Imperialism

Imperialism is the practice of extending the power, control or rule by a country over the political and economic life of areas outside its own borders.

Conditions that helped the growth of Imperialism

1. Demands created by Industrial Revolution
• Production of goods was far excess of demand at home. 
• Low wages of worker = low purchasing power of worker = restricted demand at home,
• Possibility of trade between industrialized nations little due to protectionist policy.
• So capitalist countries have to find market for the goods they were producing.
• Markets for surplus goods in Asia and Africa. No Industrial Revolution here yet.
• Selling made easier due to political domination. 
• Raw materials available from the colonies. 
• For protection of their investments. Weak government means frequent uprisings. = Loss of profits. 
2. Improvement in Transportation and Communication
• Faster transport of goods between European countries and acquired territories. 
• Built waterways in conquered territories by cheap labour, raw materials from interior of  continents could be transported. 
• Every area of world was brought within easy reach.
3. Extreme Nationalism: Pride and Power
• For superiority, each nation felt that it must have colonies to add to its prestige and power. 
• Many intellectuals openly advocated imperialism, Took pride in calling their territories empires. 
• Acquiring colony - chain reaction - need another to protect it and so on. 
• Colonies provided manpower to imperialist countries.
4. The "Civilizing Mission": Men and Ideas
• Many Europeans thought imperialist expansion to be noble. 
• Bringing civilization to backward people of the world. 
• "The whiteman's burden" -Rudyard Kipling;
• "Superior races have the duty of civilizing the inferior races." - Jules Ferry
• Christian missionaries dedicated to spreading Christianity - war for their protection - part in promoting imperialism. 
5. Conditions that favoured Imperialism in Asia and Africa
• No industrial revolution here. 
• Weak government in Asia and Africa in 19th century.
• Militarily weak against European nations. 
• Old ways of governance still followed. Outlived its usefulness.
• Strong nation states in the modern sense not developed. 
• Loyalities to local princes or to tribal Chieftians as in feudal times