As far as I'm concerned the modern era begins with the fall of Byzantium in 1453.
But yes, the selective scowling and tut-tutting is so much after-the-fact nonsense. On those India enterpreneurs; the mid 19th century hard-edged Protestant imperialists were appalled at the earlier generation of East India Company hands, some of whom had converted to Islam and taken wives.
Actually our main debate is when the "early modern" period ends and the "modern" one begins. I think the usually understood delineation is around 1750. Moot point for me because I claim history begins in 1840 and ends in 1876, or if I'm more generous, 1788 to 1930. (Preceded by ancient history and succeeded by political science.) I say this with tongue in cheek, careful to avoid repeating it too often that I start arguing it seriously.
There is, perhaps, a parallel in terms of pioneers of contact with various indigenous peoples. You find an initial wave of Europeans who live among Maori/Aboriginals/whomever, then a much larger wave that denigrates both the indigenous people and those who took up residence and culture with them, though at least views the latter with some sort of patronising curiosity.