Cartaz
The Cartaz (plural cartazes, in Portuguese) was a naval trade
Indian ocean during the sixteenth century (circa 1502–1750). Its name derives from the Portuguese term 'cartas', meaning letters. The British navicert system of 1939–45 shared similarities with it.[1]
Background
The licensing of vessels by the Portuguese was initiated by Prince
Henry the Navigator in 1443,[2] with the consent of the king and the Pope, when he decreed a monopoly on navigation in the west African coast, starting a Portuguese Mare clausum policy in the Atlantic Ocean. Ships began to be licensed by Portugal, which authorized and supported navigation, in exchange for part of the profits (usually 20%, "the fifth"), encouraging investment in exploration travels by Portuguese and foreigners.[3]
The cartazes
The "cartazes" licensing system was created in 1502 to control and enforce the Portuguese trade monopoly over a wide area in the
Ormuz, guaranteeing its monopoly on the spice trade
and other products.
Officially, no vessel was permitted to sail in the Indian coast without this document, risking losing their cargo, being attacked and even sunk by the Portuguese - mainly Muslim, Hindu and Malay
merchant ships. Every year, during the monsoon, Portuguese fleets patrolled the coasts requiring this document.[4]
Later, as Portuguese lost influence, the issue of cartazes become in itself an important source of income for the crown.
Trivia
The cartaz system eventually introduced a new word, kadalaas (കടലാസ്) to the Malayalam language of Kerala which is still used to denote any kind of paper. [5] The same applies to the Thai word krà.dàːt (กระดาษ).
References
- ISBN 978-0-394-44102-3.
- Prince Pedro, Henry's brother, granted him the monopoly of navigation, war and trade in the lands south of Cape Bojador. Later this law would be enforced by the Bulls Dum Diversas (1452) and Romanus Pontifex(1455)
- ISBN 0-415-23980-X, p.24-25, 30.
- ISBN 0-8166-0782-6
- ^ "The Infamous Portuguese Cartaz", http://historicalleys.blogspot.sg/2012/05/infamous-portuguese-cartaz.html