The Cartaz (plural cartazes, in Portuguese) was a naval trade
license
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
or pass issued by the
Portuguese empire in the
Indian ocean during the sixteenth century (circa 1502–1750). Its name derives from the Portuguese term 'cartas', meaning letters. The British ''
navicert'' system of 1939–45 shared similarities with it.
Background
The licensing of vessels by the Portuguese was initiated by Prince
Henry the Navigator
''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...
in 1443, with the consent of the king and the Pope, when he decreed a monopoly on navigation in the
west African coast, starting a Portuguese ''
Mare clausum
''Mare clausum'' ( legal Latin meaning "closed sea") is a term used in international law to mention a sea, ocean or other navigable body of water under the jurisdiction of a state that is closed or not accessible to other states. ''Mare clau ...
'' policy in the
Atlantic Ocean. Ships began to be licensed by Portugal, which authorized and supported navigation, in exchange for part of the profits (usually 20%, "the fifth"), encouraging investment in exploration travels by Portuguese and foreigners.
The ''cartazes''
The "cartazes" licensing system was created in 1502 to control and enforce the Portuguese trade monopoly over a wide area in the
Indian Ocean, taking advantage of local commerce: the ''cartaz'' was issued by the Portuguese at a low cost, granting
merchant ships protection against pirates and rival states, which then abounded in these seas. However its main purpose was to ensure that merchants paid the tax in Portuguese trading posts, directing them to the
feitorias in
Goa,
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
and
Ormuz, guaranteeing its monopoly on the
spice trade and other products.
Officially, no vessel was permitted to sail in the Indian coast without this document, risking losing their cargo, being attacked and even sunk by the Portuguese - mainly Muslim, Hindu and Malay
merchant ships. Every year, during the
monsoon, Portuguese fleets patrolled the coasts requiring this document. Later, as Portuguese lost influence, the issue of ''cartazes'' become in itself an important source of income for the crown.
Trivia
The ''cartaz'' system eventually introduced a new word, ''kadalaas'' (
കടലാസ്) to the
Malayalam language of
Kerala which is still used to denote any kind of paper.
["The Infamous Portuguese Cartaz", http://historicalleys.blogspot.sg/2012/05/infamous-portuguese-cartaz.html ] The same applies to the
Thai word ''krà.dàːt'' (
กระดาษ).
References
{{reflist, 2
History of international trade
Licenses
Economic history of Portugal
Portuguese Empire
16th century in Portugal
16th century in Asia
Foreign trade of Portugal