Kushi Sharma - Colonialism and Power
European colonization has largely led to the world as we know it. The legacies of colonialism are ever present today. For example, environmental degradation, the spread of disease, ethnic rivalries, systemic racism, cyclical poverty, economic inequity, violence, loss of language, loss of culture, etc, came as direct or indirect results of colonial expansion. Colonizers set out to conquer the known world, seeking God, gold, and glory, and most definitely, power.
The uniting factor between the different instances of colonialism and imperialism throughout history is power. There were two waves of colonialism in recorded history; the first came in the 1400s as part of the Age of Discovery. This was the era of gold, god, and glory, where the desire for power and wealth combined with the discovery of the new world led to the exploitation and genocide of many indigenous peoples. Every country wanted to be more powerful, with more wealth and resources, than the others, and this competition bred imperialism.
The second wave of colonialism came in the 1800s, with what is known today as the Scramble for Africa. Again, in an effort to gain power and influence, European countries divided up Africa arbitrarily, with no care for the indigenous peoples that were there first. These colonial regimes brutally exploited the indigenous peoples of Africa like their predecessors exploited the indigenous peoples of North America.
Colonialism, spurred on by racism, greed, and the constant need for resources and influence, had a devastating effect wherever it spread. And it spread far — 163 out of 225 nations in the world celebrate an Independence Day.
Hi Kushi! I agree with your point that colonialism has affected the world’s power dynamics immensely, and we still see its affects today. European colonization has affected almost every part of the world because of how widespread colonization was. Countries all over the world, such as Egypt, India, and The Bahamas, still celebrate their Independence days as a large part of their cultures, and monuments that tell the story of captivity and freedom are still held in high regard around the world. Colonization is also the reason for the lack of power many countries have today despite how influential they were in history. For instance, during the time India was colonized, Britain stole over $45 trillion from India and have not made any reparations since. The lack of responsibility that colonizing countries take for the negative impacts they have had on the balance of world power is a large reason for why only a few countries control world trade today. Colonization first began as an attempt to spread religion, find glory, and gain power; and the brutal nature of how colonization occurred has utterly ruined some countries and populations as other countries selfishly take the bulk of dominance over the world. Colonization has also led to other negative forms of gaining power, such as racism and sexism, which has allowed only a certain popuation to assert most of the power in the world. Colonization, racism, and sexism are all examples of destructive ways of controlling power that humans have used throughout history.
ReplyDeleteHi Kushi! Your blog topic reminded me of AP Euro from last year, in which we learned about the age of exploration, and the main motivators: "Gold, god, and glory." As a world, we still have not moved on from colonialism. Unfortunate countries still lie impoverished and have their culture continue to be eaten away by the one that was imposed on them. For example, British exploration led to the dissemination of the English language to many countries, including India, and countries within Africa, such as Kenya, or Ghana. While convenient for English-speaking people like us, it comes at the cost of annihilating centuries of history and a cultural and racial uniqueness that cannot be replicated. Countries in the Middle East still face conflict due to religion, land, and economy, all factors perpetrated by the predatory scheme of colonialism. I love your inclusion of a final statistic: that 163 out of 225 nations in the world celebrate Independence Day. It shows how you are incredibly knowledgeable about colonialism and its effects on the world as a whole, as well as just how widespread the effects of colonialism were: that over half of today's nations have justification to celebrate the gaining of independence and freedom from a larger oppressor. While this does signify large improvements when it comes to healing the wounds of the past, it does not in any way mean that the problems have been resolved.
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