2.7 Other Forms of Imperialism


How did historical globalization and imperialism shape today's world?

Case Study: Imperialism in India


Colonialism took a very different form in Asia than it did in the New World. Although the European colonialists found relatively unsettled land in North and South America, the lands of Asia were largely settled and economically productive. However, natural resources, agricultural products, and cheap labor were to be had in Asia; European entrepreneurs were anxious to put them to use. European colonialists in North America took over the land and sent immigrants to settle it; but in Asia and Africa, European nations practiced commercial or mercantile colonialism.

India Before Colonialism

The British East India Company began to control European trade with India in 1600. Its chief goods were silk, cotton, and jute (a fibre used to make rope). The Company encouraged its officers to learn the language of the Indian people and practice their customs in order to promote friendly and favorable trade relations with the people. The Company did not actually rule India, which was still under the control of many princes of the Mughal Empire. For well over a hundred years, the British and the French competed for business in India. After the Seven Years War, the British maintained a military presence, including the use of sepoys, or local Indian soldiers, to maintain the peace and ensure each local government was friendly.


Think about the idea of a large multinational modern corporation deciding to create its own military force to protect its interests.
How do you think this might affect a nation? Would this create a possible corporate arms race?

India has a rich and unique culture with many languages, cultures, and religions practiced in a diverse landscape. Before colonization, India was not one nation, but rather a number of smaller nations or princely states, all part of a larger empire. India was not industrialized, but its agreeable climate and location made it very productive. It also had a strong political and social organization. Indian society was divided into castes, or social groups. These castes, which exist today to a lesser extent, were hierarchical: each group was superior to the one below. People could not move from one caste to another. In India, there were four vamas (or kinds of people):

  • Brahmins — priests and teachers

  • Kshatriayas — kings, princes, and warriors

  • Vaishyas — merchants and craftsmen

  • Shudras — workers and farmers

Below all of these castes were the Dalit (meaning oppressed), formerly called untouchables because they worked at jobs that involved killing animals, doing leather work, handling dead bodies, or disposing of garbage and human waste. Engaging in these activities was considered polluting to the individual and contagious to others. Dalits were banned from participating in Hindu religious life, and precautions were observed to prevent accidental contact with higher-caste Hindus.

Because of this elaborate social structure, some people were very wealthy while most were subsistence farmers or fishermen.

Family life, education, and religion have always been important to members of all classes. Similar to today, many religious groups were spread throughout India. Today, India religions predominantly include Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh. Buddhism is practiced to a lesser degree.