Colonial Heritage
Colonialism has been rampant throughout history in different phases. In antiquity, it was practiced by Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, etc. The Age of discovery starting from the fifteenth century marked the beginning of overseas exploration by European travelers and traders. The search of trading goods & new routes for silk and spice trades led them to offshore lands, the outcome of which shaped in the form of the major European powers competing to conquer and colonize the Americas, Africa, and Asia, subsequently setting the tone of international politics for centuries to come. By the year 1914, 84% of the world’s population had been colonized and an estimated 500 million people were living as members of European colonies (Ferrante, 2008). These countries were subjugated by a more powerful nation, notably Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Portugal, and Japan, either through direct military control or indirect political control. Several motives encouraged the explorers primarily encompassing monetary benefits, land expansion, religious indoctrination, desire to be renowned etc.
Foreign powers invaded, occupied and exploited native lands disguising their true motives through simplification of the diverse native cultures; boxing them into the stereotype of barbarism, they justified their rationale of “civilizing mission”. The idea itself is not only harmful but also only aided their oppressive rule. Colonialism served as a convenient tool for the European nations to fulfill their desire of dominance. The empires blatantly ignored their responsibility towards the population of their colonies by denying their fundamental human rights. Their oppressive policies provided themselves impunity. The lack of opportunities presented to the indigenous people in their homelands left them at the mercy and dependence of their colonial masters. Despite their lack of power, the indigenous people resisted and the start of the decolonization era occurred following the first world war. During the 20th century, 130 new countries emerged as separate nations gaining autonomy from their former colonizers (Ferrante, 2008).
The vastness of the British regime has been boasted by the phrase, “The sun never sets on the British empire.” (Misachi, 2018)
The process of decolonization proved to be arduous often accompanied by bloodshed. The movements driven by the nationalists to secure autonomy were met with many repercussions but the tenacity kept them moving. This was the onset of the emergence of the Third World on the globe. After centuries of being subjected to what was nothing less than a humanitarian disaster, did having sovereignty really free the ones colonized?
Newly developed countries faced numerous challenges. The regaining of an identity independent of their former rulers and disbanding from the loyalty associated with them had to be developed through nation building by recognizing their true self reflecting through their original culture and values. Even after decades of being freed, post-colonial populations of South Asia and Africa continue to struggle with identifying themselves with European standards. India and Pakistan, which constituted the largest colony of the largest imperial empire, having the first and second-largest populations of nonnative English speakers speak volumes for the transgenerational effects colonization has had.
History has witnessed colonizers be repressive and having unjust policies, indigenous people not being provided with rightful opportunities and representation. Consequently, after being liberated they lacked internal structure & good governance. The task to build the state and develop economic institutions for people who had not been appointed to the positions of power in their former colonial rule lives was daunting. A case in the study would be Belgian Congo which gained independence from Belgium in 1960 and is now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the colonial powers had barred the native Congolese from higher education, only 17 people in the entire indigenous population had a university degree. They had no trained military officers, businesspersons, teachers, civil servants, etc. (Ferrante, 2008).
Some of the more intractable conflicts that occurred in the post-colonial era include the indisputable Kashmir issue. The unjust distribution of land, following the liberation of the British Raj India, facilitated by the Radcliffe Award left Kashmir as a disputed territory between India and Pakistan. Despite negotiations, the locals were denied their right of self determination. This multiplied the sufferings of the natives of Kashmir which continues even after 73 years of being decolonized.
Frantz Fanon points out the deep-rooted influence of the colonizer, aided by “othering” in his psychoanalytical theory of post-colonialism. The oppressive discrimination led the natives to their internalized belief of themselves being other from the norm, which was to associate to the colonial mentality. This internalized self inadequacy conditioned by the colonizer muddles the identity of the ones colonized and enforces them to view themselves through a prejudiced perspective holding everything native to them as inferior. The colonial psyche enables the imposition of the colonizer’s language, culture, education systems, traditions. The only outcome of this is an unsettled existential conflict within the colonized culture. Language is a tool that forms and shapes the mind; English language being the medium of curriculum in many countries which are former colonies of Britain is a testament to their collective consciousness of the English. The prevalence of racial binaries after generations is also seen in many forms in pop culture. People of color at a young age being subjected to the idea of eurocentric standards of beauty being held high is detrimental to their mental health. The more unfortunate among these is the adherence to these outdated models of self evaluation of the native people themselves. Capitalism has further thrust eurocentric beauty standards by targeted advertisements, as they thrive upon the colonial mentality of the natives. Western mindset continues to dominate across the globe.
Sources:
- Nair, S. (2018, August 05). Introducing Postcolonialism in International Relations Theory. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.e-ir.info/2017/12/08/postcolonialism-in-international-relations-theory/
- Mambrol, N. (2016, April 07). Frantz Fanon ‘s Contribution to Postcolonial Criticism. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://literariness.org/2016/04/07/frantz-fanon-s-contribution-to-postcolonial-criticism/
