Introduction
Colonialism is a word that means many different things to many different people. It’s a word that can incite anger, resentment, hatred, and feelings of loss. Colonialism is when a group establishes control over an area, its inhabitants, and its resources. This is an act that destroys the culture of the natives. More than not, the colonialists subjugated and harmed the people living in those places in a brutal fashion. Colonialism has its roots as far back as the early 20th Century.
It was a word coined to refer to the Colonial Empires of the modern era, mainly the British; however, many other empires at the time also held their own colonies, such as the French, the Germans, as well as the Belgians. Due to the actions of these colonial empires, countless people have lost their lives. Many of these empires justified their adventuring through the idea that they were ‘civilizing’ the ‘savages’ by spreading their beliefs and practices onto them.
This belief also emerged from the fact that many of the empires that were involved in the act of colonialism had witnessed the fruits of the Industrial Revolution, which allowed them to progress at a much faster rate than their materially less developed counterparts.
Colonialism and Settler Colonialism
Colonialism is the idea of establishing a colony on a foreign land to acquire the resources that the land might provide the invading party. On the other hand, Settler Colonialism has a far more negative connotation. It refers to the idea of permanently eradicating the existing society of a country to replace it with the settler’s own. Many have argued that the United States of America is a project of settler colonialists.
Examples of Colonialism
Many have argued states such as Mandatory Palestine, and even the nation of Palestine or the Palestinian territories as it is known today, are examples of colonialism. Angola was a colony of Portugal until its war of independence in 1975. Another modern example of colonialism can be the subcontinent until its independence in 1947, under which there was a partition and two new countries were formed, India and Pakistan. Many more examples exist throughout history.
Top Picks: Books on Colonialism and British History:
These are some of the most impactful books on Colonialism and British history that one should read to educate themselves on the topic. These were selected based on bias, accurate information, how renowned the authors themselves have been, and the fact that they were written in a factual and informative manner.
Morocco: A Remembrance of Childhood By James B.Farmer
This is a book “Morocco: A Remembrance of Childhood” that discusses the author James B.Farmer’s childhood in Morocco while the Cold War was in full swing. The author finds himself intertwined in a beautiful country. All the while, he witnessed great change within the nation due to the current political turmoil.
Civilizing Subjects: Metropole and Colony in the English Imagination 1830-1867 By Catherine Hall
A book in which the author argues that the idea of the empire forming was always within the conscience of the mid-nineteenth-century British. Who would be self-imagining with the idea of people such as the “Aborigines” as well as the “negroes” in Jamaica? These would be terms used to describe people who were different than the supposed “civilized” English. This book shows how such ideas can lead to the development of a nationwide superiority complex that can create a nation that subjugates others.
Time’s Monster: History, Conscience and Britain’s Empire By Priya Satia
This is a powerful book that focuses on the idea that for the largest time in history, the British Empire largely had control over the narrative of history, under which it would paint its own exploits with brush strokes showing how it civilized the natives that were inferior to the invading British. However, this book shows how the development of history and its study evolved with the help of anti-colonialist thinkers who challenged the traditional narratives.
The White Man’s World By Bill Schwarz
A book that shows the aftereffects of colonialism and how it destroys and fragments societies over time due to leaving behind its influence. Examples shown in the book are colorism and whiteness being highly valued.
Conclusion
Colonialism is a dark topic, and many still suffer from its enduring legacy. The world needs to learn from the mistakes of the past if it is to walk on the road to progress. These books about colonialism are among the best that one can read to gain knowledge on the subject.
Also Read: Books About Morocco Must-Read Novels and Non-Fiction Works Set in Morocco