What International Events And Domestic Changes Prompted England To Begin Colonization?

The Colonization of Africa: During the 19th-20th centuries, the African continent was colonized mainly past European powers similar Uk, France, Spain, Portugal, and Russia.

What was colonization?

Colonialization is the action by which a foreign power occupies another state, and then exploit the economical resources of the occupied state for benefit of their native state (foreign country).

What led to European Colonisation in Asia and Africa?

Following the occupation of Constantinople by Ottoman Turks (1453), empires of western Europe (Spain and Portugal) was forced to notice alternate sea routes to the East (China and India).

These empires were later supplanted by the industrial powers – Britain and France. Deutschland and Italy as well entered the scene towards the terminate of the nineteenth century.

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They stumbled upon the Americas (Columbus, 1492) and realised the huge potential of controlling colonies through which they tin source merchandise for trade cheaply.

This led to establishing trade routes with countries of Western Africa, India, Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) etc.

Since they controlled the high seas, they were able to influence the trading policies of these countries.

This gave them the incentive to interfere in the domestic politics of these countries.

Phases of Colonisation:

Information technology is broadly divided into two phases – Mercantile and Industrial phases.

Mercantile Phase:

This is chosen as Mercantilism because the major motto of colonial powers was to constitute supremacy in trading relationships. They sought to source merchandise cheaply and sell information technology at a premium in European markets.
They controlled high seas and used this as a means for 'Gunboat diplomacy' and later on establishing extensive empires in the Americas, Due east Indies (present-day Indonesia) etc.
The technological superiority of Colonialists wasn't every bit much as in the later industrial phase. So they were able to subjugate only relatively primitive peoples. Countries with well-established land systems and cultures were able to repel colonialists. (For example, in India, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb defeated British East Bharat Company in Child's War, 1686. Mainland china wasn't attacked till the Opium Wars of the nineteenth century).
Goods from the due east were however in great demand across Europe. So they worked nether the trading systems laid by the stiff states of India and China.

Industrial Phase:

This coincided with the Industrial Revolution in Western Europe and the U.s. of America. The relative technological supremacy and decadence in the Eastern states meant that Europe could interfere in the internal diplomacy of these states.
European states used gunboat diplomacy (Opium Wars in Cathay) as well every bit vile political machinations (Bengal in India, leading to the Battle of Plassey, 1757) to secure their aims.
Apart from trade, they sought to secure vast markets for the new industrial appurtenances produced through the Industrial revolution in these countries. Political influence gained in these countries were used to destroy traditional industries and promoted cheap, mass-produced European appurtenances. Eg: Destruction of the famed textile industry of Bengal by the British to promote inexpensive cotton from the textile mills of England.
Colonies were used to source inexpensive raw materials and value-added manufactured appurtenances were dumped in the colonies under the banner of "Free trade".
The colonial powers controlled strange, monetary and trade policies. This meant an advantage to the industrialists at abode. This led to the famous bleed of wealth from the colonies.

Colonialism reached its logical conclusion with the rise of new industrial powers in Europe – Federal republic of germany and Italia. This pb to a competition for accruing larger and larger empires that meant more than power and prestige to these countries. This was nigh pronounced in the tragic event of Scramble for Africa.

Scramble for Africa:

What happened?

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This happened during the period of New Imperialism (1881-1914). Increasing rivalry between European powers – Britain, France, Frg etc – meant that they needed more than and more than markets and sources for cheap raw material.
Technological progress – mapping of inland Africa in the centre decades of the nineteenth century, advances in treating deadly diseases similar malaria etc – meant that the European powers could finally move inland from the well established coastal colonies.
Only this would require costly wars against the native population. So they reached a political settlement where they divided the territory of Africa inside themselves with no regard for the wishes of the indigenous people of these lands!
The settlement was reached in the Berlin briefing of 1884. In 1870, less than 10% of African territory was under European control. By 1914, it had increased to most 90%! This is known every bit the scramble of Africa.

Decolonization of Africa

It was the cultural, economical and political procedure through which colonies broke gratuitous from the colonial empires and integrated themselves to the new 'earth order'.

Cultural:

Colonial empires were generally founded on principles of Racism and 'right to rule' over 'inferior races'. These narratives had to be challenged.
An image of benevolent and modernising influence was used every bit a pretext for colonial exploitation. However, this was later broken. (Eg: Indian National Congress popularised the theory of drain of wealth to annihilate the merits of the civilising influence of British Raj)
The self-confidence of people had to be boosted. Exercises of cultural integration and the creation of national identities and a shared past were emphasised. Eg: Aboriginal Greek (Hellenistic) culture was emphasised in the Greek War of Independence, 1829 against the Ottoman Empire. In India, achievements of our ancient civilisation were popularised.
Most states were successful in this regard, though deep-rooted tribal differences and prejudices led to bug in Africa (run across beneath).

Political:

Newly freed states had to be allowed to follow an independent foreign policy. They had to raise resource and build stable institutions (Eg: An Army subject to strict noncombatant control).
Representative and democratic institutions needed to be built. This needed an aware citizenry and an empowered leadership.

Economical:

The old European powers sought to exert influence in newly independent trades through biased trade policies. This came to be known equally Neo-Colonialism.
Nearly of the investment in these countries came from the erstwhile colonizers. So they were able to command new governments through lobbying and other informal (often corrupt) ways.
Colonial powers were technologically advanced. And then they used it as a leverage in directing foreign investment and hence controlling the new states. They sought to guard their technological supremacy through tight Intellectual property regimes.

In this article, nosotros look at how the newly formed states underwent the procedure of Decolonisation in Africa.

What forced European powers to abandon their empires?

Decolonization of Africa

Nationalist movements – Through the effects of westernisation and opening upwards, colonies acquired enlightened leadership and many developed potent nationalist movements. Virtually colonies were extensive constabulary states. Massive unrest made them simply unviable.
Second World War: It weakened most European powers and they couldn't go on upwards with the maintenance of their empires. The most powerful among victorious powers – The United states of america and the USSR took a firm anti-colonial stance. This further weakened the Europeans.
Pan-Africanism: A feeling of brotherhood was growing within the indigenous people of Africa. This meant a pooling of resource and external back up in the struggle for independence. Every bit more and more countries attained freedom, the entire process was hastened.
Outside Pressures: The USA and USSR actively pressurised colonial powers. Eg: President Truman of the U.s.a. pressurised British regime to brand India contained. Newly formed United Nations and other powerful international associations like the Non-Alignment Movement built up firm international opinions against colonialism.

Challenges to Africa:

Africa faced many unique challenges which made Decolonisation a very difficult process. These were common to most of the new states in Africa.

Tribal differences: Many countries were brought together by the sheer military forces of the colonizers. Lack of a mutual cultural past and tribal belligerence meant that they slaughtered each other inside these artificial boundaries imposed upon them. This led to worst genocides in Nigeria, Congo (Zaire), Burundi and Rwanda.
Cold war rivalry: Since almost of them were resource-rich, the two major blocs didn't want more states slipping into the orbit of its rival power. This led to prolonged civil wars. Eg: Angola, Republic of uganda, Burundi etc.
Economic underdevelopment: Colonisers used them equally sources of raw materials. So lack of industries and primitive agronomics made them susceptible to Neo-Colonialism. Besides, virtually of their economies were entirely dependent upon the consign of one or two bolt. When international prices fell, they plunged into political instability and civil wars. Eg: Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Republic of burundi etc.
Political and Social problems: Most colonial powers refused education to Africans. This led to the deficiency in aware leadership and a full general organized religion in autonomous means. This meant that most countries plunged into corruption and ceremonious state of war soon after independence.
Economic and Natural Disasters: Devastating famines of the 1980s and ongoing famines due to climate change are spelling disaster to these countries. These events end upwardly ruining economies and destabilising governments. Through the 90s, the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic also posed a grave threat to these countries. During the last two decades, climate change-induced disasters are seen to affect 3rd world countries, especially those in Africa.
Indigenous disharmonize: In some countries with an influential white settler population, Decolonisation was a more than complex matter. They offered firm resistance because they were privileged under the old system. Eg: Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and the one-time Apartheid government of South Africa. Sometimes, as in Zimbabwe, forced taking away of estates from the white minority led to an overall fall in productivity and caused economic crises.
Religious Extremism: This is a fairly contempo phenomenon in which Islamist ideologies taking over Muslim populations of these countries. Eg: Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabab in Somalia.

Backwash of Decolonisation:

Due to these challenges and specific conditions in different countries, Decolonisation turned out different results for these countries.

General trends:

Army coups were common in countries with weak leadership and limited mass base in democratic processes. Eg: Republic of ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo etc.
Complete export dependency on one or two bolt leading to instability at times of falling prices. Eg: Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Burundi etc.
Extreme poverty was the characteristic of virtually states due to lesser human development and corruption.
Rampant corruption – most states fell into the hands of a corrupted elite that exploited social fissures to enrich itself. Recently we saw popular movements against Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Jacob Zuma of Due south Africa succeeding in removing them.
Great ability rivalry has affected many states like Angola badly. At the same time, these powers failed to interfere in places where their interests were not involved. Eg: Failure to end the Rwandan genocide of 1994. This points to the need for a pan-African movement to ensure republic and dominion of police.
Resources-rich countries falling prey to Neo-colonialism and sectarian violence. Eg: Sierra Leone is locked in a perpetual civil war over its aureate, diamond and iron ore deposits. China is accused of adopting Neo-colonial policies to exert influence over resources-rich Western Africa. The contempo effort by India and Japan to build an Asia-Africa Growth corridor is seen every bit an endeavor to counter this.
Many North African countries saw widespread protests at the time of 'Arab Jump' of 2011. Eg: Morocco, Tunisia, Great socialist people's libyan arab jamahiriya and Egypt. Merely due to lukewarm responses from the outside world, many of them either fell under the influence of Islamist ideologies or were quelled through extreme violence. This was an opportunity lost in bringing democratic governance to entire northern Africa.

Role of India:

After Indian independence, India supported Decolonisation strongly in International fora through the leadership of Non-Alignment movement. India actively mobilised international stance in favour of Decolonisation. In Indonesia and Africa, information technology was vocal in support. Information technology also sent troops to solve the Congo Crisis of the 1960s. Besides, Republic of india contributes actively to the United nations peacekeeping forces that operate in dissimilar parts of Africa.

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Conclusion:

Decolonisation was a force of skillful that helped liberate billions of people across the earth from exploitation nether an oppressive foreign dominion. As a cultural procedure, it is continuing to date. It concluded upwards with the majority of the globe achieving self-determination and self-rule. Though the hegemonic nations still exert large influence through international trade, investment and technology control, these countries are free to script their own destiny. Bulk of the so-called "Third world" is still mired in extreme poverty.

The way forward is through human evolution, the spread of pedagogy and building of institutions through regional (Pan-African, Pan-South Asian collaboration etc) cooperation. Work of United nations agencies is laudable in this regard. United nations Full general Assembly has emerged as a stiff forum where earth opinion is mobilised in favour of third earth countries. Its powers and influence have to be enhanced. The democratisation of international gild will assistance the 3rd earth more than in getting its grievances addressed and in edifice a more equitable globe.

Article by: Hashin Jithu

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