The European desire to discover India was primarily driven by various economic, religious, and geopolitical factors during the Age of Exploration, also known as the Age of Discovery, which spanned from the 15th to the 17th century. Here are some key reasons why Europeans wanted to discover and explore India:
Trade Routes: India was renowned for its wealth, exotic spices, textiles, and other valuable goods. Europeans sought to establish direct trade routes with India to bypass the costly and monopolistic trade routes controlled by Arab and Venetian merchants.
Profit and Economic Opportunities: The potential for lucrative trade with India was a major incentive for European explorers. The spice trade, in particular, was highly profitable, and obtaining direct access to Indian spices such as pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg was a driving force behind European exploration.
Religious Zeal: European powers, particularly Portugal and Spain, were motivated by religious zeal to spread Christianity to distant lands. They saw the exploration and colonization of India as an opportunity to convert the local populations to Christianity and expand the influence of the Catholic Church.
Geopolitical Competition: European nations were engaged in intense competition for global dominance and colonial territories. The discovery and colonization of India provided a strategic advantage in this geopolitical rivalry, allowing European powers to establish footholds in the lucrative Asian trade networks.
Technological Advancements: The Age of Exploration coincided with advancements in navigation technology, such as improved ship design, navigational instruments like the astrolabe and compass, and the development of more accurate maps. These technological advancements made long-distance voyages to India and other distant lands more feasible and less risky.
Intellectual Curiosity: Explorers and scholars were driven by intellectual curiosity and a desire to expand the known boundaries of the world. The Renaissance spirit of inquiry and discovery fuelled European exploration and spurred voyages of discovery to explore new lands, including India.
Overall, the European desire to discover India was a complex interplay of economic, religious, geopolitical, and technological factors that ultimately shaped the course of world history, leading to the establishment of European colonial empires in India and other parts of the world