INTRODUCTION:

Colonialism and nationalism consist of linked sets of diverse projects that construct colonies, nations,
and the relations among them. Colonies are territories that are commanded and/or settled by foreign
powers. The nations that fill the world today are imagined communities that emerged from and/or were
shaped by the colonial empires that dissolved in the years following the Second World War. A handful
were imperial powers that commanded or settled other territories. Most are former colonies that have
now attained independence.

NATIONALISM:

Nationalism is an ideology by people who believe their nation is superior to all others. This sense of
superiority often has its roots in a shared ethnicity.  

In other situations, nationalism is built around a shared language, religion, culture, or set of social values.
The nation emphasizes shared symbols, folklore, and mythology. Shared music, literature, and sports
may further strengthen nationalism.

Nationalism is basically a European concept. It is wholly a European export to the rest of the world. Most
of the historians agree that nationalism is of modem origin. Yet many of them have tried to detect it in
old times. Their concern with nationalism motivates them to detect it in the old civilization of yore. A
strong attachment to the soil where one is born and brought up, to local traditions and to established
territorial authority had been prevalent throughout history in varying strength.

The History of Nationalism

Nationalism didn't arise until the 17th century. Before that, people focused on their local town,
kingdom, or even religion. The nation-state began in 1658 with the Treaty of Westphalia. It ended the 30
Years' War between the Holy Roman Empire and various German groups.

Industrialization and capitalism strengthened the need for a self-governing nation to protect business
rights, and merchants partnered with national governments to help them beat foreign competitors.

The government supported this mercantilism because the merchants paid them in gold. The steam-
powered printing press helped enable nations to promote unity within and prejudice against outsiders.

In the late 18th century, the American and French revolutions formalized large nations that were free of
a monarchy. They ruled by democracy and endorsed capitalism. In 1871, Otto von Bismarck created the
nation of Germany from different tribes. By the 20th century, the North American and European
continents were governed by sovereign nations.

Nationalism is a doctrine which provides a rationale for a group of people to enjoy a government
exclusively of their own and exercise full sovereign rights. It presupposes that mankind is divided into
national compartments, each of which can be distinguished by certain common characteristics.
Patriotism, based on natural attachments to native soil, had always existed in one form or the other
from time immemorial. Feeling of personal identification with some political entity too has been known
to humanity.

Colonialism

Colonialism is the practice of one country taking full or partial political control of another country and
occupying it with settlers for purposes of profiting from its resources and economy. Since both practices
involve the political and economic control of a dominant country over a vulnerable territory, colonialism
can be hard to distinguish from imperialism. From ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century,
powerful countries openly scrambled to expand their influence through colonialism. By the outbreak of
World War I in 1914, European powers had colonized countries on virtually every continent. While
colonialism is no longer so aggressively practiced, there is evidence that it remains a force in today’s
world.

Colonialism Definition

In essence, colonialism is an act of political and economic domination involving the control of a country
and its people by settlers from a foreign power. In most cases, the goal of the colonizing countries is to
profit by exploiting the human and economic resources of the countries they colonized. In the process,
the colonizers—sometimes forcibly—attempt to impose their religion, language, cultural, and political
practices on the indigenous population.

History

The practice of colonialism dates to around 1550 BCE when Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt,
and Phoenicia began extending their control into adjacent and non-contiguous territories. Using their superior
military power, these ancient civilizations established colonies that made use of the skills and resources of the
people they conquered to further expand their empires.

The first phase of modern colonialism began in the 15th century during the Age of Exploration. Looking for new
trading routes and civilizations beyond Europe, Portuguese explorers conquered the North African territory of
Ceuta in 1419, creating an empire that would endure until 1999 as the longest-lived of the modern European
colonial empires.

After Portugal further grew its empire by colonizing the populated central Atlantic islands of Madeira and Cape
Verde, its arch-rival Spain decided to try its hand at exploration. In 1492, Spanish explorer Christopher
Columbus sailed searching for a western sea route to China and India. Instead, he landed in the Bahamas,
marking the beginning of Spanish colonialism. Now battling each other for new territories to exploit, Spain and
Portugal went on to colonize and control indigenous lands in the Americas, India, Africa, and Asia.

Causes of Colonialism
 Discovery of New Lands And Trade Routes
 Economic Consideration: The countries like England, France, Spain and Portugal established their colonies
primarily for the economic benefits.
 Mercantilism: The policy of Mercantilism was based on the premise that the economic development of the
mother country (Metropolis) was most important and the colonies should be governed in such a way that they
lead to the benefit of the mother country.
 European Rivalry: The exploration and colonization was started by Spain and Portugal. Gradually, other
countries like France and England also entered the race. Acquiring new colonies became a thing of national
pride. Moreover, due to various economic benefits of colonization, a stage of ‘competitive colonialism’ started
among the European powers.
 To Spread Christianity: During the Age of Discovery; the Catholic Church started a major effort to spread
Christianity in the New World by converting indigenous peoples. As such, the establishment of Christian
missions went simultaneously with the colonizing efforts of European powers such as Spain, France and
Portugal.
 Push Factors: The enclosure movement, taking land out of cultivation and converting it into pastureland for
sheep, was creating a surplus population. Sheep raising, more profitable than traditional agriculture, required
fewer labourers. The new lands in America gave these unemployed a place to work.