Imperialism versus Colonialism

Imperialism versus Colonialism | Daily Writeups | Opinions

The following article, “Imperialism versus Colonialism“, is written by Hamail Syed a student of Sir Syed Kazim Ali. Moreover, the article is written on the same pattern, taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory subjects for years. Sir Kazim has uploaded his students’ solved past paper questions so other thousands of aspirants can understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.

Outline

1-Introduction 

2-Expounding the term “Imperialism”

3-Explaining the types of Imperialism 

• ✓Protectorate 
  • Evidence: France established a protectorate over Morocco in 1912.
• ✓Sphere of influence 
  • Evidence: In 1907, Great Britain and Russia divided Persia into three zones: Southern Persia under the British’s influence, Northern Persia under Russia’s influence, and Central Persia under the neutral sphere of influence.
• ✓Financial or tariff control
  • Evidence: Before World War I, Turkish finances were administered by the Ottoman Public Debt Administration (OPDA), a European-controlled organization.
• ✓Armed aggression or annexation
  • Evidence: The USSR formally annexed the three Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, in the 1940s. 

4-Debunking the term “Colonialism” 

5-Describing the types of Colonialism 

• ✓Settler Colonialism 
  • Evidence: According to the book ‘Genocide, Ethno-nationalism, and the United Nations: Exploring the Causes of Mass Killing Since 1945,’ “French colonial authorities killed around five million indigenous Algerians and crimes, such as rape, torture, land theft, etc., were committed against the indigenous inhabitants.”
• ✓Surrogate colonialism 
  • Evidence: Surrogate colonialism resulted in the Balfour Declaration by the British, which made possible and validated Zionist settlement in Palestine. 
• ✓Exploitation colonialism 
  • Evidence: After colonialization, the British made India an importer of finished products and an exporter of raw materials.
• ✓Internal colonialism
  • Evidence: In some Indian villages, especially in Miyapur, scheduled castes, also known as untouchables, are not allowed to enter temples or use the village pump. 

6-Understanding the relationship between imperialism and colonialism  

7-Delineating the concepts of “Whiteman’s burden” and “social Darwinism” in the world of imperialism and colonialism

8-A comparative analysis of imperialism and colonialism

• ✓Both provide efficient administration. 
  • Example of imperialism: The FATF, established by the G7, gave Pakistan instructions to take concrete measures to counter Hawala/Hundi (the Alternative Remittance Service).
  • Example of colonialism: The British introduced the Indian Civil Service to the subcontinent. 
• ✓Both establish a modern judiciary.
  • Example of imperialism: According to the research article’ Legal and Judicial Reform in Developing Countries: Reflections on the World Bank Experience’ by W. Paatii Ofosu-Amaah, “The World Bank, headed by the Global North, assisted Bangladesh in establishing special commercial courts for the formulation of business laws.”
  • Example of colonialism: The high courts and the federal courts were established in the Indian subcontinent by the British.
• ✓Both propagate modern social and political concepts. 
  • Example of imperialism: Western concepts, such as democracy, liberty, women’s empowerment, etc., have been introduced in third-world countries through Western imperialism.
  • Example of colonialism: During colonialization, nationalism was exhibited in the streets of Egypt, demonstrating the desire for independence from the British Empire.
• ✓Both promote infrastructure development. 
  • Example of imperialism: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including modern transportation networks, numerous energy projects, and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Pakistan. 
  • Example of colonialism: In 1850, the British introduced the railway system to the subcontinent. 
• ✓Both result in compromising the sovereignty of states. 
  • Example of imperialism: In his memoir “In the Line of Fire,” General Pervez Musharraf wrote, “The US threatened to bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age if it did not cooperate with the US against the War on Terror.”
  • Example of colonialism: In the 19th century, the Scramble for Africa began, and European nations, such as Britain, Spain, France, and Portugal, sliced up the continent like a pie. 
• ✓Both promote racial discrimination.
  • Example of imperialism: The first Hollywood feature film, Sirocco (1951), depicted Arabs as terrorists.  
  • Example of colonialism: In the Indian subcontinent, all the key positions were reserved for Europeans, and Indian judges were not allowed to try Europeans. 
• ✓Both bring technological advancement.
  • Example of imperialism: In 2012, India and the US signed the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), a significant strategy to facilitate defence technology development by reducing legal requirements.
  • Example of colonialism: The British introduced technologies to the Indian subcontinent, such as the railways, the electric telegraph, bicycles, typewriters, etc.

9-Contrasting angles between imperialism and colonialism 

• ✓Physical settlement 
  • Argument: In imperialism, the settlers do not physically come to live and settle in the state they dominate. 
  • Evidence: The US and China do not annex countries now. They just influence the weak states through projects like the Build Back Better World (B3W), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), etc.
  • Argument: In colonialism, settlers from the colonizing state physically came to settle in the weak state to establish a colony.
  • Evidence: The British physically colonized the Indian subcontinent and Egypt; France made a visible colony in Algeria.  
• ✓Socio-political influence 
  • Argument: In imperialism, the people of the weak states are allowed to keep their way of life.  
  • Evidence: The citizens of third-world countries are allowed to live according to their customs and values despite the economic and political influence of the US and China.  
  • Argument: In colonialism, the way of life of native people is often destroyed. 
  • Evidence: The British abolished strange social customs in the subcontinent, such as Sati, child marriage, and untouchability, and introduced the Widow Remarriage Act.
• ✓Territorial control 
  • Argument: In imperialism, a broader range of strategies, such as indirect political manipulation and economic dependence, are used to control foreign territories.
  • Evidence: During the Cold War era, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for political influence globally and propagated their ideologies politically.
  • Argument: In colonialism, colonial powers establish formal colonies by physically occupying foreign territories.
  • Evidence: Formal colonies were established in Asia and Africa, and the British Crown took their direct governance. 
• ✓Economic exploitation 
  • Argument: In imperialism, imperial powers leverage economic dependencies and unequal trade relations to secure a continuous flow of wealth and resources from the weak states. 
  • Evidence: As per the Finance Division of Pakistan report, 2021, “Though the US provided $20 billion in aid for the War on Terror, losses to the Pakistani economy have exceeded $150 billion.”
  • Argument: In colonialism, the exploitation is visibly structured, with wealth and resources directly flowing to the colonial state. 
  • Evidence: The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain was fueled by raw materials supplied by the British colonies. 
• ✓Cultural dominance 
  • Argument: In imperialism, the spread of the dominant state’s culture occurs through political, economic, and social channels without formal colonization. 
  • Evidence: Netflix has replaced local television in hundreds of countries globally. It primarily conveys the American way of life.
  • Argument: Formal colonies with visible education, cultural, and administrative structures are established in colonialism, actively promoting the colonizer’s culture. 
  • Evidence: The imposition of British laws, education, and language on the Indian subcontinent showcased the British’s cultural dominance. 
• ✓Geopolitical advantage 
  • Argument: In imperialism, dominant nations enhance their overall geopolitical standing by creating alliances, thus shaping global politics. 
  • Evidence: China enjoys a geopolitical advantage through mega-economic projects like CPEC.  
  • Argument: In colonialism, colonizers established formal colonies, thus strategically positioning themselves to enhance their economic, political, and military standing internationally.
  • Evidence: In the early 20th century, France, the region’s primary colonial power, could enforce its claim on the resource-rich Spratly Islands through its naval power.  
• ✓Hard policy 
  • Argument: In imperialism, the dominant state does not adopt harsh policies for the sitting government of the weakened state.
  • Evidence: China uses its soft power to influence the developing economies of Asia and Africa. 
  • Argument: In colonialism, colonizers adopt harsh policies for mistreating the colonized government. 
  • Evidence: According to Ahmad Saeed’s book Trek to Pakistan, “The British deposed and exiled the then Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar to Rangoon in 1858. He and his family were denied proper medical care, and their living conditions were deplorable.”

10-Critical analysis 

11-Conclusion

Answer to the Question

1-Introduction 

The two phenomena, imperialism and colonialism, are often used interchangeably but exhibit distinct features in their contexts. Delving into the details, imperialism refers to a dominant state’s policy of using diplomacy or force to extend its influence on other states. It possesses certain kinds, such as protectorate, sphere of influence, financial control, armed aggression and annexation. On the other hand, colonialism is a physical act of setting up colonies in different countries, and its most common types are settler, surrogate, exploitation, and internal colonialism. However, dominant states justify both phenomena under the pretext of Whiteman’s burden and social Darwinism. Basically, superpowers extend their influence beyond their boundaries, either through imperialism or colonialism, just to fulfil their ulterior motives. However, simultaneously, the relationship between imperialism and colonialism is quite intricate. Fundamentally, imperialism is a broader concept, encompassing numerous forms of expansionist policies, of which colonialism is just one manifestation. Thus, colonialism is a subset of imperialism. Henceforth, the converging traits include the provision of efficient administration, the introduction of a modern judiciary, the propagation of modern socio-political concepts, the development of infrastructure, the promotion of racial discrimination, etc., in the colonized states. At the same time, the contrasting grounds on which imperialism and colonialism differ include their approaches to physical settlement, socio-political influence, territorial control, economic exploitation, etc. In summary, imperialism and colonialism are the two strategies through which dominant states extend their power beyond their territories. 

2-Expounding the term “Imperialism”

Before moving forward, it is imperative to understand the critical term “Imperialism.” It is a socio-political and economic system in which a dominant state extends its influence over other regions through indirect means, such as political and economic manipulation or direct territorial control. In pursuing geostrategic advantages, economic gains, or ideological supremacy, imperial powers expand their reach beyond their territories. Moreover, in imperialism, a state or an empire first strengthens itself economically, politically, socially, and technologically. Then, it begins to spread its wings to other states, aiming to expand its influence to the neighbouring regions. That is why imperialism does not necessitate moving to the different states and becoming permanent settlers there. For instance, during the Cold War Era after World War II, the then-two superpowers, the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR), competed for their respective capitalist and communist supremacy by making global allies. The example illustrates that imperialism is the policy of a country to maintain dominance over distant lands without demanding its people settle down in the country they conquered. 

3-Explaining the types of Imperialism 

Basically, there are four main types of imperialism, which are mentioned below. 

• Protectorate

The first type of imperialism is a protectorate, in which a powerful state exercises indirect political control over a weak or backward region through a native puppet ruler who remains only in nominal command. In fact, the native ruler carries out the internal administration, and the responsibility for the defence of the territory and the conduct of its foreign affairs rests with the imperial power. The native ruler has neither the right to establish diplomatic relations with a country nor to declare war or conclude peace. For example, France established its protectorate over Morocco in 1912. Hence, it is inferred that the protectorate is such a type of imperialism in which the indigenous government is just the titular authority of the country, and the real power rests on the imperial state. 

• Sphere of influence

The second type of imperialism is the sphere of influence, in which an imperialist country acquires the right to exploit a backward region economically and claims that other countries have no right to establish their control over it. To illustrate, in 1907, Russia and Great Britain divided Persia into three zones: Northern Persia under the sphere of influence of Russia, Southern Persia under the sphere of influence of the British, and Central Persia under the neutral sphere of influence. Evidently, it can be concluded that in this type of imperialism, the dominant state claims its influence over a weaker state. 

• Financial or tariff control

The third type of imperialism occurs when an imperialist nation takes over complete charge of a weaker country’s financial or tariff system, which may be politically independent. This can bring about necessary changes in the weaker state’s foreign policy. For instance, before World War I, Turkish finances were administered by the Ottoman Public Debt Administration (OPDA), a European-controlled organization. So, financial or tariff control is all about controlling the economic affairs of a weaker state by the dominant country. 

• Armed aggression or annexation

Lastly, armed aggression, or annexation, is one type of imperialism in which powerful states dispatch military expeditions to conquer distant lands. The armed forces of the imperialist country overpower the national army of the backward country, consequently annexing the territory to the empire. For instance, the USSR formally annexed the three Baltic States, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, in the 1940s. Thus, armed aggression, or annexation, is a direct means to influence a weaker country. 

4-Debunking the term “Colonialism” 

After explaining imperialism and its types in detail, it is also crucial to elucidate the term “colonialism.” Colonialism is a phenomenon where a dominant state extends its control over weaker territories by establishing formal colonies, thus subjugating them economically, politically, and culturally to the authority of the colonial power. Primarily, the primary aim of colonialism is to extract natural resources, labour, wealth, etc., from the colonies to benefit the colonial state. Apart from economic exploitation, colonialism also involves the imposition of the colonizer’s language, culture, and legal system on the indigenous population. For example, in the 19th century, France colonized Algeria. Moreover, it imposed its legal system, cultural practices, and French language in Algeria. It also exploited Algeria’s agricultural resources and designed economic policies favouring French settlers. In short, in colonialism, colonizers still maintain allegiance to their mother country, and the indigenous population is subjected to cultural assimilation, labour extraction, and economic exploitation.

5-Describing the types of Colonialism 

Generally, four main types of colonialism have been practised throughout the ages; they are mentioned below.

• Settler Colonialism

To begin with, settler colonialism is one of the distinct types of colonialism in which foreign settlers replace the indigenous population. Primarily, it involves the complete removal and replacement of indigenous people, their laws, and culture by the settler’s own to establish them as legal inhabitants. Therefore, settlers not only exploited natives’ lands and resources but also replaced them and modified the names of their cities to erase the inhabitants’ tracks. Surprisingly, this type of colonialism is Eurocentric; that is, it assumes that Europeans and their values are superior to those inhabitants’ cultures. Therefore, it is legitimate to destroy indigenous inhabitants’ rights by stealing their properties and erasing their cultures. To illustrate, France annexed Algeria and officially became part of France in 1848. It aimed to erase the natives’ rights and displace them from their homeland. For this, “French colonial authorities killed around five million indigenous Algerians and atrocious crimes, such as rape, torture, land theft, nuclear tests, and the denial of basic human rights, were committed against the indigenous inhabitants,” according to the book ‘Genocide, Ethno-nationalism, and the United Nations: Exploring the Causes of Mass Killing Since 1945’ by Hannibal Travis. Also, colonizers changed the name of the capital of Algeria, “Algiers,” into “La Pointe-Pescade.” Additionally, Algerian Muslims were not allowed to vote, whereas white French people were allowed to do so. Hence, this type of colonialism is all about the replacement of the indigenous population with the new settlers.

• Surrogate colonialism

Next, surrogate colonialism is another type of colonialism in which a foreign power encourages and provides support for the settlement of a non-native group over land that belongs to an indigenous population. For instance, surrogate colonialism resulted in the Balfour Declaration by the British, which made possible and validated Zionist settlement in Palestine. Thus, in surrogate colonialism, the dominant state allows the mass immigration of non-natives into its colonized territory. 

• Exploitation colonialism

In addition, exploitation colonialism is one of the types in which fewer colonists settle in the established colony. It focuses on exploiting natural resources and the local population as cheap labour, typically to benefit their mother country economically. The exploitation of the colonized state by the colonizers also significantly impacts the colonized country’s politics. It creates a culture of dependency and subordination, malfunctioning national institutions and undermining democracy. For example, before the British Raj, the Indian subcontinent was a famous exporter of finished goods, namely textiles, silk, wooden goods, ivory work, etc. However, after colonialization, the British made India an importer of processed goods and an exporter of raw materials. Moreover, the British also imposed trade restrictions on using Indian ships to transfer goods between India and England. In short, in exploitation colonialism, a powerful state exploits the colonized state’s natural resources and extracts as much wealth from them as possible. 

• Internal colonialism 

Last but not least, internal colonialism refers to a condition in which a state’s dominant group exploits minority groups for its economic gains. The dominant class manipulates the social institutions to repress minorities and deny them access to society’s benefits. Additionally, influential groups maintain social distance from minorities and exploit their labour as cleaners, cooks, factory workers, etc. To illustrate, in some Indian villages, especially in Miyapur, scheduled castes, also known as untouchables, are not allowed to enter temples or use the village pump. Moreover, the women of this community have to walk long distances to pumps or streams outside the villages to fetch water. In a word, internal colonialism is a situation in which a dominant group oppresses the minority as the colonial power suppresses the colonized nation. 

6-Understanding the relationship between imperialism and colonialism  

Though imperialism and colonialism are frequently used interchangeably, their relationship is complex because they have similar and contrasting features. As mentioned earlier, imperialism refers to a dominant state’s policy of using diplomacy or force to extend its influence on other states; colonialism is a physical act of setting up colonies in different countries. Therefore, imperialism is an idea driving the practice, and colonialism is the practice. Hence, imperialism is a broader phenomenon, comprising various forms of expansionist policies; colonialism is just one of the manifestations, thereby making colonialism a subset of imperialism. In short, both imperialism and colonialism revolve around the domination of a powerful state over the backward regions but through different methods.

7-Delineating the concepts of “Whiteman’s burden” and “social Darwinism” in the world of imperialism and colonialism

Moving ahead, the dominant states justify their imperialistic and colonialist designs under the pretext of “Whiteman’s burden” and “Social Darwinism.” Diving into the ideological justification for European imperialism and colonialism, Whiteman’s burden means that white rulers of European imperialist and colonialist countries deem it their moral duty to spread European civilization in the backward countries and civilize those non-white people, thus reflecting a belief in their supremacy. Now, considering the concept of social Darwinism, social Darwinists apply Darwin’s evolution models to human societies to provide a theoretical justification for imperialism and colonialism. Basically, social Darwinists believe in the theory of “survival of the fittest,” which refers to the idea that some nations become powerful and dominant in the world because they are innately better. Therefore, under these two masks, dominant states fulfil their hidden motives of territorial aggrandizement that lead to economic exploitation, political subjugation, and cultural stagnation among the people of the weaker states.

8-A comparative analysis of imperialism and colonialism

Though both imperialism and colonialism follow distinct ways to influence and control the weaker states, they still share some commonalities, which are as follows. 

• Both provide efficient administration.

First, imperialism and colonialism both have the same characteristic of providing efficient administration to the subjugated state. Actually, superpowers usually impose their administrative system, which they have been following for many years, on the weaker states, thereby equipping them with effective and efficient ways to administer. For instance, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), established by the G7 and the European Union, gave Pakistan instructions and guidelines to take extensive and concrete measures to counter Hawala/Hundi (the Alternative Remittance Service). It is a true example of imperialism, which has brought efficient administration in Pakistan against money laundering. Moreover, colonialism also introduces effective administrative structures in the colonies. For example, the British introduced the Indian Civil Service to the subcontinent. Even after attaining independence in 1947, Pakistan was stable without dislocation, as the British had introduced a sound civil service. In a word, both imperialist and colonialist countries indeed provide efficient administration. 

• Both establish a modern judiciary.

Second, both imperialism and colonialism introduce a modern judiciary in the weaker states. It is because the powerful states promote their modern judicial system in the subjugated states, either through imperialism or colonialism. According to the research article’ Legal and Judicial Reform in Developing Countries: Reflections on the World Bank Experience’ by W. Paatii Ofosu-Amaah, “The World Bank, headed by the Global North, assisted Bangladesh in establishing special commercial courts for the formulation of business laws.” This fact signifies that the West dominates and influences the judicial systems of developing countries through international institutions. In addition, colonialism also brings a modern judiciary to the colonized states. For instance, the high courts and the federal courts were established in the Indian subcontinent by the British. Before such courts, British India had no uniformity in the judicial system, and the punishments given to offenders were barbaric. Therefore, under the British judicial system, punishments were started to be provided by the gravity of the offence. Thus, the British judicial system in India received praise for its high standards of justice. Hence, it is rightly viewed that imperialism and colonialism establish modern judiciary in the backward regions. 

• Both propagate modern social and political concepts.

Third, imperialism and colonialism propagate modern social and political concepts in an overpowered state. Actually, superpowers introduce some modern ideas to the backward regions to make them civilized. For instance, western concepts, such as democracy, the rule of law, liberty, equality, women’s empowerment, etc., have been introduced in third-world countries through Western imperialism. Not only this, but when the superpowers exploit the weaker states economically, politically, and socially, grievances begin to be nursed in the indigenous population, which results in the propagation of modern political concepts. For example, during colonialization, nationalism was exhibited in the streets of Egypt, demonstrating the desire for independence from the British Empire. In short, imperialism and colonialism introduced various developing social and political concepts among natives. 

• Both promote infrastructure development.

Fourth, imperialism and colonialism share more common ground by promoting infrastructure development in controlled states. The dominant states invest in infrastructure development in the overpowered states for economic gains. The glaring example of imperialism promoting infrastructure development is China’s multi-billion dollar economic project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including the construction of modern transportation networks, numerous energy projects, and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Pakistan. The same goes for colonialism, in which colonizers settle in the subjugated territory and develop infrastructure in their colony for economic benefits. For instance 1850, the British introduced the railway system to the subcontinent. The motive behind the development was to foster the colonial interests of Great Britain. In summary, imperialism and colonialism promote infrastructural development in developing or underdeveloped regions.

• Both result in compromising the sovereignty of states. 

Fifth, both imperialism and colonialism compromise the weaker states’ sovereignty. Actually, in imperialism, superpowers subjugate the weaker states through political or economic manipulation, hence resulting in the loss of independence and autonomy. According to the book ‘In the Line of Fire,’ by General Pervez Musharraf, “The US threatened to bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age if it did not cooperate with the US against the War on Terror (WOT).” It is the perfect example of an imperialistic move by the USA that left Pakistan with no choice but to compromise its sovereignty in the name of the WOT. The same holds for colonialism as well, in which superpowers colonize the backward regions and make them lose their autonomy. To illustrate, when the Scramble for Africa began in the 19th century, European nations, especially Britain, Spain, France, etc., divided the continent by creating arbitrary boundaries and claimed large swaths of land. Thus, it is undoubtedly true that imperialism and colonialism compromise the sovereignty of weaker states.

• Both promote racial discrimination.

Sixth, one more similarity that imperialism and colonialism share is that they both promote racial discrimination in the overpowered regions. The dominant states consider themselves superior, so they come up to fulfil their ulterior motives. For this, they frame public opinion accordingly. For instance, the first Hollywood feature film, Sirocco (1951), depicted Arabs as terrorists. Thus, through imperialism, Western powers labelled Muslims as terrorists to maintain their supremacy in the world. According to the research article ‘Why did the US invade Iraq in 2003?, by Ahsan Butt, “Under the pretext of the 9/11 incident and the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the then US government justified a war that was motivated by the desire for regional and global hegemony.” Thus, to maintain dominance, imperialism promotes racial discrimination. Adding more to the picture, colonialism undoubtedly aims to extract wealth, natural resources, labour, etc., or to harness the geostrategic significance of the weak state, so they suppress the indigenous population by promoting racial discrimination that favours their mother country. For example, in the Indian subcontinent, all the key positions were reserved for the Europeans; Indian judges were not allowed to try the Europeans. Consequently, it is proven that imperialism and colonialism promote racial discrimination in weak regions. 

• Both bring technological advancement.

Last but not least, another converging point between imperialism and colonialism is that they both bring technological advancement to the weaker states. In imperialism, the superpowers equip their allies with technological advancement to help them cope with modern-day challenges and dominate the region. To illustrate, in 2012, India and the US signed the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), a significant strategy to facilitate defence technology development by reducing legal requirements. Moving towards colonialism, colonizers also bring technological advancement to their colonies, primarily for their convenience, which benefits the indigenous population as well. For example, the British introduced big technologies, such as the railways, the electric telegraph, and the steamer, and small technologies, including bicycles, typewriters, steel pens, spinning wheels, rice hullers, etc., to the Indian subcontinent. In a word, it can be concluded that imperialism and colonialism bring technology to the weaker states. 

9-Contrasting angles between imperialism and colonialism

Apart from the similarities above, imperialism and colonialism still exhibit certain distinct features, which are mentioned below. 

• Physical settlement

To begin with, the critical contrast between imperialism and colonialism lies in the physical settlement. Actually, in imperialism, the settlers do not physically come to live and settle in the state they are dominating. For example, the US and China do not annex countries now. They just influence the weak states through projects like the Build Back Better World (B3W), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), etc. In colonialism, settlers from the colonizing state physically came to settle in the weak state to establish a colony. For example, the British physically colonized the Indian subcontinent and Egypt; France made a visible colony in Algeria. In imperialism, the dominant country usually extends its influence indirectly without physically settling in the foreign states; conversely, in colonialism, mass immigration of colonial settlers is observed in the overpowered territory.

• Socio-political influence

Furthermore, imperialism and colonialism exhibit another nuanced difference, particularly in their approach to socio-political influence. Under the influence of imperial power, the people of the weak states are allowed to keep their way of life. For example, the citizens of third-world countries are allowed to live according to their customs and values despite the economic and political influence of the US and China. However, in colonialism, the way of life of native people is often destroyed. For instance, the British abolished strange social customs in the subcontinent, such as Sati, child marriage, and untouchability. Also, they introduced the Widow Remarriage Act. Thus, socio-political influence is the diverging point of imperialism and colonialism. 

• Territorial control

Next, imperialism and colonialism reveal another distinctive feature regarding territorial control. While both colonialism and imperialism involve territorial control, their methods differ significantly. Actually, imperialism encompasses a broader range of strategies, such as indirect political manipulation and economic dependence, to control foreign territories. Usually, imperial powers opt for an indirect approach, focusing on economic and political influence rather than direct governance. For example, during the Cold War era, superpowers, particularly the United States and the Soviet Union, vied for political influence globally. They politically propagated their ideologies; direct territorial acquisition was not their primary focus. Contrary to this, colonialism necessitates the establishment of colonies with proper administration. Thus, colonial powers establish formal colonies by physically occupying foreign territories. For instance, formal colonies were established in Asia and Africa, and the British Crown took direct governance, shaping their political, economic, and cultural landscapes. In short, imperialists may utilize indirect means, including economic dominance, cultural hegemony, and political manipulation, to extend their control without establishing direct administration. Also, colonialists manifest their control by establishing visible administrative structures, legal systems, and the physical presence of settlers from the colonial state.

• Economic exploitation 

Moving further, imperialism and colonialism differ slightly in their economic exploitation approaches. Basically, in imperialism, imperial powers leverage economic dependencies and unequal trade relations to secure a continuous flow of wealth and resources from the weak states. Usually, it operates through economic pressure, financial institutions, and international trade agreements. As per the Finance Division of Pakistan report, 2021, “Though the US provided $20 billion in aid for the War on Terror, losses to the Pakistani economy have exceeded $150 billion.” On the flip side, in colonialism, wealth is concentrated in the colonial state. Here, the exploitation is visibly structured, with wealth and resources directly flowing to the colonial state. Actually, colonized states are forced to export raw materials at lower prices and import finished products at higher costs. This is how the extracted resources fuel industrialization and economic growth in the colonial state. For example, the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain was driven by raw materials supplied by the British colonies. These materials included sugar, tobacco, and cotton from the Americas; gold and diamonds from Africa; gold and wool from Australia; and tea, fabric, and spices from India. In a nutshell, both imperialism and colonialism are involved in economic exploitation, but their methods differ significantly. 

• Cultural dominance

In addition to it, imperialism and colonialism manifest sharp dissimilarities when it comes to cultural dominance. In the context of imperialism, the spread of the dominant state’s culture occurs through political, economic, and social channels without formal colonization. The impact of cultural imperialism is often diffuse, influencing various aspects of the lives of weaker states. For instance, Netflix has replaced local television in hundreds of countries globally. It primarily conveys the American way of life. However, colonialism necessitates the establishment of formal colonies with visible education, cultural, and administrative structures that actively promote the colonizer’s culture. For example, the imposition of British laws, education, and language showcased the cultural dominance of the British, which strongly impacted the lives of indigenous people. Hence, it is concluded that imperialism mainly entails an indirect approach that obliquely shapes the cultural landscape of the weakened state; on the other hand, colonialism involves direct, visible, and intentional efforts to reshape the culture of the colonized state.  

• Geopolitical advantage 

Further, imperialism and colonialism also clearly contrast their pursuit of geopolitical advantage. While both involve extending influence to foreign states, the strategies employed to harness the geographical benefits of foreign territories differ slightly. In the context of imperialism, geopolitical advantage is less visible but quite impactful, as it contributes to the dominant nation’s overall geopolitical standing by creating alliances and shaping global politics. For instance, China enjoys a geopolitical advantage through its mega-economic projects, such as CPEC. On the other hand, in colonialism, colonizers established formal colonies, thus positioning themselves strategically to enhance their economic, political, and military standing on the international stage. For instance, in the early 20th century, France, the region’s primary colonial power, could enforce its claim on the resource-rich Spratly Islands through its naval power. In summary, imperial powers usually harness the geographical advantage of weak territories through diplomacy, and colonial powers do it by establishing formal colonies with visible administrative structures. 

• Hard policy

Lastly, another contrasting feature between imperialism and colonialism is rigid policy. In imperialism, the dominant state does not adopt harsh policies for the sitting government of the weakened state. Example: China uses its soft power to influence the developing economies of Asia and Africa. Whereas in colonialism, colonizers adopt harsh policies for mistreating the colonized government. According to the book ‘Trek to Pakistan’ by Ahmad Saeed, “The British deposed and exiled the then Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar to Rangoon in 1858. He and his family were denied proper medical care, and their living conditions were deplorable.” In a nutshell, imperial power usually does not adopt a coercive policy towards the incumbent government of a weakened state, but colonial power does.  

10-Critical analysis

Critically, as the situation currently stands, imperialism has transformed itself into globalization. Globalization has become a new name for imperialism, indirectly promoting powerful countries’ influence. However, as far as colonialism is considered, with the end of World War II, the British Empire was broken, and the jewels of the British Crown began to gain independence one by one. Unfortunately, in today’s world, the former colonies remain economically dependent on the dominant states. 

11-Conclusion

In conclusion, though imperialism and colonialism differ slightly in their approaches to physical settlement, socio-political influence, territorial control, economic exploitation, etc., they also share some commonalities. The most common converging features of imperialism and colonialism include the provision of efficient administration, the introduction of modern judiciary, the propagation of modern socio-political concepts, the development of infrastructure, the promotion of racial discrimination, etc., in the overpowered states. As far as the reasons behind imperialism and colonialism are considered, dominant states justify both of these phenomena under the pretext of Whiteman’s burden and Social Darwinism. Basically, imperialism is a broader concept encompassing numerous forms of expansionist policies, of which colonialism is just one manifestation. Thus, colonialism is a subset of imperialism. Delving into the details, imperialism refers to a dominant state’s policy of using diplomacy or force to extend its influence on other states; contrarily, colonialism is a physical act of setting up colonies in different countries. In a nutshell, both imperialism and colonialism are the ways through which dominant countries extend their influence beyond their boundaries to fulfil their ulterior motives. 

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