Europeans rationalized their attempts to dominate the peoples they encountered in the Indian Ocean region through a number of methods. These include economic, nationalist/political, exploratory and religious justifications. But these were simply ways to cover up the exploitation of “lesser beings” who were not based in Europe. One of the main justifications for the European presence in the Indian Ocean was due to economic motivations. Highly sophisticated markets allowed the discovery of other products such as ivory, spices, textiles and precious metals. Colonialism is evident in the Indian Ocean region as Europeans exploited not only the land, but also the people, giving rise to the revival of the slave trade. Since the Portuguese did not have the manpower to marshal their available exports, the use of slaves was vital to achieving their economic goals. European navigators also recognized the risk, but understood the reward of participating in the Indian Ocean trade network. The Dutch sent their first expedition in 1595, followed closely by the British. Soon after came annual excursions and the establishment of the Dutch East India Company in 1602. Europeans caused much conflict and unrest in the Indian Ocean region; the initial evil against local nations was part of a larger conspiracy to meet the greed and overwhelming demands of European economies. On a political and national level, there was strong competition between European nations, which resulted in a justification for European presence. in the Indian Ocean. This meant which nation could make the greatest profits while holding large geographic bases. Countries located on the Indian Ocean coast were built for tr...... middle of paper ......y and exposure to the existence of the Indian Ocean trade circuit has provoked a significant colonialist response. Europeans used their comparative advantage in maritime technology and firepower to subject the Indian Ocean to political takeover and exploitation of land, people and pre-established trade networks, in order to achieve the main objective of satisfying the needs and desires of the European economy. . Through the accumulation of gross profits, Europeans became a dominant economic and political force on a global scale. Europeans' greed and desire for wealth was defended by justifying trade economic benefits, political/national competitiveness, exploration, and religion. These justifications were simply intended to legitimize their barbaric and inhumane (colonialist) activities carried out in the Indian Ocean region...