What was the relationship between the ottoman empire's power and the rise of european exploration? a. the ottoman empire had enough wealth to sponsor scientific research, leading to the discovery of technology that allowed for exploration. b. the ottomans taxed european goods coming through asia, motivating europeans to seek new trade routes by sea to asia. c. the ottoman empire demonstrated the success of colonization, leading europeans to search for colonies of their own. d. the ottoman empire's powerful navy controlled much of the open sea, delaying european exploration for several centuries.