What if Sri Vijaya discovers America and starts the columbian exchange and the Galleon trade, how would this effect the history of the Americas, would the Sri Vijaya just trade or try to conquer the New World.
I think that Sri-Vijaya discovering and exploring Americas would start the Columbian Exchange earlier, I think this might be a win-win situation for both Asia and the Americas because the Americas gain immunity earlier...unless if the Asians want to colonize the Americas.You would be talking about a junk trade using the winter monsoon to get as far as Fiji or Samoa and then beating to windward the rest of the way, stopping at every island they could, such as Tahiti, Rangioria, Pitcairn's Island and Rapa Nui to reprovision , possibly finally dipping down to the Westerlies from Rapa Nui to make it the rest of the way to the Mapuche Coast.
It would be too long of a trip to send an armada of conquest, so it would be a trip of trade only. And the Mapuche, the Aymara, the Quechua, the Moche, and later the Mixtec and Zapotec would have plenty to trade the ships from Sri Vijaya before their quick trip back across the Pacific using the Trade Winds. Gold, Silver and Platinum, but also Coca, Alpaca cloth and chili peppers. And balsa wood. And possiblyquinine, as a medication against the dreaded malaria. And rubber, which at some point, some Asian might accidentally discover how to vulcanize. And chewing gum. For which the
Yes, there would be a Columbian exchange. Of diseases for rice, corn and potatoes and sugar cane. And Hinduism would travel across the Pacific. Then Buddhism. Then maybe Islam.
Very interesting TL. And interesting to see who adopts what religion and do they keep it or change when something else comes along.
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What if Sri Vijaya discovers America and starts the columbian exchange and the Galleon trade, how would this effect the history of the Americas, would the Sri Vijaya just trade or try to conquer the New World.
There are a few things that South America would have that Asia would not have and covet. Smelted Platinum for one thing; a metal which like gold neither tarnishes nor corrodes yet unlike gold is harder than iron. And the very habit forming stimulant, coca. Along with a steady enough supply of silver to keep any Chinese dynasty perpetually inflating it's currency.
Difficult to see this happening.
The empire was based on trade and coastal vessels so making the leap across the Pacific is hard to see. Even if they found the richest silver mine in the world they would still need to build ships capable of making the trans-pacific journey and protecting their trade.
Would be interesting to see Sri Vijaya discover America and then the Chinese exploit a la 1420 though. Kind of a Portugal - Spain type of relationship on the American West Coast.