Wanderlust World Wanderlust World China (Cathay) produced silk, porcelain, tea, spices, lacquerware—luxuries Europeans coveted. Overland Silk Road was controlled by Ottoman, Persian, Central Asian middlemen who marked up prices enormously. A direct sea route bypassed intermediaries, lowering costs and increasing profits for European merchants and monarchs.
The Catholic Church (especially after Reconquista) sought new souls. China's vast population was a prime target. Papal bulls (e.g., Inter Caetera, 1493) authorized colonization + conversion. Missionaries (Jesuits: Ricci, Xavier) followed trade routes.
Whoever controlled the route to China controlled global trade. Portugal (Vasco da Gama, 1498) and Spain (Magellan, 1519) competed fiercely. Later, Dutch (VOC) and English (EIC) fought for dominance. The route = empire.
Mapping unknown oceans, proving Earth's sphericity, discovering new lands (Americas) were byproducts.
Columbus sailed west for China. He found a continent in between—but the goal was always Cathay.