Treaty of Tordesillas 1494
Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Treaty of Tordesillas was signed in 1494 between Spain and Portugal, and later approved by the Pope. It drew an imaginary north–south line through the Atlantic Ocean, west of the Cape Verde islands. Newly found lands west of the line would go to Spain, and lands east of it to Portugal. The treaty matters because it gave Portugal the eastern sea route around Africa to India. Other European powers such as England, France and the Netherlands later refused to accept it.
Example
Because of the treaty, Portugal claimed the route Vasco da Gama sailed. He landed at Kappad, near Kozhikode in Kerala, in May 1498. Spain, meanwhile, focused on the Americas.
Don't confuse with
- Cartaz system: Tordesillas was a treaty between two European states that split up the world on paper. The cartaz was a pass that Portugal forced ships in the Arabian Sea to buy.