Natives

[Sir Beane]

So can you travel from India and go east to North America?
I might start out as India, take over the subcontinent and china and then act as a trading power.

Actually here is how I might start out,

Ottoman Empire as military, or the British.

India as an Economic Empire/ Sea trading etc.

I'm not sure about sailing east, CA haven't mentioned it. You'll be disappointed if you want to take China, it isn't in the game. As far as we know everything North of India is inaccesible.