Europeans sought valuable goods found in Asia like spices and silk. The Portuguese were the first to establish trade routes to Asia by sailing around the southern tip of Africa and into the Indian Ocean in the late 15th century. Initially, Europeans respected Asian cultures and saw them as equals in business dealings, so colonization was minimal. The goal of exploring Asia was to profit from trade, with European powers allowed to create trading companies that employed local people. This increased wealth in Asia but also created tensions over time as Asian merchants grew reliant on European powers.

1. THE ROUTE TO ASIA

2. WHAT WERE PEOPLE LOOKING
FOR IN TRADE?
 Most of this was found in Asia!

3. THE PORTUGUESE
 1488 - Bartholomeu Dias – sailed from Portugal
around the southern tip of Africa and entered the
Indian Ocean.
 1498 - Vasco da Gama
 First to sail around Africa to India (27,000 mi)
Vasco da Gama

4. EUROPE’S VIEW OF ASIA
 Europeans respected Asian cultures.
Many of these cultures were as old, if not
older, than the European powers.
 Many technological innovations Europe
had recently gotten came from Asia.

6. THIS LED TO….
 Europe considered Asian cultures as
equals in business dealings.
 Very little colonization took place initially.

7. THE GOAL….
 The goal in Asian exploration was to make
everyone lots of money.
 European countries were allowed to create
businesses and employ natives. Famous
examples: Dutch East India Company

8. THE IMPACT….
 Asian merchants
became very
wealthy.
 BUT they owed this
wealth to powerful
Europeans, instead
of the rulers of their
countries.
 This created
problems over time.

9. AND IN CLOSING….
 Christianity, the
predominant
European
religion, flourished in
many countries.
 Christian missionaries
started schools
teaching the natives.
 Some natives began
to doubt all Europeans
and worried they were
losing power.