Globalisation Assignment

829 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Globalization and international trade

Globalisation Assessment Task 3: Research Essay
Question 1: Why can European colonialism be seen as an earlier form of Globalisation?

Colonialism is defined as the exploitation of a weaker country by a stronger country with the goal of strengthening and enriching the resources of the dominant country. European colonialism of its last five centuries shared similarities with other previous colonialisms such as the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks and the Romans, but differed greatly from them (Macqueen 2007). Mainly, because European colonialism was not focused and centered in a single region but shared and spread its religion, culture, economic, technology and political systems throughout the world during the colonial period all at the same time being highly competitive and ambitious throughout (Gillen & Ghosh 2007). European colonialism had left some positive and negative legacies and the effects of both can be felt today in the modern world, even long after its fall in the 1950s. European colonialism is often perceived as an earlier form of globalisation because it was an early expression of the tendencies toward exploration, trade, and control that continues to emerge as the driving forces of globalisation today (Gopinath 2008).

Trade and economic
In the 15th century, rulers of Portugal and Spain financed the voyages of discovery that lead to the globalisation that we know and understand today, which is a direct descendant of colonisation and economic imperialism (Gopinath 2008). Their initial motivations were missionary and exploratory zeal but eventually, greater control and power lead to the desire of gold and riches aided by the ideology of mercantilism (Gopinath 2008). At the same time, the European n...

... middle of paper ...

... traditions and beliefs. Besides that, another major driving force of colonialism was religion. By moving to distant places, believers help religion to globalise all over the world.

Conclusion
To conclude, trade and economic systems of the European colonialism was a blessing that generated a rich and turbulent intellectual life that contributed to the accelerating global transformation that lay ahead. Colonisation integrated economies and culture and gave structure to the sharing that the earlier periods did not. From the 14th to 20th centuries, trade, expansionism and religion stirred up nations and redrew boundaries. Empires were built, societies were made, items were exchanged. European Colonialism has contributed greatly to lay seeds which bear into the globalisation today. Most certainly, European colonialism is one of the earlier forms of globalisation.

Show More
Related

  • What Fundamental Factors Drew Europeans to The Exploration, Conquest, and Settlement of the New World?

    1072 Words  | 3 Pages

    Toward the end of pre-colonial times in Europe, due to the fall of Constantinople, many European nations felt the need to find an alternate route to the East Indies. The trade of rare goods such as spices, rice, exotic fruits and silk fabrics were much in demand, but came at extreme prices. In the beginning of the ‘Age of Exploration’, Portugal was in the forefront with the early explorers Henry the Navigator, Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeira, and Diogo Silves discovering the Madeira Islands, the Azores, and the exploration of Africa respectively, but King John the II of Portugal was unconvinced by Christopher Columbus’s pleas to fund his plan to sail West to the East Indies. Columbus made many demands for self-profit, including ten percent of any riches with which he returned, and even an ‘Admiralty’. Subsequently, Columbus took his plans to Queen Isabella of Spain. Spain acquiesced, and Columbus set off on his fateful journey. The Roman Catholic Church was very interested in expanding the Christian faith during this time and applied its influence on the monarchy. Religion also played a large personal role as Columbus truly believed that God spoke to him, and guided his hand. Additionally, at this time in Europe, land and food were at a premium. The monarchs of the era were fully aware that the acquisition of more land, slave labor and possible natural resources would greatly increase their power, prestige and subsequent wealth. After learning of Columbus’ successful return and the Treaty of Tordesillas (which divided the New World between Spain and Portugal), King Henry VII of England threw his hat into the ring and sent John Cabot sailing from Bristol on an attempt to find a shorter route to the ‘Indies’. Not to be left out in ...

    Read More

  • European Imperialism In Africa In The 20th Century

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    The results of European colonialism shows that the aim of colonialism is to exploit the human and economic resources of an area to benefit the colonizing nation. As a result, the nation that is colonized is affected negatively. In reality, how Europe really affected Africa as a whole is much

    Read More

  • history 111

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Age of Exploration in Europe developed along with the Renaissance. In Western history, both periods served as transitional movements between the early modern and Middle Ages periods. The evolution as well as advancement of abroad exploration was fueled by competition between growing European empires like England and Spain. The size as well as the influence of European empires expanded greatly during this time as it was motivated by profit, religion and power. The exploration’s effects were felt both abroad as well as in the geographical boundaries of Europe itself. The political, cultural and economical influences of Europe’s early stages of international exploration affected the continuing development of European society as well as the whole world.

    Read More

  • European Imperialism in Africa and Asia

    1516 Words  | 4 Pages

    Introduction: The epoch of imperialism cannot be defined simply as a proliferation of inflated egos tied to the hardened opinions of nationalists, but also a multi-faceted global rivalry with roots of philosophies tainted with racism and social Darwinism. The technique of each imperialist was specific to the motivations and desires of each combative, predominantly Western power and subsequently impacted the success of each imperialist and its colonies. Driven by industrialization, Europeans are aware of the urgent need for raw materials and new markets to maintain a constant rate of expansion and wealth. Imperialism became a competition; in general, the European countries led with fervor while the non-Western regions deemed likely to be stepped on.

    Read More

  • The Proliferation of Technology in Developing Countries

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thomas Friedman contends that globalization 1.0 shrunk the world from large to medium and countries and governments were the main protagonists. The governments of countries would finance explorers like Christopher Columbus to discover new parts of the world to enhance trade and commerce. The governments financed the explorers through the exports of manufactured goods and by taxing nobles and their manors. Globalization 1.0 lasted from 1492 until the early 1800’s. This era was the beginning of a global arbitrage. Countries were the dynamic change agents during this phase of globalization. For example, Spain explored South America, Britain colonized India, and Portugal colonized East Asia. The data that was gathered by business managers during this period included maps, trade routes, the languages of the indigenous people, and new kinds of trade goods that could be procured from the new world such as gold, silver, corn, and potatoes.

    Read More

  • What Caused World War One?

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    Secondly, imperialism defines the action of colonising other states to acquire additional territories for the nation while expanding their power and wealth. Imperialism increased because countries sought to develop their empires as every country desired new markets and natural resources during the Industrial Revolution (Van Tol et al. 2012). Moreover, European nations that were already industrialised sought colonies to extend their influence in the world that was full of competition. Due to the tense competitions i...

    Read More

  • Historiography of Globalization

    1564 Words  | 4 Pages

    The study of globalization is a lengthy and complicated one. Referring to globalization in terms of Archaic, Proto, and Modern is not helpful because doing so contributes to the myth of globalization forged purely by dramatic new linkages by the Europeans in the face of a diminishing role of older connections. I will define each stage of globalization with regard to the current model, the onrush of each stage of globalization in terms of older patterns in both India and China, and finally how the British empire took advantage of these preexistent linkages to bring about Modern globalization in both India and China;all in hopes of dispelling the Eurocentrism present in the current explanation of Globalization.

    Read More

  • The Enlightenment Era and The Ottoman Empire

    1528 Words  | 4 Pages

    The motivations that drove the forces of both colonialism in the 15th and 16th centuries as well as imperial expansion in the 19th and 20th centuries overlap in several key ways. One of the major factors that initially drove the expansion of empire abroad was the desire to spread religion and bring enlightenment and salvation to the 'savages' of the world. This became evident in the Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica, in which the efforts of missionaries to convert and teach that native people played a large part in the success of their expansion into those territories. In many ways, the power of religion was very closely tied to the power of the state in the colonial era, and it was often the case that increased control in one sphere would be mirrored in the other. In the centuries that followed, religion became in some ways a less significant motivation for colonialism, however it did remain a prominent factor.

    Read More

  • Late Modernity: The High Tide of Imperialism

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beginning in the 1850’s, European states engaged in an intense scramble for overseas territories. This “new imperialism” led Europeans to carve up parts of Asia and nearly all of Africa and create colonial empires. Within these empires, European states exercised complete political control over the indigenous societies and regularly redrew political boundaries to meet their needs. During the scramble for new markets and territories, the indigenous peoples were often subjugated, dominated and marginalized. In return, countries in Africa and Asia gained the technology and capital that, over a period of time and development, improved their quality of life. Justifying imperialistic actions often caused tensions in political, economic, and social spheres of influence during late modernity.

    Read More

  • Peace in the Middle East

    1981 Words  | 4 Pages

    Colonialism refers to the time period between the 15th and 20th centuries where more powerful host nations would occupy and control lesser nations in order to bring profit and power to the host nation. The justification was that they were bringing civilization and often, religion to the local populace, but in reality, they mostly brought subjugation, persecution, death and displacement. Regions in the Middle East were occupied and controlled in much the same way as the original 13 colonies of the United States o...

    Read More

  • The Effect of Colonialism On The World

    1363 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sometime I think about the problems and effects that colonialism have caused in the whole world. Is it good or bad? “Colonialism has always had a bad reputation” (1). I suppose in essence, for the people being colonized, it cannot be a good thing. The world wide scramble for colonies, particularly in the late 19 early 20th centaury, had a tremendous negative effects on the economic, social, and political structures of indigenous, non-industrialized people. The idea of colonialism is to take resources from one country to use for the benefit of the colonizing country. “Colonialism is the extension of a nation's sovereignty over territory and people outside its own boundaries, often to facilitate economic domination over their resources, labor, and markets. The term also refers to a set of beliefs used to legitimize or promote this system, especially the belief that the mores of the colonizer are superior to those of the colonized.”(2). Some may argue they did it out of religion: to spread the gospel. But in reality, it comes from the power to fight back within Europe. It is a competition in resources, military muscles, political programs, at a time when Europe began its successful age.

    Read More

  • The Five Wars of Globalization

    1438 Words  | 3 Pages

    Globalization in its context existed before the 1980s, where individual around the world had interconnected relationships with one another in trading economic resources internationally. In early 17th and 18th cen...

    Read More

  • British Imperialism: Impact Of Colonialism In India And Rwanda

    408 Words  | 1 Pages

    Colonialism is a specific form of imperialism in which the colonizing nation exerts forthright power over the colonized country through economic, military, or political methods. While most people can agree that most parts of colonialism were brutal forms of economic exploitation, some argue that one form of colonialism was more beneficial to the colonized state than others. By examining the history and present impact of colonialism in both India and Rwanda it is clear…..

    Read More

  • The Effects of Imperialism in Africa

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout history, imperialism has led countries to extend their rule over weaker countries and then colonized those countries to expand their own power. Imperialism allows the ruling countries to use the weaker countries for their resources. Colonizing other countries would then lead to growth and a better reputation for the dominating country. There are many examples of imperialism throughout European history. When many European countries “scrambled” for Africa, it seemed as though Africa had no say in anything. During the 19th century, Europe found a way to use Africa for their own growth and power. Using Africa for their resources, the Europeans colonized Africa without a second thought. European imperialism in Africa had a negative impact because of social disarray, cultural loss, and death it caused.

    Read More

  • Globalization: A Form of Colonialism

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    Colonialism was a concept of superiority of one territory over another; it was a concept that originated centuries ago. Colonialism had been put into action throughout a long line of history and did not end after World War II in 1945. Even with resistance and efforts from independent states after the war, colonialism did not disappear and continued as a dominant system. It remained and changed its form, resulted in the process of globalization, which continued to control over newly independent states following World War II. Globalization, a form of colonialism, maintained power for the system over states or regions through economic terms with the development of the World Bank, and its derivation of structural adjustments. This financial institution was formed and contributed to colonialism; it assisted in the economic affairs of colonized nation(s). Along with class, professor Manfred B. Steger's book, Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, and I.B. Logan and Kidane Mengisteab's article, "IMF – World Bank Adjustment and Structural Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa," discussed the indirect rule of colonial powers through globalization.

    Read More

More about Globalisation Assignment

Open Document