The British had many policies used to administer to its Empire. One of these policies was the use of monopolies. This was a cheap and easy way for European monarchs to make money. They simply granted permission to explorers to claim lands for them, and then authorized companies to exploit natural resources and control trade in the region, while paying a fixed price to the monarch. Examples of such companies were in India, called the East India Company, and the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada. Eventually problems did arise, as explorers and companies grew greedy, and often did not look after the Indigenous peoples of the land. When rebellions and revolts began, it was the British government who had to take matters into their hands, as company resources dwindled quickly due to long expensive military campaigns. The British also had many superior weapons and a strong Navy, one of the best in the world at that time. Using these, they fostered a policy of “gunboat diplomacy”. This technique was intimidation at its most frightening- using the threat of war to force colonies or nations into following British demands. Gunboat diplomacy was highly visible in China during the Opium Wars. At times, to protect their important colonies, the British found themselves taking over other lands and creating colonies for no reason other than to protect their existing important colonies, India being an example of this. Egypt was captured for no reason at all then to control the route from Britain to India.