Colonialism
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The way society is structured today, it is difficult to understand Colonialism for what it truly was. For example, A Stranger walks into a house and claims it is his, while he enslaves the real owners and demands they follow his rules. It might seem like an unlikely scenario, but about 400 years ago, this was reality. European countries such as Spain and England wanted to expand their territories and become the world powers. Explorers like Christopher Columbus, soon started declaring regions that they discovered in the name of their countries. They thought that spreading their own ideas, culture, and religion would have a positive effect on colonized native countries. In fact, these changes had an adverse effect on the people of these countries. There were many efforts to spread Christianity to these countries although some question the motives of these countries in dealing with the everyday needs of these people. The colonizers saw the natives as inferior to their mother country and thus, were able to justify their treatment of them. As the colonized population soon realized the negative impacts on society caused the Europeans. They rebelled against the colonizers and brought out violent acts on both sides. These violent reactions to colonialism were brought out due to the main factors unequal social rights and the destruction and enforcement of other cultural values.
In the colonization era, egocentrism was strongly enforced, as the norm was Christianity. If an individual was not Christian, then they were seen as animals and ruthless treatment was acceptable. Statistics show that “The population of the Belgian Congo fell by fifty percent and that of the Herero’s by eighty percent as a result of the oppressive and inhuman treatment of the African buy the colonizers.” (A. Adu Boahen Pg. 95) the justification of this treatment was also due to the belief that African’s and Indian’s were objects and property. They were tools that could help expand the economy of the colonizer. European countries like Spain and England enslaved the non-Christian populations from Africa and the Americas. The enslavement of African’s later became known as the transatlantic slave trade. Although there were slaves in Africa long before Colonialism, the sudden spike of discoveries of land across seas caused an increase in the number of slaves being trade to the Europeans.
Each day the traders are kidnapping our people – children of this country, sons of our nobles and vassals, even people of our own family. This corruption and depravity are so widespread that our land is entirely depopulated. We need in these kingdom only priests and schoolteachers, and no merchandise, unless it is wine and flour for Mass. It is our wish that this Kingdom not be a place for the trade or transport of slaves. (Adam Hoch child, Pg. 33)
As The Slave trade became a dominate source of trade for the Europeans, the Colonized population suffered from violent brutality. There were constant kidnappings and shootings of civilians which became a common thing in a colonized state. In other countries were social levels and orders were already established as the Europeans forced one against the other In India were the majority of the population consist Hindu’s. In Hinduism people are classified under something called a caste system. The Caste system was an indicator of occupation, social standing and intellectual ability of an individual. The British gave the minorities of these caste artillery guns and support. This allow the minority to gain the upper hand on society and since the British were partly responsible, the minorities were grateful and continued to have loyal trade with England. Though there was a problem: during this trade in colonial times, more violence escalated in the Indian societies. The main purpose of colonialism was to make the mother country stronger economically. This was achieved by exploiting other people, any means possible. The Colonizers used social order and Darwinism as means of controlling colonized states and brought violence to people across the world.
Colonialism also brought out other means of violence. The Europeans had expanded and established trade with colonies across the world and soon realized that they had to redeem it from the cultures and regions that inhabited some studied and admired these cultures, “The Mission” and goal of the Europeans was to purify its people. In Africa “The Colonial administrators and there allies, the Europeans missionaries condemned everything African in culture. The African names, music, dance, arts, regions, marriage, the system of inheritance and completely discouraged the teaching of these things in schools and colleges. Even wearing of African Clothes to work or school was banned” (A. Adu Boahen Pg. 105) If anyone revolted against any of this, and then people were severely punished. The condemning of cultures did not end in Africa. . The Aboriginals were also forced to learn and adapt to the English culture. “Children would who spoke in there native tongues were punished severely”. These acts of violence against the people of Africa and Americas were means of civilizing what the Europeans referred to as savages. If these people adapted to the European lifestyle, then they will have similar interest and will pursue European made goods such as top hats and violins. These Idealistic goals by the Europeans to abolish the native cultures brought out violence.
Since Culture is often intertwined with Region. The Europeans strongly believed that there region was the definitive one. Therefore the enforcement was easily justified. They thought of it as means of providing the colonies with spiritual support. These regions view were accepted in places like Central America while India saw much resistance to the new faiths that were trying to infiltrate there deeply rooted spiritual beliefs.
“In loud threatening tones [They] commanded us to be silent. Then, turning to the people they declared that we were the paid agents of the governments, who not only had robbed