Which of the following best explains why the Portuguese expanded into the Indian Ocean? (1 point)

Question

With the Ottoman capture of Constantinople, the Portuguese had to find another route to access the Asian spice trade.

The Portuguese empire wanted to find a route to the Caribbean sugar trade.

The Portuguese heard of the building of the Taj Mahal in the Mughal Empire.

The Portuguese developed superior technology, and the Indian Ocean was an ideal environment to test it out

Answer 1

The statement that best explains why the Portuguese expanded into the Indian Ocean is:

With the Ottoman capture of Constantinople, the Portuguese had to find another route to access the Asian spice trade.

This accurately reflects the historical context in which the Portuguese sought new trade routes to bypass routes controlled by the Ottomans and to access the lucrative spice markets of Asia directly.