Colonial Expansion: Process of Underdevelopment

Colonial Expansion:
Process of
Underdevelopment
Presented by
Swarna Dey
Course Name: Sociology of Development and
Underdevelopment
Course No: SOC 503
Department of Sociology, DU
A Presentation on

Introduction
Colonialism was a system which functioned well in the interests of the metro
poles. The colonial rulers extract raw materials and cheap labor at low price
from the colonies for the mother countries and trade the manufactured products
at high rates. By ignoring the economic development of the colonies,
colonization created political, economic, structural, cultural, social obstacles
which further created underdevelopment in the colonies that even after
independence they can not overcome those negative impacts of colonization.
Even in the 20th century the western hegemony prevails in the colonized
underdeveloped countries which impede them to become developed.

• Colonialism is mainly related with exploitation. Its main target is to grab the
land and natural resources of a country.
• The colonizers come to a country in the guise of the traders. They always try
to expand their trade and commerce. In a colonized country they try to
control the market economy.
• Though control of trade and commerce is the main target of the colonizer
,the also try to expand their civilization to that country . For example ,in the
Indian subcontinent we can see this. ( Olivia, 2001)
• Colonizers work only for themselves.
Colonialism

In the process of colonization –
Indigenous population were exploited
Forced to pay taxes
Traditional way of life and self- sufficient mode has been destroyed
Social differentiation increased
Fatal effects on secondary and tertiary sectors
Discouraged modern industrialization
So what occurred in these situation was dependent not autonomous development.
Colonialism

Definition of Colonialism
 Colonialism is a practice of domination which involves subjugation of one
people to another (Olivia,1983).
 Colonialism is often defined as a system of government which seeks to defend
an unequal system of commodity exchange (Corbidge,1993) .
 Colonialism refers to the political , economic, social and cultural domination
of a territory and its people by a foreign power (Ronald ,J, Horvath 1972) .
 Colonialism is the policy of a nation seeking to extend or retain its authority
over other people or territories. (Webster,1989, p. 291)

The word "colony" comes from the Latin word colōnia.
A colony is a territory under the immediate complete political control and
occupied by settlers of a state, distinct from the home territory of the
sovereign. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own
colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were
territories without definite statehood from their inception.
A colony is a land or region controlled by a foreign power. Example : Britain
established colonies in America and other parts of the world. ( Foster-Carter,
A. (1976).
Definition of Colony

Colonialism
Exploitation
Subjugation
Less
development
Domination
Colonialism

Goals of the
colonizers
Primary
Exploitation
of land ,labor
and resources
Control trade
and expansion
of markets
Secondary
Civilizing
mission
Goals of the colonizers

Context of colonialism
Seeking sources of
precious goods
Empire building and
expansion of capitalism
Industrial revolution
Context of the Colonialism

Context of the Colonialism (cont.)
i) Seeking sources of precious goods
• In the past most of the European countries tried to colonize in the different
regions of the world. They went in that area where they found many precious
things.
• In the Indian subcontinent the British expanded their colonies because in that
time India was full of natural resources.
• In the Latin America, Spain also expanded their colonies .Latin America was
also source of many precious goods.
• France expanded their colonies in most of the African country for this
reason.
Chandra, B. (1980). Colonialism, stages of colonialism and the colonial
state. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 10(3), 272-285.

Context of the Colonialism (cont.)
ii) Expansion of capitalism :
• Colonialism or imperialism ,both the terms are used interchangeably to
refer to the territorial expansion of the European industrial powers,
especially after1870.
• The result of the colonial expansion was the formation of large overseas
empires.
iii) industrial revolution :
• From 1870 a series of great economic changes in advanced capitalist
powers(industrial revolution) brought a wave of new technologies that
radically transformed the economy of the most advanced countries.
Chandra, B. (1980). Colonialism, stages of colonialism and the colonial

English leaders for a long time and for various reasons had advocated the
founding of colonies in whole world. There motives are:
Political Social
Economic Religious
Motives
Motives of the Colonialism

Motives of colonization (cont.)
i) Political motives:
British monarchs encouraged the development of colonies as new sources of
wealth and power. They granted charters to groups of businessmen, like the
Virginia Company, who offered to help colonists settle in the “New World.”
Encouragement from rulers
Concerns governments, rights and power
Establishing military and naval outposts
Political
Motives

ii) Economic motives:
Economic considerations were undoubtedly the most effective in promoting colonization.
Among these was the accumulation of surplus capital and the profit motive. The prevailing
economic theory of mercantilism stressed the need of a nation to accumulate precious metals
– the English hoped to find gold in the colonies. Thus, England wished to secure vital raw
materials from her colonies instead of paying precious coin to other countries. The need for
markets for England’s surplus of manufactures argued for the establishment of captured
markets in the form of colonies.
Accumulate Gold and Silver
Accumulate Land
Accumulation of Surplus Capital and The Profit
Economic
Motives

iii) Religious Motives:
Protestant groups, like the Pilgrims and Puritans, came to the Americas to
establish their own communities, where they could worship God in their own
way. Catholics, Quakers, and Jews later came to the colonies seeking
freedom of worship.
Protestant Reformation
Deals with Beliefs
Practice the Worship of God
Religious
Motives

iv) Social Motives:
The desire for adventure – opportunity and new experiences – moved others to
go to America. Related to a desire for religious freedom was the wish of some
opposed to the monarchy for a greater degree of political freedom than they had
in England. The English government also wanted to weaken Spain by
establishing military and naval outposts.
Better Life
New Opportunity
Desire for Adventure
Economic
Motives

Process of Colonization
Professor Virgilio Enriques has suggested the following steps in the process of
colonization-
Denial and
Withdrawal
Destruction/
Eradication
Denigration/
Belittlement
Surface
Accommodation
Transformation/
Exploitation

Process of Colonization (cont.)
Step 1) Denial and Withdrawal:
When a colonial people first come upon an indigenous people, the colonial
strangers will immediately look upon the indigenous as a people without
culture, no moral values, nothing of any social value to merit kind comment.
Thus, the colonial people deny the very existence of a culture of any merit
among the indigenous people.
Indigenous people themselves, especially those who develop a closer
relationship with the new-comers, gradually withdraw from their own cultural
practices. Some may even join in the ridicule and the denial of the existence
of culture among the native people. They may become quickly converted and
later lead in the criticism of indigenous societies.
McCarthy, D. M. P. (1982). Colonial bureaucracy and creating underdevelopment: Tanganyika, 1919-
1940. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press.

Step 2) Destruction/Eradication:
The colonists take bolder action, physically destroying and attempting to
eradicate all physical representations of the symbols of indigenous cultures.
This may include the burning of their art, their tablets, their god images, the
destruction of their sacred sites, etc. At times, the indigenous people
themselves may participate in this destruction – some may even lead in the
destruction.
Step 3) Denigration/Belittlement/Insult:
As colonization takes a stronger hold, the new systems which are created
within indigenous societies, such as churches, colonial style health delivery
systems, and new legal institutions, will all join to denigrate, belittle, and
insult any continuing practice of the indigenous culture.

Step 4) Surface Accommodation/Tokenism:
In this stage of colonization, whatever remnants of culture have survived the
onslaught of the earlier steps are given surface accommodation. They are
tolerated as an exhibition of the colonial regime=s sense of leniency to the
continuing ignorance of the natives. These practices are called folkloric, of
showing respect to the old folks and to tradition. They are given token regard.
Step 5) Transformation/Exploitation:
The traditional culture which simply refuses to die or go away is now
transformed into the culture of the dominating colonial society. A Christian
church may now use an indigenous person as a priest, permitting the priest to
use the indigenous language, to incorporate some indigenous terms and
practices, within the churches framework of worship.
McCarthy, D. M. P. (1982). Colonial bureaucracy and creating underdevelopment: Tanganyika, 1919-
1940. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press.

List of colonial empires :
• Belgian Empire (1885–1962) Congo Free State (1885–1908) ...
• British Empire (1585/1707, 1815-1914)
• Danish Empire (1536–1953) ...
• Dutch Empire (1602–1975) ...
• French colonial Empire (1534–1980) ...
• German empire (1884–1918) ...
• Italian Empire (1885–1960) ...
• Portuguese Empire (1415–1999)
Examples Of Colonization

• The British Empire :
Great Britain had been established since the seventeenth century as the great
European naval power. Encouraged by its spectacular industrial development,
the UK configured an empire stretching from-
 Canada in America to Australia and New Zealand in Oceania, from Egypt
and South Africa in Africa to the “jewel of the empire,” the large colony of
India in Asia.
 Many colonies in Asia and enclaves ranging from the Caribbean (Jamaica) to
Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore), to Europe (Gibraltar, Malta, and Cyprus)
shaped the most extensive empire in history.
Examples of Colonization (cont.)

• The French Empire :
The French threw themselves into an active colonial expansion with a strong
nationalist attitude and a remarkable industrial development. Its empire
extended around two areas: Saharan and equatorial Africa (Algeria,
Morocco…) and the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Laos, and
Cambodia).

• Other Empires :
Colonialism and Imperialism Some former colonial powers like Spain in
North Africa; Portugal in Africa; and the Netherlands in the Antilles, the
Caribbean, and Indonesia remained remnants of its once vast empires. New
countries like Germany and Italy struggled to get a place, mainly in Africa, in
the grand colonial division that was alive across the globe.
At the end of the nineteenth century, two non-European powers joined the
small group of colonist countries. The United States annexed the Philippines
and Puerto Rico, while maintaining an indirect domination over Cuba after
beating Spain in 1898; and Japan annexed Taiwan and Korea after defeating
China in 1898 and Russia in 1904-1905.

Settler
colonialism
Internal
colonialism
Surrogate
colonialism
Exploitation
colonialism
1 432
Types of Colonialism

1. Exploitation colonialism:
Exploitation colonialism, in
contrast, didn't require as many
colonists to emigrate, and the
native people could be allowed to
stay where they were — especially
if they could be pressed into
service as workers. The goal was to
exploit the weaker country's natural
resources and extract as much
wealth as possible
Types of colonialism (cont.)

2. Settler colonialism:
Involves large scale
immigration, often motivated
by religious, political or
economic reasons. its a types
of colonies where people
move from their mother
countries to create permanent
settlements or towns.
Veracini, L. (2013). ‘Settler colonialism’: Career of a concept. The Journal of Imperial and
Commonwealth History, 41(2), 313-333.

3. Internal colonialism:
In internal colonialism, the
strongest part of a country
might exploit other, less
powerful regions or peoples.
For instance in Sri Lanka, the
Tamil population felt the
Sinhalese majority oppressed
them — hence the decades-long
war between the Sri Lankan
government and terrorist group
the Tamil Tigers.
Results of
Internal
colonialism
slavery
segregation
Prejudice
and
stereotypes
Violence
(Structural
and
interpersonal)
Discrimination
(interpersonal
and
institutional)

4. Surrogate colonialism:
In surrogate colonialism, a
colonial power encourages one
ethnic group or groups from the
colonized country itself to take
over land previously controlled
by another group. This term was
first used by anthropologist
Scott Atran to describe the
British allowing Zionist
settlement in Palestine.

 Many colonies could supply raw materials and resources to the mother
country and subsequently be used as export markets for the finished
products.
During this time, there were many clear aggressions and human rights
violations that were committed by imperial European empires on their
colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, though not all of these were
directly rationalized by mercantilism. Mercantilism did, however, lead to the
adoption of enormous trade restriction, which stunted the growth and
freedom of colonial business.
Manufacturing process of Colonization

 Trade, at this time, became triangulated between the British Empire, its
colonies and foreign markets. This fostered the development of the slave
trade in many colonies, including America. The colonies provided rum,
cotton and other products heavily demanded by imperialists in Africa. In
turn, slaves were returned to America or the West Indies and traded for
sugar and molasses.
 The British government also demanded trade in gold and silver bullion,
ever seeking a positive balance of trade. The colonies often had insufficient
bullion left over to circulate in their own markets, so they took to issuing
paper currency instead. Mismanagement of printed currency resulted in
periods of inflation.
Manufacturing process of Colonization (cont.)

Manufacturing process of Colonization (cont.)
Colonies
Mother
countries
Raw materials
(gold, silver, fur, lumber,
food stuffs etc.)
Manufactured goodsHigh prices
Low prices
• Exports > Imports
• Mother countries prosper
• Colonies exist to enrich
mother countries

Trade routes and
products during
colonial periods

The term Underdevelopment refers to that state of an economy where levels of
living of masses are extremely low due to very low levels of per capita income
resulting from low levels of productivity and high growth rates of population.
Underdeveloped countries are now known as ‘developing countries’ signifying
that such nations are capable of and are indeed making serious efforts to
overcome their problems of poverty and low income.
the term underdeveloped countries in which per capita real income is low
compared with per capita real income of the United States of America, Canada,
Australia and Western Europe. (U.N.O Group of Experts)
Underdeveloped countries are those which compared with advanced countries
are underdeveloped with capital in relation to their population and natural
resources. (Nurkse, 1972)
Underdevelopment

 When development referring to the progression from the simple stage to
complex stage the underdevelopment refers to the declining from the
highest stage to lowest stage, from competitive to uncompetitive, from able
to unable from stability to instability and from goal focussing to less
focusing. (Ref: Bornschier V. (1992), 'The Rise of the European Community. Grasping Towards Hegemony or
Therapy against National Decline in the World Political Economy?' Vienna,August 26–29 )
 Underdevelopment is characterised by lack of massive elements in the
a society, these elements include poor transportation system, low gross
national products, devaluation of societal currency, low price for raw
materials, corruption, lack of transparent and lack of accountability of
societal leaders. (Ref: Sunkel O. (1966), 'The Structural Background of Development Problems in Latin
America‘ ,pp. 22 )
Definition of Underdevelopment

 The underdevelopment term is only meaningful in comparison to levels of
development; when one group appears to become wealthier, is happens
with a contrasting outcome. Another crucial component of
underdevelopment is a dimension of exploitation of one country by another
(Ref. ibid, p. 21).
 The underdevelopment of a country can be understood as the product or
reflection solely of its own economic, political, social, and cultural
characteristics or structure. ( Ref . Frank, A. G. (2018). The development of
underdevelopment. In Promise of development (pp. 111-123). Routledge. )
Definition of Underdevelopment

Meaning of Underdeveloped Economy

8642
General
poverty
1
0
Low rates of
saving
A dual
economy
Low level
of living
Economic
disparity
High
dependence on
agriculture and
other primary
sectors
Low Labor
Productivity.
Low Labor
Productivity.
Limited
Commercializ
ation
High rates of
population
growth and
high
dependence
ratios
Colonial
policies in
administration
Features of Underdevelopment

Unfavorable institutional structure of underdevelopment

1
3
4
7
6
5
13
12
11
10
9
8
2
14
Backward industrial sector
Dependence on agriculture
Backward human
Resources
Deficiency of capital
Vicious circle of poverty
Unfavorable institutional
structure
Backwardness of tertiary
sector
Low per capita income
High rate of population
growth
Low level of living
Economic inequalities
Underdeveloped Natural
resources
Backward techniques of
production
External indebtness
Characteristics of Underdeveloped economy

Difference
between
developed and
underdeveloped
nations
Dimensions Developed Nations
Underdeveloped
nations
1. Per capita income high low
2. Standard of living high low
3. Economic
inequality
Distribution of income is less
skewed
Distribution of income is highly skewed
4. Rate of capital
formation
high low
5. Growth rate of
population
low high
6. Unemployment Less unemployment Large scale unemployment
7. Rate of formation
of human capital
high low
8. Cultural
environment
materialistic spiritualistic
9. Production
techniques
advanced backward

 The purpose of colonization was to serve as a source of inexpensive labor and
natural resources. The outcome of these colonies was never intended, culture
development. This led to large trade enterprises and economical benefits for
colonial powers. To continue with these monopolistic privileges, the colonial
powers forcibly shaped the social and economical factors of the colonies.
 As a result of the agrarian structure during this time, which created a
hierarchy of power and wealth, resulted in a situation of inequality, poverty
and all sorts of deprivation for the majority of the society. All this contributing
to the large cycle many South American countries are facing, low productivity
and the unfair flow of wealth. The development of a country comes at the
expense of the underdevelopment of the colonized.
Colonialism and Underdevelopment

Colonialism and underdevelopment (cont.)
 Production in the colony would be determined by the colonial power’s
demands. Colonial power and the colony not only destroy the opportunity of
industrialization, but also damage the benefits of any competition.
 Historically the colonization process left the colonies economically lower
and disabled.
 Colonialists may have added other goals such as bringing civilization
and/or the true religion to benighted parts of the earth, and a few individuals
may have believed this. But the driving force was always to make money by
exploiting the resources and/or people of the colonies.

i) Constitutions:
It’s the key in defining underdevelopment of the society. In colonial period, the
constitution was an oppressive instrument that never focused on building the
national economy as a whole.
ii) Policies:
Policies are designed to empower the colonizers and unprevilage the colonized
people. (Olivia 2002)
iii) Ownership of the land and property:
The underdevelopment is the direct result of colonialism where colonialist
system of governing settlers displaced the natives from their productive land
and pushed them to low fertile areas.
Colonialism Leads to Underdevelopment

iv) Unfair labor practice:
Colonized people were good source of cheap labour on mine and firm but were
given very low wage. So they remained in poverty and underdevelopment.
v) Skewed economic policies :
Those colonized people who had land were subject to discriminatory economic
policies. These eventually lead to the underdevelopment.
vi) Skewed agricultural policies:
Colonizers simplified the diversified production to a single cash crops and
colonized people are subjected to poverty and underdevelopment.
Colonialism leads underdevelopment (cont.)
Rodney, W. (2018). How europe underdeveloped africa. Verso Trade.

Colonialism
Unfair economic and
labor policies
Skewed economic and
agricultural policies
Ownership of the land
Oppressive
constitutions
UNDERDEVELOPMENT
Underdevelopment as a result of colonialism

 So, the immense economic inequality we observe in the world today didn’t
happen overnight, or even in the past century. It is the path-dependent outcome
of a multitude of historical processes, one of the most important of which has
been European colonialism.
 Colonialism has shaped modern inequality in several fundamental, but
heterogeneous, ways.
 The negative impacts of the colonialism creates underdevelopment in the
colony countries.
Colonialism leads underdevelopment (cont.)

11
6
53
42
1
8
7
Decimation of
native population
Forced migration
of slave populations
Diffusion of
language, religion
Subjection to a
foreign control
Foreigner become the
dominant social class
New tension
among powers
Negative impacts of colonialism
Legacy of
oppression
Loss of its
own culture
Rodney, W. (2018). How europe underdeveloped africa. Verso Trade.

Despite of many negative impacts which leads to underdevelopment,
colonization has also some positive impacts –
Railroads (the third-largest network in the world at the time) enabled
India to develop a modern economy and connected regions.
A modern road network, telephone and telegraph lines, dams, bridges,
and irrigation canals were created,
Sanitation and public health improved.
Schools and colleges were founded, and literacy increased.
British troops cleared central India of bandits
End to local warfare among competing local rulers
Positive impacts of colonialism

Underdevelopment is the result of the practices of unfair trade, oppression,
exploitation, skewed agriculture, educational policies etc, When one side
implements these to achieve development, the other side faces the
exploitation. Colonialism has played a major role in underdevelopment
expansion. So the colonized underdeveloped nations should strengthen their
economic, national and political barrier to address the western hegemony so
that that can not further exploit the underdeveloped nations.
Conclusion

• Chandra, B. (1980). Colonialism, stages of colonialism and the colonial
• Kitching, G. (2012). Development and underdevelopment in historical
perspective: Populism, nationalism and industrialisation. Routledge.
• McCarthy, D. M. P. (1982). Colonial bureaucracy and creating
underdevelopment: Tanganyika, 1919-1940. Ames, IA: Iowa State
University Press.
• Veracini, L. (2013). ‘Settler colonialism’: Career of a concept. The Journal
of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 41(2), 313-333.
• Rodney, W. (2018). How europe underdeveloped africa. Verso Trade.
References

Colonial Expansion: Process of Underdevelopment

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