What
are the Factors which facilitated the rise of Colonialism?
a Before
we narrate the story of colonization of Asia and Africa by the various European
powers, it shall be desirable to have an idea about the factors which
facilitated this process. In the main the following factors contributed to the
growth of colonies:
Firstly, in the first place
the discovery of new lands encouraged the various colonies to establish their
colonies there. Thus Spain and Portugal set up colonies in Central and South
America after it was discovered by Columbus. Similarly, Portugal succeeded in
establishing her colonies in India only after Vasco-da-Gama discovered the new
sea route to India. Likewise in Africa the various European colonies cropped up
after the exploration of the continent of Africa by Livingstone and Stanley.
Secondly, the economic
considerations also played an important role in the establishment of colonies.
European powers like England, France, Spain and Portugal found colonies in
Asia, Africa as well as America because all these continents were endowed with
rich natural resources and they wanted to exploit these resources to their
advantage.
Thirdly, the industrial
revolution compelled the European powers to look up for new sources of raw
materials to feed their factories and they tried to establish their colonies to
ensure regular supply of raw materials. For example Britain established her
control over Egypt because she needed Egyptian cotton for her textile. Further,
these European countries were in lookout for markets for their manufactured
goods and found in these colonies a ready market.
Fourthly, as a result of
industrial revolution the European industrialists had accumulated lot of
surplus capital and were looking for profitable channels of investment. They
invested this surplus capital in various industries in colonies and made huge
profits.
Fifthly, the imperialists
powers also needed colonies to rehabilitate their surplus population which
could not be well supported by the resources available in the country. Both
Germany and Japan carved out colonial empires in Africa and China to
rehabilitate their surplus population.
Sixthly, the missionary
societies which were closely linked with explorations, also provided a fillip
to colonial activities by reporting about the variety of human races and their
pageantry. This roused the curiosity and encouraged imperialistic activities.
Seventhly, some leaders
undertook colonization with a view to civilize the backward races of the world
as a part of the divine plan. Thus Cecil Rhodes, the famous British colonizer,
claimed "we are the first race of the world, and that the more of the
world were inhabit, the better it is for the human race". Similarly, the
Rudyard Kipling put forth the theory of white man's burden' which asserted that
the white men had been ordained by God to civilize the backward people.
Eighthly, the policy of
religious persecutions being pursued by certain rulers of Europe also forced
the people to find new shelters to escape persecutions. Thus the Pilgrim
Fathers from England went to North America and laid the foundation of the
British colonies there.
Ninthly, the better means
of transport and communication which became available in the nineteenth
century also provided a fillip to colonialism. The first steamship crossed the
Atlantic in 1838. Screw propellers were invented around 1860 which enabled the
steamers to cut short the time of ocean travel drastically. In 1869 the Suez
Canal was opened which reduced the sea route to India by 24 days.
The replacement of sail by
steam made merchant and passenger liners more reliable. The discovery of
telegraphic cables which sent messages across Atlantic and the invention of
postal services, railways and steamships also greatly encouraged the colonial
activities. In short, the various improvements in the means of transport and
communication greatly encouraged colonial activities.
In the tenth place, the
various European powers tried to carve out colonies because possession of
colonies was regarded as a symbol of prestige and national glory. Some states
set up colonies to protect their national interests. For example Britain
acquired Malta, Gibraltar, Singapore, Shri Lanka and outer Tibet for the sake
of security of her possessions. Likewise, France also occupied Algeria, Tunisia
and Morocco on the same grounds.
Eleventhly, above all, the
European powers were encouraged to embark on colonial ventures due to the
weakness and disunity of people of Asia and Africa.
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