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  Netherlands was part of Holy Roman Empire, later Protestant Northern Province want independence.
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  Portugal controlled spice trade between Europe and Asia.
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  Portuguese seize island of Goa to make a military/commercial base.
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  Portuguese built trading empire with military and merchant outposts in Southeast Asia.
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  Portugal takes island of Malacca under Albuquerque.
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  Within about 50 years Spain had conquered and colonized the Philippines.
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  Magellan claimed the archipelago (Philippines) for Spain.*
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  Mughal Empire started and for 200 years was peaceful, prosperous, and strong. King Affonso writes a complaint letter to King John III of Portugal.
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  Dutch return w/ships from Asia full of spices, leading to an increase in overseas trade.
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  A group of wealthy Dutch merchants formed the Dutch East India Company.
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  Dutch captured Malacca from the Portuguese and opened trade with China.
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  All of the 1700s: Growing power of England and France contributed to the decline of the Dutch Trading Empire in the East.
 Mid-1700s: The British and the French had become locked in bitter struggle for global power.
 Late 1700s: Britain has used it's great wealth to dominate much of India.
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  The Dutch maintained an empire in Indonesia.