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The Cartaz System: How Portugal Controlled the Indian Ocean
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the cartaz system—a Portuguese maritime licensing scheme that forced every ship in the Indian Ocean to purchase a pass or face seizure. Emerging after Vasco da Gama's arrival, the system turned the Estado da Índia into a naval toll collector. Lucas explains how the cartaz worked: ships had to declare cargo, crew, and destination, pay fees, and sometimes carry Portuguese officials. He details how local rulers like the Zamorin of Calicut and the Sultan of Gujarat resisted, while others like the Sultan of Hormuz accepted it as a necessary evil. The…
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