Answer:
Trade routes and military advantages
Explanation:
The US wanted to control the island to increase their power through subjugating and controlling those islands and their people.
This is because Hinduism was highly associated with the Caste System which was a social structure which India adhered to prior to its abolition. It states that the higher your caste, the more likely you are to be able to achieve moksha. If you are in a lower caste, it is because you recieved bad karma in your previous life.