Complex sentence: The 18th and 19th centuries saw an increase of piracy in the strait as European colonisers arrived in the region, spurred in part by the economic imperative to control the lucrative spice trade.
Split into simpler sentences: The 18th and 19th century saw an increase of piracy in the strait as European colonisers arrived in the region. In part the arrival of European newcomers was spurred by the economic imperative to control the lucrative spice trade.