Mozambique was not originally a country or a large area, it was just a small island.
The island of Mozambique was the center of maritime trade for Arab merchants in East Africa for hundreds of years. It was not until the arrival of Gama that the island was claimed as Portuguese territory, and then it really became Portuguese territory.
Using Mozambique Island as a supply point, you can cross the Indian Ocean without sailing north along the coastline.
Therefore, this island was of vital importance and the Portuguese built a strong castle.
More than fifty years ago, the Dutch tried to seize the island. After their failure, they tried to open up a colony with a similar function on the east coast of Madagascar. But the Dutch failed. The east coast is full of tropical rain forests, and the indigenous people there have also experienced
Musket artillery.
Mozambique Island, Fort San Sebastian.
This castle has been standing for hundreds of years. With the decline of Portugal, the number of troops stationed in the castle has become smaller and smaller. It is not because of insufficient population, but because of financial constraints and not wanting to raise so many troops.
In fact, in the settlement outside the castle, the mixed descendants of Portuguese immigrants have multiplied to more than 2,000 people.
"Your Majesty the Governor, a Chinese fleet has arrived at the port. They seem to have encountered a storm and want to dock to supply and repair the ships. But they have too many troops and they have the strength to attack the castle!"
"Let's make contact with the Chinese first. We can supply supplies and repair ships, but their troops are not allowed to approach the city!"
Antonio is the current governor of Mozambique, which is definitely a fat job.
Especially after the rise of Oman and the loss of Portugal's colonies in the Arabian Peninsula, Mozambique Island became even more important. All Portuguese merchant ships heading to India and the Far East must be resupplied on Mozambique Island.
The black slaves from all over East Africa were also transported to the island of Mozambique, and then set off en masse to be sold in the Americas.
There is also another income, which can be said to be a source of wealth.
As long as you are a European, no matter which country you come from, you can pay money to the Portuguese royal family. Then, you can obtain a license to own a large estate in Mozambique. Not only is it as simple as the owner of the estate, you can also have a private army, or even own a private army.
Making laws is, to put it bluntly, a small lord.
This kind of license is nominally issued by the Portuguese royal family, but is actually executed by the Governor of Mozambique, who can make a lot of money from it.
…
port, wharf.
The entourage sent by Said pointed to the castle and said to Zhang Ruifeng: "More than a hundred years ago, this was the territory of the Arabs. The damn Portuguese occupied this place with muskets and artillery. One day, the great Iraq
Mam Said can take back this rich and beautiful island!"
"I wish you success." Zhang Ruifeng smiled.
"We will definitely succeed, Chinese friends." the Arab envoy said.
Zhang Ruifeng asked: "Is there any country on the land here?"
The Arab envoy nodded and said: "Yes. In the middle and upper reaches of the Zambezi River, there is the Rozwe Kingdom. In the lower reaches of the Zambezi River, there is the Monomotapa Kingdom. On the north bank of the Zambezi River, there are Malawians.
The tribal alliance formed.”
Zhang Ruifeng asked again: "Are these three forces resisting the Portuguese?"
The Arab envoy said: "The Kingdom of Monomotapa was originally the most powerful. However, it was attacked by the Kingdom of Rozvi and invaded by the Portuguese. Its territory continued to shrink, and now it can only control a few tribes. Malawi
The alliance formed by people has been serving as dogs to the Portuguese. They captured black people everywhere and sold them to the Portuguese as slaves."
The situation in Mozambique became clear instantly.
Two countries, one tribal alliance. The countries in the lower reaches of the Zambezi River are attacked from both sides by the countries in the middle and upper reaches and the Portuguese. The tribal alliance north of the river has been used as a weapon by the Portuguese. It is obvious that the situation is very favorable to Portugal.
"How many Portuguese troops are there in the castle?" Zhang Ruifeng continued to ask.
The Arab envoy said: "There will be no more than three hundred people."
This is the core of Portuguese rule in East Africa, and there are less than 300 defenders. Zhang Ruifeng wants to send troops to defeat it.
Of course, it's definitely not easy to fight.
The castle here is far from comparable to the Malacca Castle.
A slave ship gradually docked, and the undressed black slaves were driven to the dock like livestock. They seemed to be numb, with no expression on their faces, and moved forward like zombies. If they walked a little slowly, they would be bumped into.
A whip.
Cai Yuncheng witnessed this scene and asked the Portuguese man who escorted the slaves. He wrote in his notes that night:
"On the east coast of Africa, there is a vast land called Mozambique. The Portuguese governor lives on the island of Mozambique. He built Fort San Sebastian on the island. The castle is strong and cannot be attacked by force. The island has a good harbor and can be sheltered from wind and waves..."
"Mozambique is rich in gold and ivory, but they were all plundered by the Portuguese."
"The indigenous people here have dark skin. On the north bank of the Zambezi River, there are black indigenous Malawians. The Malawians are warlike and rob people everywhere. All the captives are sold as slaves to the Portuguese. They are called slaves, but they are actually livestock, even livestock.
It's not as good as this. Livestock must be cherished by people. But no one cares about the life and death of black slaves. The European colonists have lost their humanity to this point, and they are almost on par with the Liaodong Tatars..."
The Portuguese rarely captured black slaves themselves; they were too busy hunting for gold and ivory.
Black slaves in Mozambique were basically captured by black people. When powerful tribes attacked small tribes, they could not only plunder supplies, but also sell captives to the Portuguese in exchange for money.
Before being transported to the Americas, black slaves were so cheap that they were picked up almost for free, and it didn't matter if they were killed or starved to death.
Of course, there are also some white people who like to capture black slaves.
They spent money to buy officials and become African lords, and recruited black people as private soldiers. They also used these black troops to capture black natives and bring them back to their manors to work as slaves in the fields.
The income from the plantations alone could not satisfy the greed of the white lords. So in their spare time, the white lords took their black private soldiers and went to nearby small tribes to "hunt". The black natives were their prey, and they burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of evil.
.If there are too many black slaves to use for themselves, they will be sold to the governor at a low price and shipped to the Americas for sale.
This stage was the heyday of white people in Mozambique.
Often a few white people could pay to become lords and own a large estate. The army was all composed of black people, and they constantly attacked and annexed indigenous tribes, allowing their territories to expand rapidly.
Such a feudal system will inevitably leave great hidden dangers.
A hundred years later, these white territories had become states within states. They had their own armies, their own laws, and appointed their own officials. The orders of the Portuguese royal family could not be implemented at all, and no lord was willing to listen to the king.
There were even white lords who married or formed alliances with black tribes.
Often one black and white alliance went to attack another black and white alliance. In the end, the orders of the Portuguese royal family threatened the interests of the lords, and the black and white people united to resist, and the white people actually participated in the colonial independence movement.
As for Mozambique's business network, due to the loss of control under Portuguese rule, it was eventually controlled by Indian businessmen...
On the fourth day after the fleet docked, a large amount of grain and vegetables were delivered to the port and sold to the Chinese.
Zhang Ruifeng inquired about the source of the food and found that it was grown on various estates. The Zambezi River Basin has fertile soil, abundant rainfall, sufficient heat, and very favorable agricultural conditions.
"There is a big river in Mozambique called Zambezi. Both sides of the river are densely populated, all black, and are suitable for farming..."
Along the way, a thick pile of records has been recorded in the small notebooks of civilian personnel.
These are important materials. Even if they do not come to colonize in the future, they will be read by the cabinet ministers. Reading these materials will definitely broaden your horizons and enable you to look at the world.
After resting for two months on Mozambique Island, we finally repaired the boat and moved on.
Perhaps because he had enough money to buy grain and repair the ship, the governor of Mozambique was very happy and signed a letter before leaving. With this letter, the Portuguese colonies throughout Africa would warmly receive the Chinese envoy fleet.
The next journey was accompanied by a Portuguese fleet.
This is a good thing for the Chinese fleet, because the Portuguese are very familiar with the terrifying Cape of Good Hope. They go back and forth through the Cape of Good Hope every year, and the Portuguese have long been experienced drivers.
There were lightning and thunder, strong storms, and complicated waterways. The Chinese and Portuguese fleets passed through the Cape of Good Hope without any danger.
Sailing to the west coast of Africa, several Portuguese merchant ships loaded with black slaves headed for the Americas. The remaining Portuguese merchant ships returned to the Portuguese mainland carrying gold and ivory.
In view of the accompanying voyage and geographical factors, Zhang Ruifeng and Lu Tianxiang decided to visit Portugal first in Europe after discussion.
Lisbon.
King Joao IV of Portugal asked the Minister of State in great surprise: "Is it true that the Chinese envoy is here? Are you still willing to establish diplomatic relations with our country?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Quick, come with me to greet them. All the nobles living in the city must go to the dock to greet the Chinese guests!"
John IV's emphasis on the mission was mainly due to Portugal's poor diplomatic situation.
Just over ten years ago, Portugal was ruled by Spain, and João IV led the restoration of Portugal. The common people at the bottom supported him, the aristocracy opposed him, and the bourgeoisie chose neutrality throughout the process. The Jesuits supported him, and the Inquisition opposed him.
After the restoration of the country, John IV sent many diplomatic envoys.
He was willing to join the French camp and fight against the Spanish camp. The French king refused. You are obviously from the Spanish camp, why did you jump over to help me? No, you can't do this. You must be an enemy of France before I have an excuse to seize it.
Your colony in North Africa!
He hoped to obtain the Pope's approval, but until now, more than ten years later, the Pope refused to receive the Portuguese envoy, and even harbored hatred towards the Jesuits.
He hoped to gain recognition from Britain, and Cromwell agreed, but only if sufficient benefits were given.
For example, Portugal opened up its global colonies and granted tariff preferences to British merchants. Portugal could only lease ships from the United Kingdom, and British missionaries could spread Protestantism in Portugal.
These conditions are so harsh that Portugal has not yet accepted them. It will be accepted in a few years, because Cromwell's fleet sailed directly to the port of Lisbon.
At this moment, no European king has recognized Portugal as an independent country.
The arrival of the Chinese envoy means that China recognizes that Portugal is independent!