Essay On Colonialism In The Indian Ocean

The indistinct terms of ‘imperialism’ and ‘colonialism’ have led to uncertainty and ambiguity when assessing the activities carried out by the Portuguese and other Europeans in the region of the Indian Ocean. The late fifteenth century to the early sixteenth century was labeled as the “Age of Discovery” where the Portuguese started off the exploration of the world outside of Europe, through Vasco da Gama. The incidents that occurred over the next few hundred years reflected European dominance throughout the region that complete the questionable means of Imperialism or Colonialism. Imperialism may be defined as “a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force” where colonialism is defined as “a policy or practice of acquiring full or partial control over another country, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically” . This essay will give a brief history of the Europeans (specifically the Portuguese as the initial Europeans) in the Indian Ocean throughout the sixteenth to seventeenth century and will also explain the process of how European activities in the Indian Ocean region should be labeled as ‘colonialism’. Furthermore I will outline the Europeans justifications in dominating the people within this region.

The Portuguese “Age of Discovery” led to the beginning of European expeditions which located the pre-established trade networks that predated the “outdated and inefficient” routes known as the Silk Road. Faster travel via the West coast of Africa and around the Cape of Good Hope provided a favored method of reaching India and China without the dangerous of robbers and bandits. Columbus’s discovery of the “New World” in 1492 and the signatory commitment to the Treaty...

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...tions carry a negative connotation, for instance Joseph Conrad described imperialism as “the conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it.” When attempting to label the Europeans, it is obvious that they are interlopers due to their involvement in a region where they do not belong. Their activities conclude that the use of military force is present suggesting imperialism. However, the Europeans also utilized the pre-established ports for further exploitation for the purpose of trade and economic advantages to increase and maximize their future profits. Thus with accordance to the Oxford definition, it is evident that the European nations that intruded in the Indian Ocean trade network may be regarded as “colonialists”.