman was a Portuguese colony for 150 years between 1500 to 1650. After recapturing Muscat in 1650, Oman went on to sack the town of Mombasa, Kenya in 1661. Another major expedition was sent to Fort Jesus, Mombasa in 1696. Zanzibar came under Oman Sultanate's control in 1696 and Fort Jesus fell in 1698 and most of east Africa was under the Omani sphere.
- How did Oman manage to archive all this in such a short time? Considering the non-trivial distance between the Swahili coast and Oman proper?
Supposedly they made the population including the king "regressive" with their zeal and intolerance.
Seems kind of simplistic and outdated in my opinion.
Arab traders dominated much of the sea trade between Europe and the Far East since the 8th century. In the 15th century, the Portuguese were the first to establish direct trade routes between Europe and the Far East. Within a short period of time, part of the spice trade was diverted from ports in the Ottoman empire to first Portuguese then other European ports.
There were a few skirmishes between the Portuguese and the Ottomans in the Indian Ocean; however, the Ottoman empire failed to prevent the Portuguese from establishing a direct trade route. Why didn't the Ottoman empire make a greater effort to defeat the Portuguese? The forces the Ottoman empire was able to muster in the Indian Ocean must have been far greater than the forces a small country like Portugal could have dispatched to such a distant place.
