Why Asian Maritime Supremacy Collapsed (14th–17th Centuries)

Between the 14th and 17th centuries, Asia’s dominant maritime trading system collapsed due to internal ideological and political choices—such as Ming China’s isolationism and the Mughal Empire's disdain for commerce—rather than external conquest. These self-imposed restrictions and a lack of institutional adaptability ultimately undermined Asian networks, allowing European powers to seize control of global trade.