The Spice Ports

We may think of globalism as a recent development, but its origins date back to centuries ago and beyond, when courageous seafarers pioneered routes across the oceans with the objectives of exploration, trade, and profits.

Improvements in ship design, compasses, and mapping enabled navigation across unprecedented distances. The embarkation points were the vibrant ports of the West—Venice, Amsterdam, Lisbon—and their destinations, the exotic ports of the East—Malacca, Goa, Bombay—where they tracked down the elusive spices.

This development of maritime communication brought benefits apart from culinary delights: the spread of ideas on art, literature, and science. However, it was not necessarily beneficial for everyone concerned; colonial ambitions could be disastrous for local populations, often exploited as labour.

This wide-ranging account of a fascinating period of global history uses original maps and contemporary artists' views to tell the story of how each port developed individually. It encourages us to consider contrasting points of view on the benefits and damages of the maritime spice trade.