A European View of Asian Commerce The various East India companies (British, French, and Dutch) represented the major vehicle for European commerce in Asia during the early modern era. This wall painting, dating from 1778 and titled The East Offering Its Riches to Britannia, hung in the main offices of the British East India Company. (The East Offering Its Riches to Britannia, by Roma Spiridione [d. 1787]/British Library, London, UK/© British Library Board. All Rights Reserved/Bridgeman Images)