Latest / The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History / The Forgotten Treaty of Zaragoza: Spain and Portugal's Pacific Showdown
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the Treaty of Tordesillas — that 1494 line that split the non-Christian world between Spain and Portugal. But there's a sequel that hardly anyone knows about, and it's arguably just as important: the Treaty of Zaragoza, signed in 1529. Luna: Zaragoza? That's in Spain, right? Lucas: Exactly, named after the city where it was negotiated. By the 1520s, both powers were scrambling for the Spice Islands — the Moluccas — and Tordesillas had only divided the Atlantic. Nobody knew where the line fell on the other side of the world. Lucas: The Moluccas were the main source of nutmeg and cloves, which were worth more than gold in Europe. Magellan's crew had actually reached them in 1521, and Spain claimed they fell on their side of the Tordesillas line. Portugal, of course, insisted otherwise. Luna: So they needed a new treaty just for the Pacific. Lucas: Precisely. The Treaty of Zaragoza established a second demarcation line — this time 297.5 leagues east of the Moluccas. Everything west of that line went to Portugal, everything east to Spain. In theory, it settled the dispute. Lucas: But here's where it gets interesting: the treaty included a massive cash payment. Charles V, the Spanish emperor, was deeply in debt — fighting wars in Italy and against the Ottomans. So he agreed to sell his claim to the Moluccas to Portugal for 350,000 ducats. Luna: He essentially pawned the Spice Islands. Lucas: That's exactly what he did. And the Portuguese negotiator, António de Azevedo Coutinho, drove a hard bargain. He knew that Portugal had already established forts and alliances in the region, and that Spain's position was weak without a permanent presence. Lucas: On the Spanish side, the key figure was the cosmographer Alonso de Santa Cruz. He was tasked with figuring out where the Moluccas actually fell relative to the Tordesillas line — but the longitude problem was essentially unsolvable with 16th-century technology. Luna: So they were arguing over an imaginary line they couldn't accurately measure. Lucas: Exactly. Santa Cruz's maps were beautiful but wildly inaccurate. He placed the Moluccas too far east, which actually helped Spain's case on paper — but on the ground, Portugal had the real advantage. Lucas: The treaty had lasting consequences. It kept the Moluccas under Portuguese control until the Dutch took them in the 1600s. And it gave Spain a free hand in the Philippines, which they colonized starting in 1565. So in a way, Zaragoza shaped the modern map of Southeast Asia. Luna: It's like the Pacific version of Tordesillas, but with more cash involved. Lucas: Exactly. And it shows how early modern empires used treaties as tools of realpolitik. The line wasn't about science — it was about power, money, and the ability to enforce claims through trade and forts. Lucas: One fascinating detail: the treaty included a clause that if either side discovered new lands beyond the line, they had to inform the other. But of course, both sides routinely ignored that. Secrecy was the norm. Luna: So the treaty was also a way to manage espionage? Lucas: To some extent. But mostly it was about avoiding open war. Both empires had enough conflicts elsewhere — they didn't want a direct confrontation over a few tiny islands, however valuable. Lucas: The Treaty of Zaragoza remained in force until the 18th century, when the lines became obsolete as other European powers muscled in. But it's a perfect example of how early colonialism was negotiated on paper — often based on incomplete knowledge. Luna: And it reminds me that history isn't just about battles and discoveries. It's also about lawyers and maps. Lucas: Absolutely. And if you've enjoyed these deep dives into the treaties that shaped our world — from Tordesillas to Zaragoza — we want you to know that this show is ad-free because of listeners like you. If you'd like to help keep it that way, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Just a small gesture goes a long way in covering research costs and hosting fees. Luna: Yeah, it's a simple way to help us keep doing these conversations. And we really appreciate it. Lucas: Now, speaking of the Spice Islands — let's talk about what happened next. Portugal's monopoly on nutmeg and cloves didn't last forever. By the early 1600s, the Dutch East India Company, the VOC, was already making moves. Luna: Oh, the VOC — we did an episode on them. They were ruthless. Lucas: Ruthless and efficient. They systematically destroyed Portuguese strongholds in the Moluccas, starting with Ambon in 1605. And by the 1660s, the Dutch controlled the entire nutmeg trade. Lucas: But the Treaty of Zaragoza actually gave Portugal some legal cover. For decades, they argued that the Dutch were violating international law — not that the VOC cared. They had guns and ships, and that was what mattered. Luna: So the treaty was only as strong as the power behind it. Lucas: Exactly. By the 18th century, the treaty was a dead letter. But it left a strange legacy: the Philippines became Spanish, while Indonesia became Dutch via Portugal. And that division still echoes today in language, religion, and culture. Lucas: It's a reminder that lines on a map — even imaginary ones — can shape history for centuries.