Asia had been (and still is) a strategic target for an imperial power. Through sailing expeditions, European forces took control of some Asian territories. As the world’s largest and most populous continent, the region houses over 40 countries, including highly developed Japan, communist China, and oil-rich Saudi Arabia. It gave birth to early civilizations (e.g., Mesopotamia and Indus Valley) and major religions (e.g., Christianity and Islam).
Investing in sailing expeditions - Capitalist engine of European colonialism in early Asia
India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are among the countries that Europe colonized in Asia. Although Janet L. Abu-Lughod's Before European Hegemony (1991) notes that nascent international trade had already occurred between this region and Europe in 1250-1350 AD, indicating pre-existing world economies prior to the latter’s hegemony.
It was a profit-driven capitalist system that drove European imperialism, as well as the Industrial Revolution. Early capitalism in Europe was noted in 1100, involving traders and financiers. Also playing a significant role were Jewish moneylenders from whom merchants received loans or a “business credit” around 1200.