'Prior to 1850, inter-ethnic relations among Asian populations were Essay

'Prior to 1850, inter-ethnic relations among Asian populations were marked by cultural stereotypes and occasional hostility, b - Essay Example Firstly, one can consider the roles that economics and business played in the context of colonialism. At the root of this, there existed the profound desire to profit and benefit from the riches that could be extracted from around the globe. Within such an understanding, one can see that colonialism was fundamentally a means by which the colonial powers sought to better themselves, the nation, and their respect and prestige. One might argue that racism is therefore not the motive by which colonialism was able to spread its influence. However, must consider the fact of what specific mindset stimulated colonialism in the first place. Ultimately, there was the idea that other non—white populations were of little to no value and therefore could be exploited without any moral dilemmas. Thus, slavery, genocide, rape, and the deprivation of wealth and culture could be precipitated by the colonial power with little concern regarding how the actions might affect the indigenous populati ons. In such a way, the understanding that colonialism was ultimately and primarily an economic system that shows aspects of racism, begins to unravel (Chambers). Due to the fact that such a system cannot and would not have existed had there not been a profound level of racial superiority in the first place, it is the understanding of this author that the economic explanation and definition of colonialism is ultimately only part of the explanation. Secondly, for those that might be tempted to view Hirschman’s argument that colonialism was solely defined by race, it can and should be considered that the racial understanding, with regards to how Europeans integrated with the subjugated populations, differed widely based upon who the colonial ruler was and what geographic/ethnic communities they might be integrating with at the given time. Although it may be convenient to assume that colonial rule was undifferentiated, racist, xenophobic, and uniform throughout the entire world, the fact of the matter is that there was a varying degree of severity, cruelty, and respect- or disrespect, existed depending on the context. For instance, when one compares the means by which the British colonial powers integrated with and dealt with their Indian colonies, this cannot be compared with the way that they dealt with some of their African holdings. The same can of course be said with regards to the means by which the British managed and integrated with their Caribbean holdings as well as their Asian and Southeast Asian holdings. Within these areas, it was common for the British to enslave and impress the natives and various levels of servitude, such actions were not necessarily common within other colonial holdings. Evidence of this is of course seen across the board with relation to how the British interacted with every single one of their colonial possessions within Asia. Whereas colonial treatment was nominally better in sectors of mainland China and certain parts of India, the enslavement and use of the population as coolies in the majority of Asian colonies was uniform and a pervasive tactic of British and other European powers colonial method of operation (Bradley, 2004). Evidence of this can of course be seen with relation to