AHC: Americas colonized later

Don't forget that Portugal in these scenarios, discovers Brazil after she has set up shop in the Indian Ocean. As far as the Europeans were concerned, the big money was there, not someplace unknown to the West.
But Portugal dominating Asian trade without the counterweight of Spanish America will change European attitudes heavily. Everyone will try and see if another route is available to snatch monopoly out of Lisbon's control, especially France and Spain. This may be delayed by Columbus' failure, but only for some decades. While I like the idea of an alt-Columbian Exchange around 1600, I hardly see it happening with 1492-ish PoD.
OTOH, the Portuguese OTL discovered Brazil because Columbus had made them think that something might have been out there. Otherwise, Cabral had no reason not to sail closer to the African coast, and even more so whoever followed his steps. Once the route to India is firmly secured, this may be even more likely.
Note also, Portugal would never have the manpower to engage into the kind of massive Empire building Spain did. Portuguese forces in Indonesia, for instance, were always painstakingly thinly stretched even in best times.
 
Actually, if the Spanish did not colonize America and did not try to explore South East Asia, the Bruneian(Bolkiah) power hegemony in Eastern Maritime South East Asia will continue for a longer time, that is unless the people of Mayi try to rebel and evict the Bolkiahs and Palawan reverts to Sulu, I think in 17th century the Bruneian(Bolkiah) power will reach it's height of power and glory, I really doubt it that Portuguese would defeat them either once they see them that is unless the Bolkiahs have not set aside their differences and their rivalry to each other like in OTL, another thing is that the Muscovites might expand to the Icy Siberia even if the Western Europeans don't discover Americas and in the end the Muscovites discover OTL Americas.
 
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