cartaz system

The cartaz system was a Portuguese naval permit system that forced ships trading in the Indian Ocean to buy a pass from Portuguese authorities.

• A cartaz was a written pass stating that a ship had permission to sail and trade. Portuguese officials could check ships at sea or at ports.
• Ships that did not carry a cartaz could be stopped, robbed, captured, or destroyed. This made local Indian, Arab, and other Asian merchants dependent on Portuguese approval.
• The system gave Portugal control over important sea routes, especially those carrying valuable goods such as pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and other spices.
• For example, a merchant ship travelling from the Malabar Coast to the Red Sea might have to pay the Portuguese for a pass even though the Portuguese did not own the ship or produce its goods.
• This was more than ordinary trade: it was a way of using armed naval power to collect money and limit competitors. It helped Portugal build a trading monopoly without controlling most of India’s land.
• The cartaz system shows how European colonial powers often used control of the seas to influence trade, wealth, and politics in Asia.