What is colonialism?
establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition & expansion of colonies in one territory by people from other territoy
Unequal rel b/w
- colonial pwr & colony
- settlers and indigenous ppl
Background
- 13CE - Marco Polo discovered China (as if did not exist before!)
- huge monetary profits - eg. Venice became main port for spice trade with India
- Geography: monopoly of Sea Spice route by Venice forced other EU powers to buy spices at high prices
- Ottomans blocked route in 1453 after defeating Byzantines led to quest for a new route
- Traditionally dominated by Italian traders who earned huge profits by selling Eastern goods in Europe
- Arabs dominated Arabian Sea
- Search for trade routes via North West, eventually found and Age of Discovery of 16th century began
- EU trade with East re-established
- 1498: Vasco da Gama reached Calicut via Cape of Good Hope