How did illegal smuggling affect

Question

the Portuguese empire?
The Portuguese rulers
profited from it.
It caused a war between
Spain and Portugal.
It caused economic
hardship in the empire.
It led Portugal to expand its
colonies.

Answer 1

Illegal smuggling had significant effects on the Portuguese Empire, and the most fitting option from the list you provided is:

It caused economic hardship in the empire.

While illegal smuggling could provide short-term profits for some individuals or factions, it undermined the official trade systems, reduced tax revenues, and contributed to economic instability. This illicit activity often impoverished legitimate merchants who operated within the law, creating tension and hardships for the economy as a whole.

In some cases, illegal smuggling might have contributed to conflicts with other colonial powers, but the overall impact was more negative in terms of economic consequences for the empire. The other options, such as it profiting rulers, causing a war between Spain and Portugal, or leading to colony expansion, do not accurately reflect the primary outcomes of illegal smuggling on the Portuguese Empire as a whole.