i mean the Usa has more resources the climate there is not very good. I can name plenty of countries Britain should have colonised instead
2007-03-02 02:51:20 · 7 answers · asked by ill knock the shit out of ya s 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
They wanted nice Indian tea!
2007-03-02 02:54:24 · answer #1 · answered by Bridgeridoo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The natural resources they looked for were tea and spices. But colonies also have value as a market for their fine goods, so the population of India was also a reason to colonize.
Another factor is that in those days, expanding your empire was important-it was the time of imperialism. Britain took great pride in having an empire the sun never sets on. They enjoyed having such a great influence on the world.
2007-03-02 02:59:07 · answer #2 · answered by wayfaroutthere 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Spice. It was being traded overland through Asia through endless middlemen, mostly arab/muslim ones. The europeans (the spanish and portuguese initially) thought it would therefore be worth it commercially to have a direct sea route from Europe to India. In those days spices were a highly prized commodity. Simple economics.
Britain was very late on the scene. Columbus was looking for india when he found america in 1492 and Vasco da Gama got to india round the bottom of Africa in 1497/99. The british only got in their boats several decades later, when much of the groundwork had already been laid. (Magellan's voyage around the globe was in about 1520; Francis Drake was doing it in about 1580).
2007-03-02 02:58:23 · answer #3 · answered by Alyosha 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your ignorance is astonishing. Firstly we didn't know that America was there when we were trading with India and certainly had no knowledge of available resources. Secondly, India was and is extremely wealthy. The English did however manage to remove a good deal of the wealth. India was indeed the Jewel in the Crown.
2007-03-02 04:37:58 · answer #4 · answered by LillyB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gosh. There's a sweeping generalisation. 'All European nations?'
To name a few:
Poland
Bosnia Herzagova
Lithuania
Croatia
Lativia
Albania
I don't remember any of the above chasing an Indian ideal... Oh, I see you think Spain, France and England make up 'Europe'.
2007-03-02 02:58:54 · answer #5 · answered by Madam Rosmerta 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
India had spices that they wanted and they didn't know "america" existed so how could they look for it!
2007-03-02 02:59:16 · answer #6 · answered by Greeneyed 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cheap labour!!!
2007-03-02 02:54:35 · answer #7 · answered by zanydumplings 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋