It was sometime in the 1800s when powerful European nations dreamt of ruling the world, and soon, they had mastered it. This long journey started with the knock of industrialisation on European doors; capitalism was at the pinnacle of society during the era, and most of the western world was finding a way to strengthen its economy. Gradually, what emerged was long drawn out, suffering for more than two hundred years: colonisation.
Britain and France were two of the biggest players in the game; their greed for resources led to the brutal exploitation of the eastern part of the world. They fought for power, superiority, and not only exploited resources and shattered the economies but also broke down the colonised’s self-confidence and ignited the spark of racial discrimination.
In China, it all started with opium smuggling, but later, it gained a full monopoly over tea trade. In Africa, the colonisers first captured the coasts, and after a few years, made their way to its heart. Indonesia, Maldives, Burma were all pocketed by the colonialists. In India, the colonial narrative unfolded with the Farman of Emperor Jahangir that aided Captain Hawkins.
It was during the Battle of Plassey when an Indian turned on his own people that India finally became a colony of Great Britain.
Colonisation handicapped countries, causing innumerable famines, sinking health, draining wealth, exterminating political power and shattering humanity. It killed millions of people, murdered millions of dreams; the only thing imperialism did that was worth appreciating was that it gave birth to unity, integrity, sovereignty but most pertinently, democracy, which is how it dug its own grave.