Why did European states establish colonies in America but not in South and East Asia?
European powers did eventually conquer and control territories in South and East Asia, only they never established true colonies there. Unlike with the Americas, the peoples of South and East Asia were more technologically advanced, more populous, and weren’t susceptible to the diseases carried by Europeans (as they had also dealt with the same diseases and had the same immunities as the Europeans). As the peoples of the Americas were less socially and technologically developed, and had no previous contact with the Old World diseases introduced by the Europeans, they were easily conquered and subjugated. The peoples and territories were then declared property of the conquering European power. Because so many of the native population was decimated by the Old World diseases, Europeans came to settle in territories which appeared empty, and therefor, colonies were founded and established in these empty territories. Also the territories conquered and controlled by Europeans in Asia weren’t
