Emperor's Armed Forces in the Warring States

Chapter 16 - Portugal and the Indian Ocean at That Time

This is the beginning of Chapter 16.

- Yamaga

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16-1

In the spring of 1556, a corner of the port city of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, became a gathering place for women. Many of these women were struggling in poverty, some even living as beggars.

And who were these women?

Most of them were wives of sailors who had set off for India (of course, it should be noted that it wasn't only wives of sailors but also mothers, sisters, and daughters).

As for the daily lives of these women...

"The wife of that man has come. She was at the pier today as well. Perhaps, she was drawn by a faint hope. Someday, her husband will return from India. Although she knew it was an unattainable dream, it was her reason for living."

That's how the chronicles of the time recorded it.

Before, many ships set sail from Portuguese ports, including Lisbon, bound for India, filled with hopes of making a fortune. Now, several years had passed since no sailing ships had departed from Portugal to India.

To embark on a voyage to India with a cartaz was a phrase that used to signify the chance to make a fortune for Portuguese sailors of the past. But now, it had become synonymous with going to commit suicide. After all, it had been a long time since any trading ships returned from India to Portugal. And not a single Portuguese person knew the whereabouts of those sailors who had been on those trading ships. Presumably, they were all dead, which was an unspoken understanding among the Portuguese.

In 1553, a fleet of twenty Portuguese ships set sail from Lisbon harbor in response to a rescue request from Goa, and as of 1556, their whereabouts after rounding the Cape of Good Hope remained unknown. When the Portuguese fleet passed the Cape of Good Hope, they sent a ship back to notify Lisbon, informing that they had safely crossed the cape and were now heading towards Goa. And that report brought the last news of the Portuguese fleet that had departed from Lisbon harbor in 1553.

Since then, no news about the Portuguese fleet had reached them. No, not only the Portuguese fleet but also all Portuguese merchant ships that had headed eastward from the Cape of Good Hope towards the Indian Ocean had been missing since 1553. Although the rate of return for merchant ships that had set sail towards the Indian Ocean from the Cape of Good Hope had been declining even before that. But never would they have imagined that not only the merchant ships but even the entire fleet would completely vanish.

Due to these circumstances, the markets in the Iberian Peninsula, including Lisbon harbor, were enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere. It seemed like a lie that the markets used to bustle with goods from the Indian Ocean. For many years now, specifically for over three years, no goods from the Indian Ocean had arrived. For example, spices such as pepper, which used to arrive via the Cape of Good Hope, had literally not received a single grain.

On the other hand, in the Mediterranean markets, such as Alexandria, due to the extensive organized sales efforts led by the Japanese (centered around the Indian Company), spices could be purchased for less than half of their previous prices. Many merchants who had prospered through the Indian Ocean trade of spices and other goods via the Cape of Good Hope, including those in Lisbon harbor, had fallen into financial difficulties. They were forced to close their shops one after another, and many of them ended up hanging themselves after struggling with the repayment of debts along with their families.

This dire situation was epitomized by the marine insurance industry. After all, marine insurance no longer functioned for the Indian Ocean trade via the Cape of Good Hope. Because bankruptcy was inevitable for anyone who took on marine insurance, no one was willing to provide it. In other words, sailors had to venture into the perilous Indian Ocean without insurance. Even though sailors were known for their fearlessness, there was no reason for them to go to the Indian Ocean under such circumstances.