Age of imperialism

Question

What were the motivating factors for European countries to seek out colonies in Africa and Asia?

Answer 1

For a contemporary (and deeply problematic perspective) check out Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden."

Answer 2

There were many deciding factors that made Europe want to colonize Africa and Asia primarily that being of economic gains and what many saw as the duty of the white man to spread European civilization across the globe.

Economically: Both Asia and Africa provided great opportunities for Europe to enrich themselves especially with the lucrative spice markets as seen in Indonesia and India. But it wasn't just spiced economically as India in particular provided a great stockpile for materials in the textile industry of which Britain especially was to dominate. Also, the tea trade was seen specifically to Britain's interest in colonizing Asia as India could be seen as an ample place to grow the crop and thus break the monopoly China had on it. Africa was seen as economically valuable at first for human cargo but once slavery was sought to be stamped out by Europe, Africa wasn't very lucrative to really expand into mainly just the coastlines were colonized to provide quick trading with things such as gold and ivory. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution was fully underway that that increased demand for more and more supplies of mineral and natural resources found in Africa began to turn Europeans to conquering the entire interior.

Culturally: if Economics was one aspect then spreading white-European civilization was the other. Europe saw the East and Africa as being fundamentally backward and societies in decline under the oppression of traditionalism. It was then seen as Europe's duty to 'liberate' the peoples of 'stagnant' Africa and Asia and bring them into the light which was seen as under the realm of European rule.