Volume : V, Issue : VI, June - 2016

Colonisation of Africa and the Rationale for Empire

Ashutosh Singh

Abstract :

 This article seeks to study the process of discovery and European colonisation of Africa and the underlying socio–economic motivations which made it possible; European colonisation had profound ramifications for Africa and drew the borders of most of the latter’s nations. While sea routes around Africa had been discovered by the 15th century, most of Africa was colonised relatively late, in the last quarter of the 19th century. What were the reasons behind the sudden explosion of interest in colonisation of Africa? The reasons seem to be chiefly the rise of new nation states in Europe. Religious and cultural excuses were used extensively by all colonial powers to justify the rapid colonisation and its associated expenses, both monetary and human. Proselytisation and the white man‘s burden were the raison d‘être, especially for the colonisation of Africa. It is interesting to understand how such reasons were used to colonise even where economic benefit was marginal or nonexistent and the monetary expense of colonisation was clearly unjustified.

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Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijsr  

Cite This Article:

Ashutosh Singh Colonisation of Africa and the Rationale for Empire International Journal of Scientific Research, Vol.5, Issue : 6 JUNE 2016

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