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How did Columbus’s beliefs about Asia shape his actions in the Caribbean?

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Map showing the transatlantic and global routes of major early voyages of discovery and exploration by Spain, Portugal, England, and France during the 15th and 16th centuries. The map traces the journeys of explorers such as Columbus, Cabot, Magellan, da Gama, and others, with labeled paths crossing the Atlantic and encircling Africa and South America, as well as lines of demarcation dividing Spanish and Portuguese exploration zones. — European exploration Map depicting the European exploration of the New World in the 15th and 16th centuries, including the voyages made by Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci, Pedro Álvares Cabral, Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián del Cano, Giovanni da Verrazzano, Jacques Cartier, Sir Francis Drake, and others. The lines of demarcation represent an early division between the territory of Spain (to the west) and Portugal (to the east).

Christopher Columbus’s deeply held, albeit inaccurate, beliefs about the geography of Asia fundamentally dictated his actions and perceptions during his voyages in the Caribbean. Relying on flawed calculations—including a significant underestimation of the Earth's circumference and an overestimation of Asia's eastward reach—Columbus was convinced he was navigating the fringes of the Asian continent.12

These beliefs shaped his behavior in several ways:

Misidentification of Lands: Upon reaching the Caribbean, Columbus consistently interpreted his surroundings through the lens of his expectations. He identified Cuba as the mainland of Cathay and speculated that Hispaniola was either Japan or a source of legendary biblical wealth.234
Search for Riches and Rulers: Driven by the desire to find the court of the Great Khan and establish diplomatic or commercial ties, he spent his time fruitlessly searching for cities and gold, even forcing his crew to swear that Cuba was the Asian mainland.23
Exploration Strategy: His conviction that he was in the "Indies" led him to prioritize finding a passage to the Indian Ocean and the fabled wealth of the East, rather than recognizing he had encountered a previously unknown continent.23

Ultimately, these misconceptions fueled the initial patterns of Spanish colonization, as Columbus sought to claim territories and extract resources based on the false premise that he had successfully reached the Asian periphery.3