Which statement identifies a way that an important component of the Portuguese Empire changed over time? (1 point)
• The slave trade eventually stopped, as it was no longer profitable for Portugal.
• The Portuguese gained territory in Asia by the nineteenth century.
• The Portuguese government attempted to put less of a focus on the social caste system.
• The Portuguese were no longer the strongest military power by the nineteenth century.
• The Portuguese were no longer the strongest military power by the nineteenth century.
By the nineteenth century, the Portuguese Empire had considerably weakened in comparison to its peak during the 15th and 16th centuries when it was a leading maritime power. Other emerging European powers, such as Britain and France, surpassed Portugal in military and colonial dominance. Portugal's empire gradually diminished, and by the nineteenth century, its influence and control were overshadowed by these other empires.