Final answer:
Alan Mikhail's thesis explores how the Ottoman monopoly over Asian trade routes after the conquest of Constantinople instigated European exploratory efforts, leading to the Age of Exploration.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alan Mikhail's thesis in Columbus and the Ottomans essentially examines the impacts of Ottoman power on the geopolitical dynamics of the 15th century. Specifically, following the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottoman Empire, Europe was forced to seek new trade routes due to the Ottoman monopolization of established paths to Asia. This prompted explorers like Christopher Columbus, sponsored by European monarchs, to find alternative routes to the East, which eventually led to the Age of Exploration. Mikhail's analysis suggests that the Ottoman control over trade routes functioned as a catalyst for European maritime expansion, driven by the desire to access Asian goods and circumvent Ottoman trade dominance.