COLONIALISM IN ASIA

Backgrounds

• After the Portuguese rounded the Cape of Good Hope on Africa’s southern tip in 1488 and opened sea lanes to the Far East by piracy on ancient trade lines in the Indian Ocean. The European powers strove to acquire Asian trading posts of their own.
• For centuries, the Viennese had controlled the European branch of the Silk Road, reaping enormous profits from the sale of silk, spices, fine china, and precious metals.
• The Viennese monopoly ended with the establishment of European incursions in the sea trade.
• At first, the European powers in Asia were solely interested in trade, but over time they became more interested in acquiring territory.
• Among the nations looking for a piece of the action was Britain.
• Several different Western European powers established colonies in Asia during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
• Each of the imperial powers had its own style of administration, and colonial officers from the different nations also displayed various attitudes towards their imperial subjects.
• After the discovery of sea-route to India in 1498 by Vasco da Gama, the European Countries tried to establish their colonies in India.
• The Portuguese first entered into India and established their colonies in Goa, Daman and Diu.
• After that the Dutch, French and English had their colonies in India.
• At last in the game of power politics, the English became successful and ruled India about two hundred years.