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There is no exact definition of imperialism in particular. Usually, this word is confused with colonialism. However, the two words are frequently related to European expansionism except that imperialism is far reaching to the Ottoman and Chinese histories. Certainly, imperialism was a way of life to ancient societies such as Persian and Greek, Aztec and Mayan among others.
Imperialism by definition is the maintenance or creation of unequal cultural and economic relationship between states where one is a subordination of the other. Others define it as the policy that allows a nation to extend its authority or control through establishment of political and economic hegemony through acquisition of other nation’s territorial boundaries (Lenin 14).
Imperialism evolved through a series of stages dating back to the AD era. Before developing into a major kingdom, Europe underwent major transformations over a long period of time.
Meanwhile, Africa was characterized by a constant stream of explorers and outside traders who brought in new religions and ideas. On the other hand, Henry, the then Prince of Portugal, sent ships to West Africa in attempt to explore the area.
He commanded ships to take gold to West Africa in exchange for slaves, and this resulted to the establishment of new colonies especially inside America. Imperialism then took a different phase of industrial revolution where natural resources and raw materials such as diamond and rubber were being transported to Britain. Then followed the era of The Atlantic Slave Trade where horrible injustice was committed against African slaves before they got sold to major kingdoms such as Britain (Lugard 59).
Moreover, the scramble for Africa by colonial masters began, and this led to the Berlin Conference of 1888. However, imperialism was resisted in some African countries like the Zulu in South Africa. Meanwhile, effects of imperialism especially loss of life through slave trade raised a lot of tension amongst African nations.
This was followed by Independence Nationalism that led to the Pan-Africanism movement, which was aimed at bringing all Africans together on the basis of their common heritage. Through World War II, most European countries were weakened and Pan-Africanism gained strength. As such, most African nations gained independence during the 1950s.
However, these nations experienced poor governments and poor economies, which they struggled to stabilize. As this was happening in Africa, Middle East started experiencing imperialism through the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
In the nineteenth century, most independent states such as Egypt were recaptured by the Great Britain. Elsewhere, as India was struggling to gain independence in 1919, troops from Britain wounded and killed almost one thousand five hundred civilians (Lenin 39). What followed from that period was a series of events that led to today’s imperialism.
Despite the brevity of the imperialism era, its impact on the world was immense. The European countries who were the major perpetrators of this concept had their culture and society tremendously influenced by the various colonies they captured. Even after independence of most colonies, the interaction process between the colonized and the colonizers continued.
Consequently, massive migration from the colonies into Europe occurred, and this was a key factor to the emergence of Europe’s multicultural societies. On a similar note, the culture of Europe was copied to the colonized nations. For instance, European sports such as soccer and cricket are adapted in most countries around Africa, the Pacific, and Asia.
This idea is further evidenced by the manner in which countries around these regions speak French and English. Besides, the imperialism legacy developed in different spheres of such colonies. This includes metropolitan economic ties, communication networks, and economic structures that have undoubtedly shaped the contemporary society.
Surprisingly, the imperialism legacy has far reaching effects not only in the past, but also in the foreseeable future. Take for example the world’s fluctuations on market that greatly depend on Europe’s economy, which has become so hard to remove, and hence, enhancing this idea of dependency (Lugard 22).
Accordingly, imperialism related legacy extends to religious systems in the colonized countries. Not only did campaigns by Christian missionaries convert individuals, but also they left behind a series of Christian states such as Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria in Africa.
They also left behind Catholicism in South Asia and Latin America. Moreover, modernization resulted from imperialism. This resulted to descent cities, the emergence of the money economy, ownership of private land, modern medicine, cash crop farming, and modern technologies among others. Besides, some of the legacy include infrastructure.
Evidence exists that some British built road network and water projects in India, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Pakistan are present up to date. In addition, the British employed the divide and rule strategy that led to ethnic divisions present in our society. For example, they preferred the Hausa and Tutsi communities in Nigeria and Rwanda respectively.
They also preferred the Kikuyu in Kenya and the resettled slaves in Liberia. Also, they placed borders illogically, and this led to ethnic conflicts such as those seen in Kashmir, Palestine/Israel, Spanish Sahara/Moroccan Sahara, Biafra war, and West/Eastern Pakistan.
Works Cited
Lenin, Vladimir. Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism. Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1947.
Lugard, Frederick. The Dual Mandate in British Tropical Africa. Edinburgh and London: Blackwood and Sons, 1922.
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