Positive and Negative Effects of Colonialism

By Martin Hahn

Colonialism refers to the action of taking command over a nation politically and exploiting in economically. The people that have power are actually labeled as colonists whereas the indigenous folks make up the colonies. In the 16th century, the European states took advantage of the technological advancements of theirs and colonized the weaker areas of the community. Areas as Asia, America, Australia, and Africa were underdeveloped and the European states exploited them with raw materials and cheap labor. Additionally, it provided the colonizers with a chance to exercise the power of theirs and open up fresh market segments. There are broadly 2 kinds of colonialism, specifically, settler colonialism where there's large scale immigration of foreigners in the colonies as well as exploitation colonialism - the places where there are actually less colonists in the colonies but massive amounts of everything is exported.

As negative as it may sound, colonialism has a merits. Let us talk about them in brief.

Positive Effects of Colonialism

The European nations benefited a great deal from colonialism. Nevertheless, the colonies likewise learned a great deal from the advanced nations. For example, education watched a totally new light when the advanced nations got over the underdeveloped lands. The method of 3Rs was created that centered on checking, publishing, and arithmetic. Literacy levels saw an increase in a sense of nationalism as well as intelligence was created. Additionally, with the spread of training came a consciousness about the land of theirs. The colonies discovered what gems they were living on. Additionally, they discovered the art form of defense. The colonies were helped by the colonists to protect themselves against some other enemies.

The infrastructure of the colonies also underwent a radical change. To be able to facilitate luxurious living and trade of officers posted, the colonies were developed by the colonists. That lead to the betterment of living requirements of the colonies as well as taught them means of the civilized folks.

Health was another segment which discovered a significant transformation. With the intrusion of Western folks arrived the Western lifestyle as well as health care. This led to much better life expectancy of the indigenous folks by bounds and leaps. Sanitation improved as well as the infant mortality rates went down. Along with medications, the Europeans also brought brand new technologies with them which included tools and weapons.

Apart from everything this, Christianity rose. The colonists had a brand new market to push towards the religion of Christianity. The colonization even highlighted the colonies in front of the community. A feeling of forbid dance was abolished.

Damaging Effects of Colonialism

Only one of the main adverse impacts of Colonialism was slavery. Right from India to Africa, folks had been enslaved as well as used to the mother country. They were being pressured to leave their work and families with no pay. All of this deteriorated the psychological and also physical independence as well as ailments of the colonized places.

Apart from being pulled to the European nations, colonized folks had been being created working on the own land of theirs as slaves. The Europeans acquired lands in the colonized places and also forced the indigenous folks to focus on them without pays.

The traditions and countries of the indigenous folks had been trampled and berated. Sometimes the clothes of the indigenous folks was belittled. They had been forced to go along with Christianity and also talk the dialect of the mother country. Paganism and the beauty connected with it had been lost. They had been forced to purchase the goods of theirs and also consume the foods they supplied them with. In addition to all this, overseas invaders brought along a number of brand new diseases with them. The unprepared systems of the natives could not bear several of them that resulted in untimely deaths.

The Europeans, particularly the British employed the divide and rule policy. For this reason, they made a number of new boundaries which divided the natives. People had been uprooted, kids and females harassed. The colonists never gave administrative articles to the indigenous folks. Nevertheless, several lower posts were given to a couple of selected ones. This made the chosen people think better and led to community conflicts and also rifts.

The colonies had been ripped off the natural beauty of theirs and gems offered to them by God. Diamonds, spices, rubber, essential oils, ivory, gold, etc had been removed off the colonies and exported to the mother country. The colonies had no means of survival and earnings right now. They had been rendered helpless a totally reliant on the wretched colonists.

To conclude with, it's quite apparent that colonialism did much more bad than really good, though it was an important stage for the improvement of a great deal of regions. Quoting Ashis Nandy from The Intimate Enemy: Loss and Recovery of Self under Colonialism, "Modern colonialism won its great victories not so much through its military and technological prowess as through its ability to create secular hierarchies incompatible with the traditional order."

Get an affordable life experience degree at http://www.asian-europeanuniversity.com

Article Source:  Positive and Negative Effects of Colonialism