Case for Colonialism: Support or Not

Is there a Case for Colonialism?
Student’s Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Course Name/Number:
Instructor’s Name:
Due Date:

Is there a Case for Colonialism?
Many developing countries share a similar history of colonization from European powers as early as the 17th century and ended mid 20th century. Colonization has often been regarded as a dark history for developing countries due to the many evils that the colonizers carried out. The British Empire was one of the largest, with its rule reaching almost all the world's continents. In recent years, historians have emerged and try to paint a positive picture of the colonization era. They argue that it was necessary, thus positively impacting the development of the modern world. Niall Fergusson has been one of the supporters of colonialism. He argues that it brought economic, social, and political developments in the colonized countries under British Imperial rule (Fergusson, 2007). Colonization was a cruel process that many developing countries were put through, and nothing could justify it.
Many supporters of colonization often argue that it was through the British Imperial rule that democracy and freedom were introduced in the native societies (Nielsen, 2018). This argument is both wrong and presumptuous as it tends to portray the native people as uncivilized and unorganized. It is to be noted that some of the native societies had achieved a higher level of civilization even before the arrival of Europeans. Most native communities were well organized, which led to political, social, and economic growth. The colonization of these societies only disrupted their way of life, leading to death, suffering, and deprivation of their culture. Slavery resulted from colonization, where millions of people lost their freedom as they got shipped to Europe to work under harsh conditions (Gopal, 2006). Therefore, colonization did not promote democracy and freedom but rather deprived the native people of their way of...