Early Colonialism and The Road to Colonialism

Portugal Completes its Reconquista, on its way to become Christianity's First Colonial Power

Dec 24, 1249

The Portuguese Capture the Southern Portuguese province of Algarve, forever expelling the Muslim Moors from Portugal and confining the Moors only to Southern Spain.

Beginning of The End of The Spanish Reconquista. From Portugal's Liberation to The Fall of Grenada

Period: Dec 24, 1249 to Jan 2, 1492

With the Moorish states once ruling almost all of Spain at one point (and outright controlling it for a few years only) since the Moorish invasions of 711, Islam was now only confined to far Southern Spain, particularly Cordoba and Grenada

Future Ottomans, Establish their home in Central Anatolia

Dec 24, 1265

Ertuğrul Bey, is given permission by the Sultan of Rum to settle in Anatolia and attack the weak Byzantines within Anatolia. The taking of the town of Sogut in Byzantine territory starts the 'Ottoman-Byzantine wars'

Byzantine-Ottoman Wars

Period: Dec 24, 1265 to Dec 24, 1475

Wars fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Ottomans, which will later be a factor in Europe's bid for colonialism and the fall of the Byzantine Empire, it's associated states and the Roman Empire.

Osman I Becomes First Ottoman Sultan

Jan 17, 1299

Osman I begins his rule after his father, Ertuğrul dies. The Ottoman Empire at this point, although a fledgling state for the meantime, is officially established.

Ottomans Land in Europe, European Powers Shocked

Mar 1, 1354

The Ottomans, under Sultan Orhan invade the Byzantine mainland in Europe, by securing the mouth of the Marmara and Bosporus and outflanking Constantinople. Europe starts to worry about this new Muslim and Europe wide threat.

End of Byzantine Rule in Central Anatolia.

Dec 24, 1390

with a civil war in Byzantium raging and only 64 years left of its now tiny empire, the Ottomans seize the chance to take the Byzantine Empire out of Central Anatolia and get that much closer into Europe and the heart of the empire. By now all that's left of the Byzantine Empire and its related states are as follows: Part of the Peloponnese; Constantinople; Crimea and Trebizond

Colonisation of the Canary Islands, First Movement of Colonisation in Europe

Dec 24, 1402

Spanish Explorers Discover and colonise the Canary islands in 1402, colonising the whole archipelago around 1405. First time a European power has colonised apart of another continent in the age of colonialism (not including the Byzantine Empire or Viking exploration in Greenland and Newfoundland). Although the Portuguese claimed to have discovered the islands in 1346

Conquest of Ceuta, First Movement of Colonialism for Portugal

Aug 21, 1415

With the Portuguese now free from Moorish rule for more than a century, Portugal makes a move on Morocco both for revenge after the reconquista years and to make revenue from the Saharan gold trade. With the Ottoman Empire steadily affecting trade relations in the East, it only made sense to secure trade links and to look outside of Europe, thus a type of colonialism.

Portuguese colonisation of Madeira

Dec 24, 1418

While trying to map more of the Western Maghreb, Portuguese ships are blown off course and instead discover Madeira

Portugal continues into the Maghreb (Tangier)

Dec 24, 1437

With the Securing of Ceuta, the Portuguese would only benefit from the victory and trade routes if they secured more of the Moroccan Maghreb. They launched a campaign into Tangier, which failed. However From this point on Portuguese and later Spanish influence would only increase in the Maghreb.

Fall of Constantinople, Beginning of the Early Modern World

May 29, 1453

Constantinople Finally falls under Mehmed II. This groundbreaking event destroys the central power of the Byzantines for good, sends shock waves throughout Europe of the potential threat of the Ottoman Empire on the entire continent and brings in a new era throughout world history. Now only a part of the Peloponnese, Crime and Trapezus is held in Byzantine/Greek hands.

Fall of The Empire of Trebizond, end of the Old Roman Empire

Apr 15, 1461

The fall of The Empire of Trebizond, at it's capital, named likewise would be the end of the Roman Empire (since the early days of the city state of Rome in 600BC) and it was certainly clear now that Greek/Byzantine power had completely disappeared, except for a pocket in the Crimea

Fall of the Crimea and end of Greek Native Rule

Dec 24, 1475

With the Fall of the Greek run areas of the Crimea, Native Greek rule would not exist until the 1830s and only in Greece. The Ottomans had completely wiped out any Greek/Byzantine resistance by this point

Bartholomew Dias' Navigation of Western and Southern Africa

Oct 10, 1487

Under the King of Portugal's Authority, Dias was the first to try to find the alternative route to Asia to the East, although only got as far as Capetown. However, this meant that he navigated all of the Western half African continent for Portugal and later other European powers to colonise.

Fall of Grenada, End of Muslim Spain, End of The Reconquista

Jan 2, 1492

Spain in turn completes it's liberation against the Moors in Southern Spain. Things meet full circle with the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman's angered at the ousting of the Muslims from Western Europe, boycott Europe in their anti-Western ideology and close off the Silk route going toward the West. As well as Spain and Portugal, this will eventually force all the European powers to consider colonisation, making it not ideal but necessary

Ottomans close off Trade Routes to Europe, Beginning of The End of The Silk Route

Dec 24, 1492

Ottomans Close off the Silk Route to the West, with most of the commerce gone from Europe and the Europeans finding other ways to Asia, the Silk Route slowly declines from this date onward.

Christopher Columbus' Voyages to The New World and Beginning of American Colonisation

Period: Dec 24, 1492 to Dec 25, 1502

Columbus sets out across the Atlantic to 'discover' the Americas (although the Norse got their first almost 5 centuries earlier) His many voyages leads him to discover Cuba and help set up the Spanish colony there

Treaty of Tordesillas Agreed Upon by The Two Superpowers, Spain and Portugal

Sep 5, 1494

The Treaty of Tordesillas at this date, had been ratified by Spain and Portugal. Largely ending their colonial debates and pursue ultimate colonisation of the planet, split in half, between the two in the name of Christendom.

Vasco De Gama's Voyage to India

Period: Dec 24, 1497 to Dec 25, 1499

Vasco De Gama, completes Diaz's route and further to find another route to Asia and India, since the silk Route had been blocked. With Spain largely busy in the Americas and Portugal mainly colonising Western Africa and Asia, the beginnings of colonisation had largely been completed. Colonisation in Europe would only continue to rise here, largely at the expense of the Ottoman Empire.

Aftermath: Colonial Legacy Until The Present Day

Dec 24, 1499

European conversion from small squabbling fiefdoms, to large seafaring empires would largely result in globalisation and some of the biggest events we know of today. From the many colonial powers that would follow in Spain and Portugal's footsteps: England; France; Holland; Japan; Germany and the massive events that would go with them: globalisation; internationalism; industrial rev.; the world wars etc.

Aftermath cont: end of colonialism and remnants of colonialism

Jan 1, 1500

with the anti-colonial sentiment of the cold war from 1945 onwards, colonialism was becoming a dying way of life. The day when Britain and Portugal completely handed over Hong Kong and Macau in 1997 and 1999 respectively, is largely considered the final end to the days of colonialism. However some overseas territories from the old colonial powers still exist, although few and far between and the vast majority were uninhabited or have democratically chosen to stay within their overseeing states.