European nations were the primary world colonizers as they controlled most continents globally. They would divide various parts of the country or a region among themselves, and then they would exert their authoritative rule on the occupants of those regions. However, they came to those new lands as visitors, explorers, and missionaries intending to transform those regions in terms of civilization by introducing their culture. Innocently, the target nations would warmly welcome them and even offer habitat for them. in some areas like Africa and Asia, the residents were thrilled with the presence of a white man in their land and forgot to be on guard to notice any skeptical behavior. They later signed various treaties, most involving land ownership; the aim was to manipulate the target nations into signing those treaties which gave Europeans consent to possess their land. This resulted in European occupation and colonization of those nations. All this was happening during the French Revolution, which had moved people from subsistence farming to large-scale and emergence of industries. Although the European nations were pushed by their needs, host countries also had their problems which they thought Europeans would help them solve[1]. In our article, we are going to discuss the benefits accrued by European nations from the countries they colonized and what the colonies gained from the colonizers.
How European nations benefited from colonies
During the aspiration of acquiring colonies and eventually colonizing them, European nations had their own needs that they sought fulfillment of from colonies. Their conditions varied, so they altered benefits; the benefit they got from their colonies were categorized into social, political, and economic benefits. Politically, the European nations benefitted by expanding their boundaries by obtaining overseas territories. These nations believed that the more parts they acquired, the more powerful they became; thus, they struggled against each other, with even war arising amongst themselves to get as many colonies as possible. Hereen notes that Europeans used their colonies as a backup system in case war erupted. This is evidenced by how the British ferried strong men from Burma to India to go and help them in the fight during the first world war. With such thought, the aggressiveness of acquiring new colonies intensified, and it has been speculated war arose due to conflict over territories. An example of such a war is the Franco-Prussian war (1870-1871), which was between France and German as they fought over controlling Prussia.[2].
The European nations also benefited socially from their colonies in various ways; first, they got places to settle their excess population. As Alemazung notes, one of the social reasons why European nations wanted to acquire colonies was to find a place to settle their surplus population. Therefore, after receiving their oversea territories, they began shipping in other Europeans who came in as settles farmers and security personnel to protect the white man’s interest in their colonies. There was also emotional fulfillment as they introduced their culture to their colonies. For example, Alemazung further notes that Europeans believed it was their divine role to civilize Africans whom they thought were left behind in civilization. By the end of the colonial rule, they had therefore managed to civilize their colonies through the introduction of their education system to abolish the traditional ones, the opening of the religion, which was mainly Christianity, and changing their subjects’ mannerisms into European habits such as mode of dressing and even talking as they introduced English.
Economically, European nations benefitted the most; they acquired cheap labor from their subjects as enslaved people. The enslaved people were forced to deliver in the European settler farms and work in their industries. For example, enslaved people were shipped from Africa through the Atlantic Ocean to Canada, where they worked in the sugar and cotton plantations owned by Europeans. Other enslaved people were to Europe, where they worked in their industries. Another benefit that Europeans got from their colonies was the acquisition of raw materials for their industries; this was when the industrial revolution took place in Europe. With the emergence of several industries, they had to seek additional sources for their industries. They got products such as cotton, sugarcane, and timber which were then shipped to their industries in Europe. Banner asserts that industrial production without a market would not benefit their countries; acquiring colonies provided them with a ready market where they sell their finished product, such as sugar and wine. There was the presence of various precious minerals in their territories; Europeans benefited from these minerals, such as gold in south Africa, copper, and other minerals available in their varied colonies.[3]. Lastly, the large settler farms provide enough food for the Europeans with a source of food to feed their population. This was achieved as they had settler farms that grew maize and other consumable products, which were taken back to their mother country to help feed their population.
Benefits Accrued by Colonies from Europeans
Countries that were territories of European countries also benefitted from their colonizers in different ways. Politically, they got protection from Europeans against their rivals, who threatened them significantly. Indigenous people were primarily organized in small groups, which mostly harbored animosity towards each other. They could sometimes attack them. With the onset of the European nation, these communities affiliated themselves with the whites, so they could acquire protection and guns to fight their rival communities. As the Europeans subdivided the rest of the world into various territories, colonies later used these boundaries as their area of jurisdiction; up to the modern day, most former European colonies use these demarcations as their boundaries. European colonies also benefited economically by introducing currency trade that replaced barter trade. This further aided fair trade transactions as they standardized the medium of exchange. Colonies helped from the industries and factories established by Europeans even after their departure; this formed a starting point for industrial development in most affected countries.[4]. An example is the cotton gin used for processing cotton in all areas whey they had such plantations. Although some did not exist anymore, these factories benefited the colonies as they continued using them to process their raw products into finished goods.
Social benefits accrued by European colonies include the following; they were introduced to the European education system, which was deemed more beneficial compared to traditional education, which was informal. Children began going to school while adults were provided with adult education; this, therefore, promoted literacy among the colonies.[5]. Besides benefiting from western education, there were also schools constructed by the colonialists and were eventually surrendered to the host country at the end of the colonial era. This left colonies with the advantage of not having to build new schools and classrooms for the continuity of education. Colonies also benefited from infrastructure that the colonialists developed; for example, they built roads and railway lines and boosted communication through post office services for sending and receiving letters. Europeans developed power-generating plants in some areas to generate electrical power within their colony. They also benefited from the advanced medical facilities; initially, most of the colonies were used to traditional medicines obtained from herbs. However, the colonialists introduced modern medicine and constructed health facilities where the sick could get treatment for their ailments. Heldring argues that most countries were going through one disease pandemic after the other; malaria was also dominant in regions like India, where it killed people a lot of people but was fought and eliminated using western medicine[6]. Lastly, colonies benefited from civilization that introduced the modern religion of Christianity, clothing, and holistic physical presentation of the people in those colonies.
Conclusion
Despite the torture the colonized people went through at the hand of the European colonialists, they both gained from the process. Colonialists benefited socially, economically, and politically in various ways, such as acquiring extra territory, raw materials for their industries, and cheap labor for their farms and industries. On the other hand, the colonies had the privilege of acquiring western education, medicine, and other goodies that came with the Europeans. They also learn civic manners, such as dressing well in clothes, learning English, and religious transformation. Although both sides benefitted differently and in different measures, Europeans benefited more than the colonies.
Reference
Heeren, Arnold Hermann Ludwig. A Manual of the History of the Political System of Europe and its Colonies. HG Bohn, 1846. Https://books.google.com/books?Hl=en&lr=&id=yxlwaaaayaaj&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=political+benefit+of+European+nations+from+colonies&ots=EX6MFDiT4k&sig=gzidtu5mma1y2vn7np6nnnyc36a
Alemazung, Joy Asongazoh. “Post-colonial colonialism: An analysis of international factors and actors marring African socio-economic and political development.” The Journal of Pan African Studies 3, no. 10 (2010): 62-84. Https://www.jpanafrican.org/docs/vol3no10/3.10Post-Colonial.pdf
Young, Arthur. Political Essays Concerning the Present State of the British Empire: Particularly Respecting: I. Natural Advantages and Disadvantages. II. Constitution. III. Agriculture. IV. Manufactures. V. The Colonies, and VI. Commerce. London: printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1772. Https://books.google.com/books?Hl=en&lr=&id=xzvcaaaacaaj&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=political+benefit+of+European+nations+from+colonies&ots=wrqdjzlvar&sig=egjf6krhmii7vszmejtbv-Yaptw
Heldring, Leander, and James A. Robinson. Colonialism and economic development in Africa. No. W18566. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2012. Https://www.nber.org/papers/w18566
Banner, Stuart. Possessing the Pacific: Land, settlers, and indigenous people from Australia to Alaska. Harvard University Press, 2007. Https://books.google.com/books?Hl=en&lr=&id=q4udzt6fursc&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=how+colonies+benefited+from+European+nations+&ots=ccyvy–ckb&sig=kyyp0hnurmbrolc0t2c5xqhijjs
[1] Heeren, Arnold Hermann Ludwig. A Manual of the History of the Political System of Europe and its Colonies. HG Bohn, 1846. Https://books.google.com/books?Hl=en&lr=&id=yxlwaaaayaaj&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=political+benefit+of+European+nations+from+colonies&ots=EX6MFDiT4k&sig=gzidtu5mma1y2vn7np6nnnyc36a (page 72)
[2] (Heeren 1846. p. 74)
[3] Banner, Stuart. Possessing the Pacific: Land, settlers, and indigenous people from Australia to Alaska. Harvard University Press, 2007. Https://books.google.com/books?Hl=en&lr=&id=q4udzt6fursc&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=how+colonies+benefited+from+European+nations+&ots=ccyvy–ckb&sig=kyyp0hnurmbrolc0t2c5xqhijjs (Page 69)
[4] Alemazung, Joy Asongazoh. “Post-colonial colonialism: An analysis of international factors and actors marring African socio-economic and political development.” The Journal of Pan African Studies 3, no. 10 (2010): 62-84. Https://www.jpanafrican.org/docs/vol3no10/3.10Post-Colonial.pdf (Page 17)
[5] Young, Arthur. Political Essays Concerning the Present State of the British Empire: Particularly Respecting: I. Natural Advantages and Disadvantages. II. Constitution. III. Agriculture. IV. Manufactures. V. The Colonies, and VI. Commerce. London: printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1772. Https://books.google.com/books?Hl=en&lr=&id=xzvcaaaacaaj&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=political+benefit+of+European+nations+from+colonies&ots=wrqdjzlvar&sig=egjf6krhmii7vszmejtbv-Yaptw (Page 27)
[6] Heldring, Leander, and James A. Robinson. Colonialism and economic development in Africa. No. W18566. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2012. Https://www.nber.org/papers/w18566 (Page 34)
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