I'm reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. He writes about the European conquest of the rest of the world, beginning around the time of Columbus and accelerating over the next few centuries. He asks what is the difference between the Europeans and other cultures.
Harari relates the story of the Chinese fleet led by Zheng He in the 15th Century. Compared to Columbus' fleet of 120 sailors in three ships, Zheng He commanded 30,000 people in 300 ships. The picture above represents the relative size of the Chinese (huge) to European (tiny) ships. After Zheng He's expedition, the Chinese decided they could use their resources better and dismantled the fleet.
That's something pretty incredible I'd never heard of before.
Harari's answer to the difference between Euro and other explorers: the Europeans' willingness to claim all they find for their king and country.
In other words: Mine! Mine! Mine!
Sad.
!originalworks