What was the main reason the Europeans traveled to Asia?
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Home World History Global Exploration European exploration, exploration of regions of
Earth for scientific, commercial, religious, military, and other purposes by Europeans, beginning about the 4th century bce. The motives that spur human beings to examine their
environment are many. Strong among them are the satisfaction of curiosity, the pursuit of trade, the spread of religion, and the desire for security and political power. At different times and in different places,
different motives are dominant. Sometimes one motive inspires the promoters of discovery, and another motive may inspire the individuals who carry out the search. For a discussion of the society that engaged in these explorations, and their effects on intra-European affairs, see European history. The earliest European empires are discussed in ancient Greek civilization and ancient Rome. The threads of geographical exploration are continuous and, being entwined one with another, are difficult to separate. Three major phases of investigation may nevertheless
be distinguished. The first phase is the exploration of the Old World centred on the Mediterranean Sea, the second is the so-called Age of Discovery, during which, in the search for sea routes to Cathay (the name by which China was known to
medieval Europe), a New World was found, and the third is the establishment of the political, social, and commercial relationships of the New World to the Old and the elucidation of the major physical features of the continental interiors—in short, the delineation of the modern world. Britannica Quiz European Exploration: Fact or Fiction? Were the French the first Europeans to reach southern Africa? Was Christopher Columbus the first European to see South America? From southern Africa to Jamaica, navigate your way through this quiz of European exploration. The exploration of the Old WorldFrom the time of the earliest recorded history to the beginning of the 15th century, Western knowledge of the world widened from a river valley surrounded by mountains or desert (the views of Babylonia and Egypt) to a Mediterranean world with hinterlands extending from the Sahara to the Gobi Desert and from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean (the view of Greece and Rome). It later expanded again to include the far northern lands beyond the Baltic and another and dazzling civilization in the Far East (the medieval view). The earliest known surviving map, dating probably from the time of Sargon of Akkad (about 2334–2279 bce), shows canals or rivers—perhaps the Tigris and a tributary—and surrounding mountains. The rapid colonization of the shores of the Mediterranean and of the Black Sea by Phoenicia and the Greek city-states in the 1st millennium bce must have been accompanied by the exploration of their hinterlands by countless unknown soldiers and traders. Herodotus prefaces his History (written in the 5th century bce) with a geographical description of the then known world: this introductory material reveals that the coastlines of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea had by then been explored. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now Stories survive of a few men who are credited with bringing new knowledge from distant journeys. Herodotus tells of five young adventurers of the tribe of the Nasamones living on the desert edge of Cyrenaica in North Africa, who journeyed southwest for many months across the desert, reaching a great river flowing from west to east; this presumably was the Niger, although Herodotus thought it to be the Upper Nile. If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.
Required ReadingWhy did European exploration begin to flourish in the 1400s? Two main reasons stand out. First, Europeans of this time had several motives for exploring the
world. Second, advances in knowledge and technology helped to make the Age of Exploration possible. What were the 3 main reasons for European imperialism in Asia?The largest European imperialist countries at this time were Britain, France, and Germany. In the late 1800's, economic, political and religious motives prompted European nations to expand their rule over other regions with the goal to make the empire bigger.
When did Europeans come to Asia?The earliest example of European travels to the Asia goes all the way back to around 515 BC and the famous Greek explorer and writer Scylax of Caryanda. One of his most famous journeys brought him to the river Indus, Indian Sea, Red Sea and finally to the western end of Suez.
What were the 3 main reasons for European exploration?Overview. Historians generally recognize three motives for European exploration and colonization in the New World: God, gold, and glory.
Why did European explorers so desperately want to get to Asia?Finding a Shortcut to Asia
Europeans were desperate to get spices from Asia. Spices were used to preserve foods and keep them from spoiling. Spices, however, were expensive and dangerous to get. Traders had to travel parts of the dangerous Silk Road (a land route from Europe to Asia) to get them.
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