The question is: Why did merchants want to find a new way to get Asian goods? and here is the paragraph provided to help find the In 1271, Marco Polo began a trek from Europe across Asia to China. His book about Chinese culture inspired Europeans to explore. The Middle Ages was the period from the fall of the western Roman Empire through the 1400s. Europeans at this time knew little about other parts of the world. Cru- sades, or Christian holy wars against Muslims, brought Europeans into contact with people of eastern lands. Trade increased as a result. Goods traveled to Europe from the Middle East through Italian cities. These cities became centers of the growing East-West trade. Italian merchants became wealthy. During the 1400s, political changes in Asia made Asian goods harder to get and more expensive. Merchants could earn huge profits if they could find a way to get Asian goods without going through Arab and Italian cities. Meanwhile, strong monarchs came to power in Spain, Portugal, England, and France. They wanted to expand trade to increase their country’s wealth and power. Advances in technology aided European exploration. Technology is the use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. Mapmakers learned to make more accurate maps. An instrument called an astrolabe measured the position of the stars. The astrolabe along with an improved compass helped sailors navigate. Advances in ship design, including a new stern rudder and triangular sails, allowed ships to sail into the wind. A new type of ship, the caravel, could sail faster and carry more cargo.