Portuguese empire fused evangelism and commerce as its defining motive

Evidence

When the Portuguese finally came ashore at Calicut, some astonished Tunisian traders in the crowd asked them what the devil had brought them so far. “Christians and spices,” was the answer allegedly given by da Gama’s men… . This close association between God and Mammon formed the hallmark of the empire founded by the Portuguese in the East, and, for that matter, in Africa and in Brazil as well. — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 540

Categorization

• CANDY: The ‘Christians and spices’ retort is a memorably pithy anecdote for elevator conversation.