Question

What was the primary purpose of Bartolommeo Dias voyage around the cape of good hope and the Indian Ocean?

A. to seek new sources of medicinal knowledge to combat the bubonic plague.
B. to spread Christianity into Muslim and Hindu lands.
C. to seek new sources of slave labor for sugarcane plantations.
D. to eliminate the role of Muslim and Italian intermediaries in the Asian silk and spice trades.

Answer 1

Bartolommeo Dias aimed to eliminate the role of Muslim and Italian intermediaries in the Asian silk and spice trades by establishing a new sea route to Asia, thus enriching Portugal and strengthening Christian Europe.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary purpose of Bartolommeo Dias's voyage around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean was D. to eliminate the role of Muslim and Italian intermediaries in the Asian silk and spice trades.

By the late 15th century, European nations, particularly Portugal, were eager to bypass the costly land trade routes controlled by Muslim traders and find a direct sea route to Asia. The Portuguese were motivated by the considerable profits to be made in the spice trade, including items such as cloves, pepper, and ginger sourced from Asia. Upon rounding the Cape of Good Hope, which Dias achieved in 1488, they hoped to establish a more advantageous position in the lucrative spice trade while bolstering Christian Europe and weakening the economic power of the Muslim world.