Impact of Colonialism on the Middle East - Term Paper Example

INTRODUCTION: COLONIALISM Practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one person by another, is IColonialism. The two words Colonialism and imperialism are interlinked; like colonialism, imperialism also involves political and economic control over a dependant territory. The term colony comes from Latin word colonus, meaning farmer. It refers to the transfer of population from one place to another, like the natives of West Indies that were forcibly taken away as slaves to United States and Europe where they became permanent settlers. However, their political allegiance was always with the country of origin. Other such examples include those of the people of: North America, Australia, New Zealand and Algeria. Imperialism is derived from Latin word Imperium which means to command. It is thus a way that one country exercises power over another, whether through settlement, sovereignty or indirect control, without significant settlement. Typical examples include Africa, American domination of Philippines and Puerto Rico. Colonialism in the Middle East: European colonial activity in Africa and Middle East reached the peak in the late 19th and early 20th century. The British became heavily involved in the affairs of Egypt and Sudan. The British annexed Aden in 1839. The British and the French built and operated the Suez Canal in 1869; Britain went to war with Iran in 1856 over night of way to India and China through Iran. Algeria fell under the French rule in 1830. The French invaded Morocco and occupied Tunisia in 1881. Zanizibar became a British protectorate in 1890. Germany took over Daras Salaam, and French captured Senegal in 1890. Britain and Russia divided Iran into spheres of interest while Italy captured Libya in 1911. 2-EUROPIAN IMPERIALISM May it be for economic nationalist or humanitarian reasons, more powerful nations have often interfered with the affairs of the weaker nations. The more powerful nations, including the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Portugal, Germany and several other European countries have in the past exploited less powerful and backward countries. European imperialism is used to refer to more recent colonial Empires of Britain, France, Portugal and Spain during the European “age of exploration”. During the 15th century, Portugal and Spain had the most power navies. Portugal established a powerful Empire which was highly useful for trade. In the 16th, 17th and 18th century, Britain entered the arena largely due to its envy of the Portuguese and Spanish properties, which grew to eventually cover an entire quarter of the world population and land mass. This included countries like Egypt, India, Australia, Hong Kong and much of North America. In the 19th century, the imperialistic designs of US and Germany damaged the British stronghold; this tension resulted in the First World War in which the German Empire was taken apart. After the Second World War period of decolonization began as most European power granted independence to their territories. Russia is another example of European imperialism that is stretched across half the world along its longitudinal axis. 3-US IMPERIALISM As said by the Historian Donald W Mening, imperial behavior for the US dates at least to the “LOUISIANA Purchase” which he described as an Imperial acquisition; imperial in the sense of the gaining control over the territory of another, resulting in the subjugation of the people to alien rule. The US policies towards the Native Americans were designed to remold them into a people more appropriately conformed to imperial desires. IIThe Unites States had been the dominant world power over the Middle East since the Second World War. US imperialistic policies drives its strength from the thoughts of the famous think tank A.T Mahan, who maintained that modern industrial nations must secure foreign markets for the purpose of exchanging good and later on, they must maintain a maritime force that is capable of protecting these trade routes. The outcome of the US business and government were the imperialistic US policies. The arms industry in collaboration with military and political bureaucracies and the energy sector (oil and finance industries) established a nexus as the military industrial complex that would benefit from the war profiteering and plundering of the natural resources of the colonies. Occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, along with a strong foot hold in the Middle East, is a stark example of US imperialistic policies. The imperialistic designs are also driven by the interest of the economic global giants (the developed countries of Europe, Japan and China). The Iraq war and occupation of Afghanistan is a classic imperialistic war. Sitting on the fence are the major blocs are USA, Europe, Japan and China trying to outsmart the others in controlling the natural and energy resources of the world. The military base theory is an extension of US imperialistic policies; the American bases at Guam, US Virgin Islands, North Mariana island, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Iraq, Middle East (Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain) Philippines, Marshall Islands, Okinawa provide the launching pad for any military operation around the globe to satisfy the US imperialistic policies. 4-EFFECTS ON NATIVE POPULATION Unjust policies subjected colonial population to loss of their lands, resources, cultural or religious identities. The colonial encouraged slavery in British controlled West India, Apartheid in South Africa and mass murders of the Incas of Peru, Aborigines of Australia. IIIHuman rights violation, including events of mass murder and genocide, are found in post colonial states like Cambodia, Rwanda, El Salvador and South Africa. Lack of Government Institutions, Skills and experience were the effects on native population. Colonial and Soviet societies were repressive and undemocratic in nature. IVThe post colonial and post soviet states, although independent, are still ruled by repressive and restrictive regimes, South Africa can be the best example characterized as a transition from controlled change to change control. The native government system and structure were controlled from abroad or by selective, privileged groups. After independences these states lacked the institutions and internal structure required and needed for good governance systems. The successive governments were repressive, cruel and lacked governance skills. 5-ANTI IMPERIALISM Anti imperialism, in simple words, is a term that is applied to any movement or action which is opposed to any form of colonialism and imperialism. It may include expansion of a country beyond its actual boundaries, opposition to war of conquest particularly of non contiguous territory or people with a different language or culture, for example of anti imperialism include members of the anti imperialist league that opposed the absorption of Philippines after the Spanish American War of 1898. The term imperialism was coined and introduced into English by the opponents of the aggressive and cruel policies of Britain. They maintain that the imperialistic policies are based on political self interest, capitalist greed, economic interest, greed for energy resources and religious ambitions 6-DE COLONIZATION De colonization is the undoing of colonialism. Politically it can be understood as gaining independence, gaining control over one’s own affairs and union with any other state. It means the use and governance over own economic resources and culturally it means the eradication and removal of colonial effects. The term refers to the dismantlement of the Neo-Imperial Empire established before First World War throughout Asia, Africa and Far East Asia. De colonization can be achieved by peaceful means or through violent resistance by the native population. It can be achieved through internal movement or through intervention by foreign power of international bodies such as UNO. The glaring examples of Spanish Empire, the German, Astro Hungarian Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empires after the First World War. Along with that, the British, French and the Italian colonial empires after the Second World War and the USSR are the examples after the cold war. De colonization is a political process involving violence, revolution, war of independence, military and finally of culminating in negotiations until independence is granted. The process is only completed when the de facto government of the newly independent country is recognized as the sovereign state by the community of nations. Independence is at times difficult to achieve without the help, encouragement and practical support of one or more external parties; the motives can be ethnic and religious, To de stabilize a colony to weaken a rival, To create own influence in the area, to gain access to natural and energy resources, East Timor is a vivid example of the support of foreign power on the basis of religion and its access to oil resources. There are examples where colonized population has preferred to stay colonized like Gibraltar and French Guiana. Colonial powers have ever gone to war to protect its colony like Falk land war whereas some colonial powers promoted decolonization to shed the financial, military and economic burdens. There are classic examples of Australia and New Zealand where decolonization has not occurred but still they are independent countries. 7-LASTING EFFECTS OF IMPERIALIST BORDERS Around the world today, there are conflicts which are extremely hard to manage, these conflicts are found in those areas which were once colonized or controlled by Western European, American or the Soviet powers. The areas are Africa, the Balkans, Southeast Asia, Far East Asia, the Middle East and the South America. The roots of many of these conflicts are traced back to the legacy of the post colonial era. VDuring the process of de colonization, over a hundred new nations were born; most of these new nations, however, not existed as nations at all before colonization or they had not existed within the post colonial borders. For the last four centuries, Western power such as Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Russia, spurred on by their desire to acquire new lands and resources, had colonized the whole of Africa, Americas, Oceania, Australia, Caribbean, Middle East and many other part of Asia. Colonist had little regard for the population and people living in the newly annexed areas. The colonization had far reaching effects on the colonized states. The lasting effects of imperialist borders were; population which had previously identified itself as a distinct nation based on their culture, ethnic and religious heritage were forced to unify under a single national identity. Population was denied their political, economic, social and human rights. The colonist promoted ethnic divide/ rivalry (by favoring one group over the other) and hence, religious divisions were created. The population was prohibited local participation in government decision and actions. The resources were distributed in an unequal manner. The humane and unjust actions against minority population were encouraged. VIAs a result of control over government policies, a disproportionate share emerged of country’s development and industry. The consequence resulted in distribution of over half of the country’s wealth to this one province of Leninabad (now province of Sugd in Tajikistan). Although by 1960 most Western colonial territories had gained independence, but they failed to get free from imperialist influence. Colonial legacies were visible in the desire of the new government to maintain the boundaries that were created during colonial time through promotion of ethnic, religious, cultural and social divide, unequal distribution of resources and suppression of minorities. The colonial left a legacy of conflicts involving borders like Duran Line dividing Pakistan and Afghanistan. The border disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Over a hundred new nations were born during the process of decolonization; most of these new nations however had never existed at all as nation. 8-CONCLUSION Imperialism and colonization started about four to five hundred years ago when Columbus discovered West Indies and America. The developed and powerful countries of Europe namely Portugal, Spain, England, France, Italy and Russia colonized about one quarter of the world population and land mass. Colonialism and imperialism have very negative effects on the native population, religion, ethnic and racial divide and they also boost abuse that was very common among the colonies. After the First and Second World War, almost all colonies gained independence. The end of the Cold War witnessed emergence of Central Asian Republic from the yoke of USSR. At present, only very few colonies who themselves have opted to stay under the alien rule remain. ENDNOTES Colonialism: the policy of acquiring colonies and keeping them independent. De colonization: to give independent status to a colony. Imperialism: the policy of extending a country’s power and influence in the world through political relations or military force. Domination: to have control or power over or a very strong influence on something Colony: a country or an area settled and controlled by people from another country, sometimes by force Subjugation: to overcome or defeat something Annexed: to take control or possession of a territory BIBLIOGRAPHY Kohn, & Margaret, “Colonialism”, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta, 2010. Marker, S. “Effects of Colonization”, 2003 Melber, H. “Liberation without democracy? Flaws of post colonial systems in Southern Africa, 2002 Mark N. Katz “Collapsed Empires” In managing Global Chaos: sources of and Responses to International Conflict, 1996. Schoeberlin, J.”Bones of Contention: Conflicts over Resources” In Searching for Peace in Central and South Asia: An Overview of Conflict Prevention of Peace building activities, Monique Mekenkamp, 2008 Paul, D.” U.S Intervention in the Middle East: Blood for Oil, International Socialist Review Issue, 2001 Read More