Why did columbus refer to the natives of the islands of the Caribbean "Indians"?

Question

Why did columbus refer to the natives of the islands of the Caribbean "Indians"?

Answer 1

He actually thought he landed in India because of the natives dark skin.

Answer 2

Because Christopher Columbus sailed off to find India. When he arrived in the Americas he believed he found India & called the people Indians.

Answer 3

because when they found them, they were in search of a region called "the west indies"

hence the name indians

Answer 4

Because the natives were Indians

They migrated from India across America to the Caribbean

Answer 5

because when he landed the islands he though he had landed in east india as thats what he was trying to find. During that period the europeans were trying to find an all sea route to the east indies, and columbus though he could sail to the west to get to the east as the earth was a sphere but he was wrong. another thing that contrbuted to the thought was that the amerindians had gold trinkets and jewellry and columbus was trying to find cipangoo which marcfo polo wrote about(marco polo wrote that cipango-japan had street and gates made of gold)