Critical Thinking Questions   Map Index       If you'd like to print out this page, click the Print button above. Alternatively, you may click the printer icon on your browser's toolbar, or choose File>Print from the menu.     What reasons would colonial powers have for establishing coastal enclaves in India, as opposed to striving for access or control of areas in the interior? Why would the British prefer to have local rulers control some areas? Were these areas primarily in the interior or were they coastal? Why might this be significant? Find a contemporary map of India and neighboring countries. What two countries now contain much of the Muslim population of colonial India? What is the geographical relationship of Assam to India?