COLONIALISM AND IMPERIALISM

Ramya

2230778

Submitted to:

DR. STEFY V JOSEPH

Political Theory (EPS)

Department of International Studies, History and Political Science

School of Social Sciences

September 2022

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Colonialism and Imperialism Definition
The term colonialism refers to the act of a state establishing colonies or settlements in
other locations (in other nations or regions) for political and economic gains. Imperialism is
defined as a nation's policy of influencing other nations or territories through the use of
military force and other forms of power.

Difference between colonialism and Imperialism

Colonialism Imperialism

Colony comes from the Latin Imperialism comes from the Latin word
word Colonus which means ‘to farm’. ‘imperium’ which means to ‘command’

Colonialism occurs when one country Imperialism occurs when one country
physically exerts dominance over another creates an empire and expands its borders
country, usually through a combination of to project its power.
war and diplomacy, to exploit its resources.

Colonialism in the modern sense dates back Imperialism is far older than colonialism
to the 15th century when Europeans began dating back to ancient empires’ history but
to colonize large swathes of Asia and Africa is more commonly associated with the
Roman Empire

In colonialism, people will migrate to the Imperialism is simply the exercise of

new territory, becoming permanent settlers
in the process.
Examples of colonialism are to be found in
the takeover of India, Australia, Southern,
and Central Africa by the British and
Western and North Africa by the French
control over conquered areas, either
directly or through indirect control
mechanisms.
The Scramble for Africa in the 19th
Century and the Chinese domination of
Vietnam from 111 BC to 983AD are
examples of Imperialism

The causes of their rise:

Economic Reasons: By 1870, it was essential for industrialized European countries to
broaden their markets internationally to sell goods that they could not do locally.
Businessmen and bankers had extra money to invest, and despite the risks, international
investments offered the incentive of higher earnings.

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The industrialized nations had to maintain strict control over uncharted territories to
supply themselves with cheap labor and a consistent supply of raw materials like oil,
rubber, and manganese for steel.

Military and political reasons:

Leading European countries likewise believed that colonies were essential to their
militarization, security, and nationalism. Military officials argued that developing a
powerful navy was essential for becoming a major power. Therefore, naval ships required
military installations all over the world to get supplies and coal.

Religious and humanitarian objectives:

A lot of Westerners thought that Europe should educate its underdeveloped neighbors. Per
this theory, non-Whites would benefit from Western culture, particularly its advancements
in law, medicine, and Christianity. The "White Man's Burden" notion was the source of
inspiration for this.

Other reasons:

They did it for the thrill of the adventure. Imperial explorers invariably sought to discover,
map, and claim territory before their imperial competitors, partly for national and
personal glory and partly to serve the imperialist goal of expansion.

Neo imperialism
Neo imperialism is the dominance and occasional hegemony over others through formally
free legal agreements, economic power, and cultural influence.
(https://intpolicydigest.org/write-for-us/, n.d.) Neo imperialism became a significant topic of
discussion after the end of the cold war. The dominance of some nations over others
through unequal economic exchange conditions is referred to as neo-imperialism. In other
words, neo-imperialism exists when one nation is economically dependent on another
because the weaker nation cannot survive in the modern world without the assistance of
the stronger nation. Unlike earlier forms of imperialism (such as the old empire system),
neo-imperialism is not based on the direct imposition of political power by one society on
another. Instead, neo-imperialism uses the power of money in the modern world to keep
richer countries from stepping outside of the roles that richer countries have defined for
poorer countries. It is the belief in the idea of neo-imperialism, particularly in the sense
that it is merely an updated form of the old imperialistic system, that has caused many
nations to openly dislike and oppose the United States; it is often apparent that the United
States is the leader in developing neo-imperialistic relationships with other nations.
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Recent Examples of Neo Imperialism
1)The Rise of Chinese Neo-Imperialism

Contemporary Chinese imperialism began in 2013 with Xi Jinping's expansionist domestic

and foreign policy, known as the Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative (SREB): a policy of
unprecedented government-sponsored infrastructure development and investment in
Europe, Asia, and Africa, involving more than 70 countries. This comprises the Maritime
Silk Road, referring to sea routes, and the 'Belt', referring to overland corridors to link the
regions of Central and South Asia closely with China, including trade links with Europe.
China's goals are intrinsically political; in the first instance, they are also international.
Internally, the intensive industrial development of the north-western Xinjiang region has
the premise of dispelling the growing Uyghur separatist sentiment to create a more
politically and culturally homogenized China (Dave & Kobayashi, 2018: 268). The BRI
Initiative of China is an example of a new type of Imperialism Eight nations—Djibouti,
Kyrgyzstan, Laos, the Maldives, Mongolia, Montenegro, Pakistan, and Tajikistan—are at
risk of the BRI's Chinese "debt trap." By securing strategic control over ports that may be
developed into military sites that pose a threat to India, the Chinese government has
requested, and in the cases of Djibouti and the Maldives, demanded and obtained. Pakistan
is already acting according to the whims and fancies of China. It is acting like a mere
puppet in the hands of China. China's arrival on the world scene as an imperialist power is
by no means an accomplished fact.

2)Russian hegemony in Ukraine and Greece

The Russian Federation's modern imperialist motives are frequently incorporated into the
notion that Russia is a revisionist power acting on its traditional national security interests.
Ukraine and Greece are undoubtedly very important strategic partners for Moscow. With
the rise of Putin's authoritarian rule, Russia adopted a neo-imperialist and neo-nationalist
foreign policy that was based on the nation's distinct identity, size, history, and self-
perceived sense of exceptionalism. It is "inconceivable that a country of Russia's size,
civilization, and history could simply join the ranks of the medium-sized countries such as
UK and France as a subservient element in the present world order," in the words of
Vladislav Surkov, the father of Putinism. Putin's dictatorship has therefore made it a
priority to revive Russia's political, historical, and sociocultural aspects within the
framework of an integrated, imperialist foreign policy. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
The recent attacks of Russia on Ukraine indicate its imperialistic ideologies.

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Bibliography
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(n.d.). Retrieved from Colonialism%20and%20imperialism%20drishti%20IAS.pdf.

(n.d.). Retrieved from (https://www.fpri.org/article/2019/07/russian-neo-imperialism-in-

ukraine-and-greece/).

An Introduction to Political Theory. (2019). In O. P. Gauba. MACMILLAN.

https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/difference-between-colonialism-and-imperialism/
#:~:text=Colonialism%20is%20where%20one%20country,one%20country%20over
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