A central theme guiding the practices and policies of early modern global colonial empires was the pursuit of economic gain through exploitation of resources and populations. European powers established colonies primarily to extract raw materials, establish trade routes, and expand their markets. This mercantilist approach treated colonies as economic extensions of the state, often leading to the subjugation of indigenous peoples and cultures. Policies were designed to enrich the mother country at the expense of colonized regions, fueling both wealth and conflict that shaped international relations for centuries.