1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 239 East India Company

In a remote manor on the outskirts of Carthage, Paul da Gama paced in the hall with anxiety on his face.

His father, Estevao da Gama, and Denis Dias, the principal of the Eastern Roman Empire's Navigation School, sat on one side drinking and chatting, while the rest of the officers of the exploration fleet were gambling at another square table. The noise, rolling of dice and vulgar insults were heard everywhere.

"Paul, don't worry, calm down, the emperor will be here soon."

Esteban looked at his agitated eldest son and frowned slightly.

"Father, we finally found the rich India for the emperor, but he doesn't seem to give us the welcome and recognition we deserve. There is no banquet, no title, and there are guards everywhere outside. How can I not be anxious?"

Paul rushed over to his father, the worry in his eyes almost tangible.

"In my opinion, you shouldn't move all your family to Carthage, and you should also keep a copy of the sea chart, so that the emperor won't abandon you!"

"Haha, Paul, the more the emperor acts like this, the more he values ​​our exploration results. If he still cares about his reputation, if he doesn't want to be left without anyone to use, he won't do anything bad to us."

Estevan shook his head slightly.

"The world is big, and there are still many places that have not been discovered. He needs us to help him find distant lands and wealth, and we also need his funding to realize our ideals. The bond of interests between us is already very strong, and there is no reason to fall out."

"Looking at the whole of Europe, who else is willing to spend tens of thousands of ducats to build an ocean-going fleet except him?"

"But, Father—"

"That's all for now. Sit down now and don't say anything more!"

Esteban's voice was not loud, but it was full of unquestionable authority. Paul opened his mouth and found a seat unhappily.

Esteban turned his head and looked at Dinis who was sipping the wine.

"Mr. Denis, you are considered a close confidant of the Emperor. The news of the return of the exploration fleet has not yet spread. What exactly is His Majesty going to do with us?"

Denis glanced at Esteban and smiled.

It seems that this nobleman who came from a seafaring family was not as calm as imagined, and was still a little worried in his heart.

"Don't worry. Your Majesty has always attached great importance to maritime exploration and has never treated meritorious officials unfairly. After tonight's meeting, there will be banquets, celebrations, wealth, official positions and titles."

Denis said.

"Although His Majesty is the emperor of the Eastern Empire, his wife is a Portuguese princess, and his children are all half Portuguese. They will not hold a grudge against us because of our identities."

"The news of the discovery of India will eventually spread, but the sea chart must be kept strictly confidential. If you want to have a place in the new situation, you should swear allegiance to His Majesty as soon as possible and make a break with the past to avoid gossip from others."

"Don't worry. No one can resist money. I have sold my property in my hometown and moved my family to Carthage. My second son is studying in a navigation school. If Your Majesty is willing to trust me, I will repay you with my life."

Estevan said.

As they were talking, the heavy wooden door slowly opened, and Isaac and Leonor appeared in everyone's sight, wearing gorgeous dresses.

The hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone stood up and bowed to the emperor and empress.

Isaac waved his hand, signaling everyone to excuse themselves, and walked slowly with his wife to Dinis and Estevan.

"Long time no see, Dinis, and you, brave and lucky Estevan."

Isaac smiled at the two of them.

"I wish you good health, your majesty."

"May you remain forever young and beautiful, my dear princess."

The two men straightened up and greeted Isaac and Leonor.

"There are a lot of people here, please follow me."

As Isaac spoke, he ordered his servants to bring up fine wine, delicious food, gold and silver jewelry, and to a side room amid the cheers of the sailors, he took Denis and Estevan.

After the host and the guests took their seats, Isaac went straight into the topic.

"I have read the nautical charts and logbooks you brought back. I am very happy. Congratulations to you and the Empire."

Isaac and Leonor raised their glasses and pointed at the two of them from a distance.

After a brief greeting, the conversation got down to business.

"Sir Estevan, you are the captain of the exploration fleet. I handed over the entire fleet to you, and you lived up to my expectations and brought me back the sea chart leading to India."

"The Queen and I are very interested in your exploration progress. Can you tell us briefly about it?"

Isaac pulled the chart from his pocket, spread it out on the table, and looked at Estevan with a gentle smile on his face.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Esteban stroked the precious chart and pointed to the dot that marked the city of Carthage.

"On October 1462, 10, the exploratory fleet set out from Carthage and arrived at the Viceroyalty of La Palma in the Canary Islands two months later. It then rode the Canary Current to the Viceroyalty of San Nicolas, and then sailed southeast into the Guinea Calm Belt."

Esteban ran his finger across the chart, pointing to the Gulf of Guinea.

"Here, we have been sailing along the coast, arriving at Queen's Harbor and Platinum Harbor, and then turning south, entering the Governor's District of St. William, and continuing south with the survey fleet of the Navigation School."

"Afterwards, we made a short stop at the port of Chrysostom in the Kingdom of Kongo to replenish fresh water and food."

Estevan nodded gently at the port of Chrysostom.

"On February 1463, 2, after five months of sailing, we finally arrived at the port of New Thrace, where we were entertained by Count William. We repaired the ship, loaded it with fresh water, food, and sailing medicine, and officially prepared to explore the unknown frontier."

"On March 3, we saw that the sea conditions near the port of New Thrace were relatively calm, so we divided the 1 ships into three waves and crossed the Cape of Storms one after another. However, when we reunited, we were still missing four ships."

Esteban's voice was slightly heavy.

"After the storm, our ships were damaged to varying degrees and we had to head north to the land for a rest, entering a bay full of mussels."

"There, we actually ran into one of your missionaries. He came overland from New Thrace. It seems that he has gained the trust of the local yellow natives. He presided over the baptism of the chief and his family, and also taught them some Greek words."

Estevan smiled.

"That bay is rich in mussels, and the locals make their living on mussels. Your priest named this bay after mussels, which is Mossel Bay."

Isaac saw the small bay not far from New Thrace on the map and nodded.

"We repaired the ship and replenished supplies as much as possible there, and then officially entered the unknown waters. As you said, we were immediately hindered by the sea current and storm."

Esteban looked at Isaac with a little admiration.

Isaac smiled casually and said nothing.

The Agulhas Current, the strongest western boundary current in the world, is the biggest and last obstacle for the European fleet to the East.

After passing through or bypassing the Agulhas Current, the road ahead is smooth. The well-developed port system along the Indian Ocean coast ensures the supply of the exploration fleet, and the monsoon of the Indian Ocean provides great convenience for the fleet's navigation.

Following the ancient Arabian trade routes, the fleet could easily reach any port in the known world.

"We remembered your instructions and did not run headfirst into the strong ocean current. Instead, we headed eastward from the shore."

"Mysteriously, under the ocean current in the north, there is actually a current running from west to east, which makes our voyage much smoother."

Isaac looked at the map and nodded slightly.

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is located south of the Agulhas Current. The current here changes from west to east, providing an opportunity for the fleet to bypass the Agulhas Current.

"Then, after several weeks of sailing, we discovered a vast expanse of land to the north. Even if it wasn't a continent, it was a large island."

Esteban continued.

"We stopped at a small port and did not use force as you requested. After we gave the locals a lot of small handicrafts, they explained a lot of things to us."

"This island is very huge. They call it Madagascar. There are many separatist princes and there are constant wars. The Malagasy people are not black. They are very different from the yellow-skinned Khoisan people. Their skin color is more like the pure Mongolians recorded in ancient books."

"From them, we learned that Saracen merchants had such a huge scope of interests and such a sound trade system in the East African and Indian waters. This made us happy, but also a little worried."

“But we eventually fell out with the Malagasy people.”

Estevan sighed.

"Huh? How did they fall out?"

Isaac frowned slightly.

"Your Majesty, this is not our fault. Several of our sailors saw a cow on the roadside and wanted to kill it and roast it for food. Unexpectedly, this aroused great anger and hostility from the local natives. They directly killed several sailors."

Estevan said through gritted teeth.

"I was forced to take my sailors to defend myself. It didn't take much effort to capture the local chief's residence, capture several nobles on board, and then leave the port with the fleet."

"Madagascar is so poor that there is nothing valuable, especially in the south. No wonder even Saracen merchants are reluctant to go there."

Estevan complained.

Isaac pulled a wry smile at the corner of his mouth and shook his head.

"This kind of thing is inevitable. I don't blame you. But remember, don't act rashly before you fully understand the situation, so as to avoid disaster."

Estevan nodded and continued.

"After being forced to leave a small port in southern Madagascar, we were forced to turn west and finally entered the strait, which we named the Mozambique Channel."

"The ocean currents were still strong, but much better than in the south. After losing three more ships, we successfully arrived at the first major port we encountered on the East African coast, the Port of Sofala."

"Later we learned that there was a very scary Devil's Cape, Cape Krents, south of the port of Sofala. The ocean currents near the cape were extremely fierce. Storms and currents would press ships into the bay south of the cape. Once trapped, it would be difficult to escape."

Estevan said with lingering fear.

"Your Majesty, you were right not to allow us to enter the Mozambique Channel directly. All of us in the fleet owe you our lives."

Esteban gave Isaac a grateful look.

"As for your previous small exploration fleets, we didn't hear any news about them in Sofala. It is very likely that they disappeared at Cape Krentes."

Isaac nodded and said nothing more.

"Tell me about the situation at Sofala port."

"Your Majesty, according to our observation, the Port of Sofala is the largest gold distribution center in the area. The gold from the inland is collected here through the Sofala River and then flows into the ocean."

"There is a wealthy Saracen country to the north of Sofala, the Sultanate of Kilwa. Sofala can barely be considered a subsidiary city of Kilwa, but it is one of the most marginal ones."

"Sofala is also a Saracen country. Arabs and Persians, who were the local rulers, came here very early to engage in the slave trade, gold trade and ivory trade."

Talking about this, Esteban's expression was somewhat complicated.

"Your Majesty, the way they treat black slaves is so bloody that even our sailors feel very uncomfortable."

"Of course. They have been doing this for more than a thousand years and are already veterans."

Isaac said noncommittally.

At the end of the 15th century in the original time and space, the triangular trade had not yet emerged, and the Muslim world still held absolute dominance over the black slave trade and the white slave trade. They had been engaged in large-scale slavery for more than a thousand years, and would continue to do so until the end of the twentieth century.

In terms of methods alone, they are indeed more cruel than Europeans. Mass castration is a crime against humanity at any time.

"Go on, how the Arabs treat their slaves has nothing to do with us."

Isaac looked at Estevan and filled his glass with wine.

Estevan finished his drink and smacked his lips.

"Your Majesty, the locals call this coast the Swahili Coast. The Kilwa Dynasty is the most powerful country on the Swahili Coast. It also relied on the slave industry and the gold industry to start its business. Many local governments around it are affiliated forces of Kilwa."

"There are also several tribal kingdoms inland from the Swahili Coast, which are the source of black slaves, and there are also many gold mines and ivory producing areas."

"We conducted some trade activities in Sofala City. The local nobles, unlike the tribal chiefs, have seen the real good things. They turned up their noses at our cheap gadgets, but were very interested in our weapons."

A mocking smile appeared on Esteban's lips.

"We sold them some of our oldest muskets for some gold, and then we left Sofala and headed north to Kilwa."

“On our way north, we discovered an archipelago that the locals called the Comoros.”

"It's sparsely populated, but strategically located, with a few small towns. We drove out the local Arabs, planted your flag on the largest island, conscripted slaves to build a castle for us, and left thirty sailors to manage them."

"Well done. Comoros can become our outpost for colonizing East Africa. It is an archipelago. As long as we have enough fleets, the Arabs will not be able to attack us."

Isaac nodded, encouragingly.

"To avoid the hostility of the Sultan of Kilwa, we left most of our ships in Comoros and only took three ships to the city of Kilwa."

Estevan smiled and continued.

"Kilwa is a prosperous city, the largest city on the Swahili coast. The Kilwa Dynasty is also a powerful dynasty with strong financial resources. However, due to the lack of strong foreign enemies, the army's weapons and equipment are very backward, morale is very low, and training is extremely lax. I made an estimate at the time. If you can give me 2,000 fully armed soldiers equipped with muskets, I am sure that I can sneak attack the Kilwa Palace in a short time and kidnap the local Sultan to see you."

Esteban glanced at Isaac.

"Of course, as for occupation and rule, these people are definitely not enough."

"No need. We are here to do business. We should not resort to violence unless it is absolutely necessary."

Isaac shook his head.

"Besides, we don't need to be so brutal. The strongest fortresses are often breached from the inside."

"Tell me about the internal situation of the Kilwa Dynasty."

Isaac said.

"Your Majesty, Kilwa was a dynasty founded by the Persians, but there were many Arabs among the top leaders. This binary political structure led to fierce internal struggles. Almost every sultan's ascension to power was inevitably accompanied by bloodshed."

"Now, the Kilwa Dynasty has expanded to its extreme and has begun to decline. Internal conflicts are becoming more intense, and small-scale civil wars are continuing. Soon after we arrived in Kilwa, we were ordered to expel us to avoid external interference."

“If you’re trying to prop up a puppet government there, you might as well pay more attention to that.”

"I will. Kilwa and Sofala are both rich places. It would be a pity to leave them in the hands of the Saracens. They are invaders too anyway."

Isaac nodded.

"Your Majesty, after we left Kilwa, we joined the large army that stayed in Comoros and began to move north along the Swahili coast. We arrived at the city-state of Mombasa on August 1463, 8."

"Mombasa was once a vassal state of Kilwa, but now it is independent and a relatively large city-state. There are many similar city-states to the north of Mombasa, the largest of which is Malindi."

Esteban took a sip of his drink and wiped his mouth with his handkerchief.

"Malindi and Mombasa are old enemies. The hatred between the two countries is long-standing. They have fought many times in history, but because they are evenly matched, they have not been able to completely defeat each other."

"There is a relatively large city-state in the north of Malindi, called Patai. Their beliefs are somewhat different from those of the mainstream Saracens. I think it's called Ibadism. I heard that there is also a small state that believes in this sect in your southern border area."

"Yes, the Emir of Mzab believes in this. I have dealt with them before."

Isaac nodded and then asked again.

“Has the conflict in Malindi and Mombasa affected you?”

"It couldn't have been without an impact, Your Majesty, but fortunately it was resolved perfectly."

Estevan said with a smile.

"The ruler of Mombasa treated us very badly, forbidding us to enter his port and mobilizing heavy troops at the port to prevent us from landing."

"We immediately chose to bombard the port and achieved some results, but their army was large in number. I had not yet found India at that time and did not want to get entangled with them any more, so I simply led the people away." "Four days later, the fleet arrived at the city of Malindi, where we were grandly received by Malindi Sultan Muhammad IV. He gave us many gifts, including a precious Arabian sea map and a guide who was proficient in Indian Ocean navigation."

"Mohammed IV allowed us to stay and do business in the port of Malindi, and he answered all our questions and told us a lot about the East."

"You have seen the Arabian Sea chart. It is very detailed and will play a vital role in our subsequent navigation activities."

Isaac recalled the Arabian Sea chart in his study and nodded slightly.

"I have read the letter from the Sultan of Malindi. He wants to form an alliance with us to fight against the people of Mombasa. Is that right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Mohammed IV is already very old. The one who usually liaises with us is his son, Mohammed V. He is an ambitious monarch who tries to use our power to completely defeat our old enemy, Mombasa."

Estevan said.

"Without your authorization, we did not sign any treaty with Malindi, but we still acted as mercenaries and looted many merchant ships in Mombasa."

"Yes, you did a good job."

Isaac hesitated for a moment.

In the original time and space, Mombasa and Malindi were at the forefront of the confrontation between Christian and Islamic forces. Mombasa was resistant to Christians coming from afar, while Malindi was the opposite and maintained a welcoming attitude.

Later, the Ottoman Empire and Portugal each supported puppets here to compete for hegemony in the Indian Ocean.

Isaac was ready to follow the trend and agree to Malindi's request for alliance. If he could occupy a transit port in East Africa, trade in East India would be much easier.

"and after?"

Isaac looked at Estevan.

"Your Majesty, since this is our first voyage, we don't know much about the Indian Ocean. We missed the monsoon that year and had to wait until next year. We were forced to stay in Malindi for a few months."

Estevan said with a wry smile.

"In the second half of 1463, we assisted Malindi in launching several attacks on Mombasa and occupied several coastal towns. The Sultan of Malindi gave us a small fishing village as a reward."

“I named it Porto Vasco, after my infant son.”

"During this period, I also sent my eldest son Paul to the northern city-state of Mogadishu to explore. Their attitude towards us was not very friendly, so we did not have a deep friendship."

"In the spring of the following year, I left thirty sailors to guard Vasco Harbor, and then left Malindi with the remaining twenty ships, sailing to India with the help of the monsoon."

"Thanks to the help of the Sultan of Malindi, there were no problems along the way. We followed the sea chart and headed east. Everything went smoothly."

Esteban became so excited that he stood up suddenly and bowed deeply to Isaac and Leonor.

"Your Majesty, Queen, on April 1464, 4, I, Estevan from the Vasco da Gama family, finally led my fleet to the port of Calicut in southern India, arriving in the land of gold and spices!"

"Congratulations, Mr. Estevan, but wait, finish your legendary story first. I believe the next story will be equally exciting."

Leonor smiled faintly and clapped.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I'm really too excited. Please let me calm down."

Estevan's face flushed and he couldn't suppress his smile.

Isaac handed him the bottle and Esteban grabbed it, gulping down the drink.

"Your Majesty, when we were in Malindi, we had basically figured out the general situation in India, and drew a general map of the distribution of Indian forces based on the description of the Malindi guide."

Esteban pointed to the densely packed markings on the map.

"Calicut, where we arrived, is located in the southwest of India. It is a rich trading state. There are some similar states around Calicut, such as Cochin in the south."

"These small states all accepted the enthronement of Vijayanagar on the plateau, but that was all, almost equivalent to independence."

"To the north of these small states is Vijayanagar, who also seem to be Christians, but they are heretics."

Isaac smiled casually and said nothing.

Of course, states such as Vijayanagar and Calicut did not believe in Christianity, but were native Hindus. At the beginning of the great voyages of discovery, many early navigators regarded Hinduism as a form of Christianity and hoped to form an alliance with them to jointly deal with the aggressive Muslims.

"To the north of Vijayanagar is an evil Saracen country, the Bahmani Sultanate. They are constantly at war with Vijayanagar, with both sides winning and losing."

"In general, the current war situation is not favorable to Vaishyanagara. The Bahmanis are very arrogant and attack everywhere. Our Christian brothers are unable to resist."

Isaac remembered that Vijayanagar was the last Hindu empire in Indian history. They were defeated by the Bahmanis decades ago, lost many trading ports including Goa, and were forced to sign a series of unequal treaties. The people were in dire straits.

Of course, this was a period when Vijayanagar’s national strength was recovering. The empire’s fortunes were far from exhausted, and its heyday had not yet arrived.

"Your Majesty, in accordance with your orders, we did not alert the ruler of Vijayanagar, but only held talks with the Zamorin of Calicut and handed over your letter to him."

Esteban thought for a moment and continued.

"However, the Zamorin didn't seem to be too impressed with us, and he wasn't as shocked or excited as we had imagined when he saw our huge fleet."

"According to him, thirty years ago, a larger fleet came from the East. They claimed to be an envoy from the Celestial Empire, claiming to be from a powerful dynasty, the Ming."

"According to him, the Calicut Zamorin not only accepted the title from Vijayanagar, but also from the Ming Dynasty. Their captain was a very nice man and left a deep impression on the then young current Zamorin."

"Later, the captain of the Ming Dynasty died in Calicut, and a group of people who claimed to be survivors of the Ming Dynasty erected a monument for him."

"That group of people told me that the captain's name during the Ming Dynasty was Zheng He."

After listening to this, Isaac was silent for a while, then looked at Estevan.

"I know, what next?"

"Then? Zamorin told us that the Ming Dynasty was more like a true friendly country than us. The gifts they gave were much more generous than ours, and they seemed to be asking for nothing in return. They were very civilized and did not mention war and trade right away like we did."

"I told him that our fleet may not be as large as that of the Ming Dynasty, but we have strong ships and powerful guns. Whether he accepts it or not, we are here after all."

Estevan chuckled.

"The next day, we went to the nearby sea and captured an Arab pirate who had troubled Zamorin for a long time. We threw his head to Zamorin, and he began to take our presence seriously."

"Then he wrote you a reply and allowed us to engage in the spice trade, but without tax exemption privileges. We had to pay taxes like the Arabs."

Estevan shrugged.

"He seems to want to use our power to suppress the trade monopoly of Arab merchants. He has been hesitant and inconsistent."

"I followed your instructions and did not delay in Calicut. After drawing a sea chart and collecting information, I loaded the ship with spices and left immediately."

"After that, we visited Cochin and Venad in the south, and sent a squadron to find the island of Ceylon mentioned by the Indians, and reached this kind of equal trade agreement with the monarchs of these places."

"Last autumn, we followed the guide's instructions and sailed out to sea in the monsoon and returned. We also had a smooth journey. This time, we did not go through the Mozambique Channel, but went straight to the South African waters from the outside of Madagascar."

"However, because the ships were overloaded, we lost several more ships at Cape Storm, and then we headed north and arrived at the city of Carthage."

"After several years of sailing, more than one-third of the ships were lost, but the wealth brought back far exceeded the sum of all the ships, almost equivalent to your annual fiscal revenue."

Isaac smiled and stood up.

Of course there would be losses in trading with the East Indies. In the original time and space, Da Gama lost two-thirds of his ships on his first voyage to India.

However, although he had helped Esteban avoid so many traps and almost planned the entire sailing route step by step, he did not expect that his losses would still exceed one-third, all of which were lost at Cape Storms and the Mozambique Channel.

In fact, after crossing the Mozambique Channel and arriving in Sofala, the road ahead will no longer be any obstacles. The Arabs have spent thousands of years building a very complete trade system around the Indian Ocean. There is no need to worry about lack of supplies or getting lost.

The trading conditions in the Indian Ocean are very favorable. The twice-yearly monsoons are just right for merchant ships to travel back and forth. As long as the timing is right, the voyage can be very fast.

The Arabs' maritime trade routes connected almost the entire Old World. After setting sail from the southernmost port of Sofala, unless the luck was particularly bad, the fleet could easily reach any port in Asia and Africa, including China and Japan, along the trade routes.

Zheng He's voyages to the West took the Arab trade route that connected China and Southeast Asia starting from the Tang Dynasty.

This trade route is of extraordinary value. For Isaac now, it is even more valuable than India itself.

"Great voyage, great discovery, Estevan, your name and surname will be remembered forever."

Isaac walked forward, took Esteban's hand, and shook it tightly.

"Your Majesty, you financed the ship, you set the route, and you guided us to avoid storms and whirlpools at sea. If we want to pass it down through the ages, it should be you, not me."

Estevan shook his head modestly.

"Kneel down, and you too, dear Denis."

Isaac let go of Esteban's hand and drew the sword from his waist.

Upon seeing this, the two men hurriedly knelt down, the joy in their eyes almost becoming tangible.

"Estevao da Gama, you have made great contributions to the exploration of India. The empire will never forget your contribution."

Isaac gently placed the sword on Estevan's shoulder.

"In the name of God, I create the Earl of Mombasa, hereditary and uninterrupted, and appoint you Governor-General of India, for life until your death."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Esteban quickly leaned forward and kissed Isaac's ring.

"Dinis Dias, although you did not directly participate in the exploration, you coordinated the planning in the rear and worked diligently for many years. Without your discovery of Cape Storm, there would not be today's fruitful results."

"In the name of God, I hereby confer upon you the title of Count of Comoros, hereditary and uninterrupted, and appoint you Governor-General of Mozambique, to hold the office for life, until your death."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Denis also kisses Isaac's ring.

"However, Your Majesty, I am old after all. I am afraid that I can no longer travel to distant seas. I hope you can revoke the appointment of the Governor of Mozambique and appoint someone else."

"It's okay. You don't have to go in person. Your two sons, Bartolomeu and Diogo, are both rare talents. They have studied in the navigation school for many years. It's time for them to take over the helm of your ship."

Isaac said with a smile.

"You should stay in Carthage to recuperate. The duties of the Governor of Mozambique will be handed over to your subordinates and heirs."

Denis thought about it and nodded gratefully.

"Your Majesty, how are you going to deal with India?"

Estevan asked impatiently.

Isaac's expression gradually became serious. He rolled up the chart and put it in his pocket.

"First, all nautical charts must be kept confidential. All cartographers must declare their loyalty to me and place their families under my supervision."

"Don't worry. When we selected the draftsmen, those who were chosen were all your old subordinates. Their loyalty to you is absolutely guaranteed."

Denis said.

Isaac nodded slightly.

The East India trade route could not be hidden after all, and in another hundred years, more powers would surely be involved in the trade and take a piece of the lucrative pie.

However, the nautical charts that he had spent a lot of money and time to explore must still be kept strictly confidential and should be kept hidden for as long as possible.

At this time, no country had the ability to compete with Isaac for hegemony over the Indian Ocean. The most likely country was the Kingdom of Portugal, which had destroyed itself after the death of Prince Henry and had fallen into a low period in its maritime industry.

In the future, he can use the profits from India to build a larger fleet and recruit more troops, and his first-mover advantage will become more and more obvious.

"Second, I plan to formally establish the East India Company and the Constantinople Stock Exchange, which will be responsible for raising funds for the East India route and selling shares to major merchants."

Isaac looked at the two of them.

"As the first group of explorers, you will automatically receive some shares of the East India Company, which is enough for your family to be rich for generations."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The two of them bowed quickly to express their gratitude, and then looked at each other in confusion.

East India Company? Or was there a West India Company?
"Third, I am going to formally establish an Indian Affairs Office, which will be responsible for managing and coordinating all matters concerning India. You will also serve in it."

Isaac continued.

"Fourth, the West Indies Exploration Fleet will be formally established, based in the Governorate of St. Nicholas, to explore westwards, with Christopher Columbus as the leader."

In fact, the current trade routes are not very good. They are delayed too long in the windless areas of Guinea, wasting a lot of time.

In the original time and space, the Portuguese Indian merchant fleet would not adopt such an inefficient route. After setting sail from Cape Verde, they would directly ride the ocean current to Brazil, and then ride the ocean current to Cape of Storms, thus avoiding the Guinea calm zone to the greatest extent.

In order to fully develop the East India route, the Atlantic circulation must be fully utilized, and the exploration of Brazil is imperative.

Of course, the Atlantic circulation will greatly facilitate trade between Europe, Africa and America, and will inevitably give rise to a bloody triangular trade.

This is the trend of history and it is unstoppable.

"Fifth, I will formally form the Empire's first East India merchant fleet. This time it will be larger in scale, carrying more muskets and cannons, and will be ready to set sail in the early spring of next year."

"Estevan, it is better for you, the Governor-General of India, to be the commander-in-chief of the fleet."

"It is my duty, Your Majesty."

Esteban said loudly, looking at Isaac with fanatic eyes.

“This time we will not only trade, but also strive to build our trade system and reduce our dependence on Arab ports as much as possible.”

"Although Madagascar Island has no commercial value, it can still serve as a good transit base. They are constantly divided internally, so we can try to support a local king, sign a protection agreement with him, and lease the port."

Isaac looked at Estevan.

"Try to take the Comoros Islands and use them as an outpost for our attack on Kilwa."

"I am determined to capture the port of Mombasa, and I will also try to turn Malindi into a vassal state."

"At the same time, you might as well contact the various forces in Kilwa and try to find a prince or senior official who is willing to act as a puppet."

"As for India, Calicut is too strong to be the first choice. You can look to Cochin in the south or Ceylon in the southeast."

"As for other ports, we don't have the spare capacity for the time being, but intelligence work can already be carried out. What I want is to completely accept the Arabs' Indian Ocean trade system, whether they are willing or not. Do you understand?"

"Yes! Your Majesty!"

Estevan shouted.

"Tomorrow morning, I will hold a grand welcome ceremony and a formal enthronement ceremony for you. Since you are willing to serve me, I will naturally not treat my warriors unfairly."

……

On June 1465, 6, Isaac held a grand welcome and investiture ceremony for the exploration fleet returning from the ocean at the Carthaginian palace. He showed the spices brought back from India to the whole world and announced that all the wealth in the Indian Ocean belonged to him. If anyone else touched it without permission, it would be regarded as a declaration of war on the Eastern Roman Empire.

The next day, Isaac announced the establishment of the East India Company and the Constantinople Stock Exchange to raise funds for the East India Fleet.

That afternoon, Isaac secretly met with Giovanni, the president of the Pirate Council, and asked him to immediately lead some pirates to New Thrace and then to the Swahili coast to attack Arab merchant ships and possible exploration fleets of other countries.

At the same time, an urgent decree was sent to various ports along the coast of West Africa, requiring them to strictly control unregistered ships and prohibiting the provision of any supplies to ships from a series of countries including France and Aragon. Once discovered, they were to be persuaded to leave immediately. If persuasion failed, they would immediately notify the Colonial Secretary Earl William.

That evening, Isaac met with envoys from the royal family of Aves of the Kingdom of Portugal and the royal family of Trastamara of the Kingdom of Naples, accepted their conditions, and agreed to allow them to invest in the East India Company and legally own the shares of the East India Company.

According to the agreement, all families holding shares in the East India Company only had the right to dividends, but not the right to operate or manage.

The whole of Europe was boiling, the whole Mediterranean world was boiling, the route to the East was under control, and the road to the land of gold and spices was right under our feet.

(End of this chapter)