Contiene: The Four essays in this book examine aspects of Portugal's first overseas empire, the maritime and commercial empire that was founded in the fifteenth century and which, during the sixteenth century extended from Brazil to China. Malyn Newitt looks at the economic and social background to the early period of the discoveries and finds their origin in the problems of late medieval society in Portugal. John Villiers examines the structure of the Estado da India as it evolved in southeast Asia and describes the survival of Portuguese rule in Timor from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. K. S. Mathew describes how the Portugese tried to control the maritime trade of Asia through the issuing of cartazes, safe-conducts, for all merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean and Anthony Disney looks at the territory of Goa in the seventeenth century a period when the commercial empire of the Portuguese was in ruins but lucrative opportunities still existed for individuals to make their fortunes and for the religious orders to indulge in a lavish display of splendid architecture.

Ingles.