DEBOLINA ROY
The Moluccan Wars
The Moluccan Wars started because cloves had a higher market value than gold. So the Portuguese military took action against the sultanates to establish a monopoly over cloves.
The Malabar Wars
In the Malabar Wars, the Portuguese attacked the Zamorin of Calicut to gain control of black pepper. The Zamorin formed alliances with local Muslim and Chinese merchants to build a coalition against the Portuguese.
The Conquest of Ceylon
The Portuguese forcefully attacked Ceylon to get absolute control over the best cinnamon found anywhere in the world. They battled against the native kingdoms to create a monopoly in this very lucrative trade.
The Atlantic Trade Clashes
The Anglo-Spanish War had major disruptions on the shipping in the Atlantic Ocean, making Caribbean ginger a valuable prize. European privateers would raid Spanish ships carrying this lucrative root to northern ports.
The Banda Massacre
The Dutch East India Company massacred many of the native inhabitants. The military operation was undertaken exclusively in order to obtain a monopoly on the production of their valuable nutmeg.