Colonialism
It is a process by which a country
start acquiring full or partial political control over another country and
exploiting it economically.
It was all started from 16th century
on wards.
Jürgen Osterhammel eho has written Colonialism: A Theoretical Overview defines colonialism in three
sentence definition-
Colonialism is a relationship
between an indigenous (or forcibly imported) majority and a minority of foreign
invaders. The fundamental decisions affecting the lives of the colonized people
are made and implemented by the colonial rulers in pursuit of interests that
are often defined in a distant metropolis. Rejecting cultural compromises with
the colonized population, the colonizers are convinced of their own superiority
and their ordained mandate to rule.
Colonialism over 500 years at glimpses-
The countries involed in colonialism
can see by this picture-
Now the question is why all of this
started.
Let us see it pointwise:-
Let us see it pointwise:-
By 16th century European countries started finding new places to have
economical benefits over there by exploiting it's all types resurces.
economical benefits over there by exploiting it's all types resurces.
They need to sell their overproduction products in new markets.
They need to buy larger amounts of raw materials at cheapest price.
They wish to invest surplus of capital in places with cheaper hand labour in order to get larger profits.
It resulted in most developed countries occupied territories especially in Africa and Asia and areas with weak political and economic structures like India. This is known as colonialism.
Countries like Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy later also the United States and Japan were the countries who were engaged in these things.
We can also talk about Europe's civilising mission:
Military
needs to occupy ports, build strategic canals to guard commercial
routes in competition with nations aiming the same.
The
Countries involved in colonialism also give justifications for their
colonisation they mentioned moral or ethical reasonings like Europe’s civilising mission.
They say that due to their technological
supremacy they ought to improve religious, sanitary, educational,
lifestyles, social peace in colonies.
American
Colonisation:-
By 15th century onwards it started when Inca and Aztec
empires were overtook by Spanish people, Aztec by Cortez and Inca by Pizzaro.
After that one by one different European countries
established their colonies in America. They took all wealth of these
civilisation to Europe. Also other invading elements were Firearms, horses,
cunning deception and smallpox. Specially the diseases like small pox, measles,
influenza, typhoid which Europeans brought to America were the main reasons for
exponential wiping out of Native American population just because they didn’t
have immunity for these diseases.
As the Native Americans wiped out so it were the European
settlers who led a revolt against its own rule which was led by Abraham Lincoln
and actually Native Americans opposed it and supported European rule because
they didn’t want to be colonised for ever but it happened and even nowadays Native American are not in main stream in U.S.
Also their population is declined to below 1% of total population.
The impacts of colonialism
The impacts of colonization are immense and prevalent. Various effects, both immediate and protracted,
include the spread of venomous diseases, unequal social relations, exploitation, enslavement, medical
advances, the creation of new institutions, abolitionism, improved infrastructure, and
technological progress. Colonial practices also encourage the spread of
colonist languages, literature and cultural institutions, while endangering or
demolishing those of native peoples. The native cultures of the colonized
peoples can also have a powerful influence on the imperial country.
There is also a result called Renaissance which is called as the cultural movement started at Italy to spread it's culture, art, literature throughout the world and mainly in colonies.
There is also a result called Renaissance which is called as the cultural movement started at Italy to spread it's culture, art, literature throughout the world and mainly in colonies.
We can summarise colonialism as:-
1.Trade
and commerce of both countries got effected colonising country rised and colony weakens.
2.Slaves
and indentured servants are brought from colonies to work at very low wages which effected human resource of
colony.
3.Military innovation took place of
colonising countries.
4.Ending of an empire such as Native Americans
empire.
5.Post-independence population
movement.
6.Impact on health(countering
diseases).
7.Colonial migration also took place.
There are two very good books written by two Indian writers on colonialism of Britain over India-1.Ram Chandra Pradhan 2.Sarbjit Johal
As we know that native American population now in U.S.A. is below 1% and it happend just because of European Colonialism and there is an awsome documentry over American Colonialism. Here is the link of the documentary-
Sources:- Wikipedia, Youtube, Google Images, www.saint-tepes.com, www.deviantart.com, www.annex51.wordpress.com, www.globaldimension.uk.org, www.macmillaneducation.in, www.historasiglo20.org etc.
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