Lalji's Blog: Then & now : Colonialism,imperialism and Potcolonialism

Hello Reader !

Welcome to my blog.

Here I want to Share my view on following topics. So let's start our journey of learning together...

Colonialism:-

1) What is Colonialism ?:-

Colonialism is the practice of establishing territorial dominion over a colony by an outside political power characterized by exploitation, expansion, and maintenance of that territory. The indigenous people suffer in the hands of the colonizer where they are subjected to hard labor and restriction in trading.

2) The Origin of Colonialism:-

Colonialism was a borrowed term to differentiate it from other types of expansionism. The word “colony” is borrowed from the Latin word colonia which means “a place for agriculture.” From the eleventh to eighteen centuries, the Vietnamese people founded colonies outside their place which they later absorbed through a process called namtien.

3) Ancient and Modern Colonialism:-

The ancient type of colonialism gave birth to the modern colonialism which came into effect during the “Age of Discovery” where the Spain and Portugal discovered the South and Central Americas during their sea traveling. They established trading centers and amassed the surrounding areas as a way of expanding their control. This establishment of colonies away from their home continent differentiated other forms of expansionism from colonialism. Subsequently, during the 17th century other nations were motivated to move overseas to establish their rule. France created the French colonial empire, Britain formed British empire, and Germany established Dutch empire.

4) Types of Colonialism :-

# Settler colonialism,

# Exploitation colonialism, and

# Surrogate colonialism.

5) Effects of Colonialism:-

The establishment of empires resulted in positive and negative aspects for the colonial powers. Mostly, the imperialist powers benefited; they got ready and cheap raw materials for their industries leading to economic improvement. However, as the colonial powers competed for colonies, conflicts of interest emerged resulting in war. Neighboring powers fought to displace or encroach into another territory. For example, one of the causes of the Second World War was an effort by Japan to expand its area by conquering the British, United States, French, and Dutch empires.

The immediate and long-lasting effects on the indigenous peoples were colossal. Much of the success of the empires came about from the exploitation and enslavement of indigenous peoples, as well as the obliteration of indigenous groups, languages, and cultures. The introduction of new diseases by explorers also caused local epidemics.

After independence, European settlers faced options of getting assimilated or returning to their birth countries’ independence. Many chose the latter and led to establishment of bodies that helped in cooperation between the former colonies and their colonizers, for example, Commonwealth of Nations by Britain.

Imperialism:-

Imperialism, state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas. Because it always involves the use of power, whether military force or some subtler form, imperialism has often been considered morally reprehensible, and the term is frequently employed in international propaganda to denounce and discredit an opponent’s foreign policy.

1) The Age of Imperialism:-

The Age of Imperialism spanned between the years 1500 and 1914. During the early 15th to the late 17th centuries, European powers such as England, Spain, France, Portugal, and Holland acquired vast colonial empires. During this period of “Old Imperialism” the European nations explored the New World seeking trade routes to the Far East and—often violently—establishing settlements in North and South America as well as in Southeast Asia. It was during this period that some of imperialism’s worst human atrocities took place. During the Spanish Conquistadors’ conquest of Central and South America in the 16th century, an estimated eight million indigenous people died in the era of imperialism’s first large-scale act of genocide.

2) Key Take away:-

Imperialism is the expansion of a nation’s authority over other nations through the acquisition of land or the imposition of economic and political domination.
The Age of Imperialism is typified by the colonization of the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries, as well as the expansion of the United States, Japan, and the European powers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Throughout history, many indigenous societies and cultures have been destroyed by imperialistic expansion.

3) The Age of New Imperialism:-

While the European empires established footholds on the coasts of Africa and China, their influence over local leaders was limited. Not until the “Age of New Imperialism” that started in the 1870s did the European states establish their vast empires mainly in Africa, but also in Asia and the Middle East.

4) Examples of Modern Imperialism:-

No longer focused strictly on securing new trading opportunities, modern imperialism involves the expansion of corporate presence and the spreading of the dominant nation’s political ideology in a process sometimes pejoratively called “nation-building” or specifically in the case of the United States, “Americanization.”

5) Some Theory's:-

# Conservative Economic Theory

# Liberal Economic Theory

# Marxist-Leninist Economic Theory

# Political Theory

# The Warrior Class Theory

Post-colonialism:-

Post colonialism, the historical period or state of affairs representing the aftermath of Western colonialism; the term can also be used to describe the concurrent project to reclaim and rethink the history and agency of people subordinated under various forms of imperialism. Post-colonialism signals a possible future of overcoming colonialism, yet new forms of domination or subordination can come in the wake of such changes, including new forms of global empire. Post-colonialism should not be confused with the claim that the world we live in now is actually devoid of colonialism.

1) What Is Post-Colonialism?:-

In many works of literature, specifically those coming out of Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent, we meet characters who are struggling with their identities in the wake of colonization, or the establishment of colonies in another nation. For example, the British had a colonial presence in India from the 1700s until India gained its independence in 1947. As you can imagine, the people of India, as well as the characters in Indian novels, must deal with the economic, political, and emotional effects that the British brought and left behind. This is true for literature that comes out of any colonized nation. In many cases, the literature stemming from these events is both emotional and political.

The post-colonial theorist enters these texts through a specific critical lens, or a specific way of reading a text. That critical lens, post-colonial theory or post-colonialism, asks the reader to analyze and explain the effects that colonization and imperialism, or the extension of power into other nations, have on people and nations.

2) Effects of Colonization:-

As mentioned, post-colonialism asks the reader to enter a text through the post-colonial lens. The chart will help you see how to approach a post-colonial reading of a text. As a reader, you would look for the effects of colonialism and how they are addressed through the plot, setting, and characters' actions.