British Empire: The Map Room: Asia

Asia provided one of the first commercial reasons for establishing and maintaining an Imperial presence through the hugely rewarding spice trade. From the sixteenth century, European ships could make fortunes carrying exotic foodstuffs from the Orient back to the cities and peoples of Europe. A combination of European state rivalry and technical expertise over the local populations made the extension of Imperial control possible and commercially desirable. The Dutch, Spanish, French and Portugese all vied with Britain for access to these rich commodities that could often fetch their weight in silver and gold back in the European market.

Over time, increased size and speed of ships reduced the value of these products as supply approached the demand for the spices. However, Asia maintained its commercial viability by the existence of the enormous economic powerhouses of both China and India. Textiles, Tea and Opium would provide economic incentives for trade throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and even up to the twentieth century. Control over the sources of these commodities and naval bases to protect the shipping lanes meant that Imperial control was taken as economically and strategically necessary. Asia was always the most commercially successful area of Imperial endeavour.