During the 1800s and early 1900s, a wave of imperialism swept over Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The Western nations, pursuing new raw materials, established control, and became very powerful. The non-Western world obtained many benefits, such as industrialization and public education. While imperialism proved beneficial, it also resulted in warfare, racism, economic discrimination, and slavery. Both India and sub-Saharan Africa were affected by European imperialism.
Between 1750 and 1914, European imperialism in India and sub-Saharan Africa created a similar effect of poor treatment of natives, such as a decrease in jobs and economic instability. In contrast, India was influenced mainly by Britain, whereas multiple European countries, including Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Portugal, were involved with sub-Saharan Africa. Due to European imperialism, the treatment of the natives of India and sub-Saharan Africa was very poor and derelict, particularly among women and citizens of lower classes.
In India, Britain, the predominant administration amongst the Western countries, negatively affected the population in several ways. Instead of aiding the Indian economy, all profits from Indian raw materials were delivered to Britain. Textile mills that were built by the British decreased the need for local textile businesses, which were often run by women. Furthermore, British tax laws declared that local authorizes could confiscate unpaid land from peasants. Because of British colonial rule, India’s economy suffered, which caused misfortunes for the population.
In comparison, the consequences of European imperialism in sub-Saharan Africa also caused problems among the population. For example, African families were forced to split up; men worked in mines and on plantations, while women and children stayed in villages to grow food for survival. Distance between husbands and wives for long periods of time led to an increase in prostitution and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. In particular, women received fewer benefits from colonial rule. Private property rights were only given to males, and most jobs were reserved for men.
European imperialism sparked a change in economy, which deteriorated the treatment of the natives of India and sub-Saharan Africa. Western imperialism had a lasting effect on India and sub-Saharan Africa. However, unlike sub-Saharan Africa, Britain was the main Western power in India. In the beginning, the British East India Company financed the British military in India as well as economic development. During the early 1800s, Britain expanded their rule; British colonial authority was referred to as the Raj, which directly governed some cities, such as Bombay and Calcutta.
In other parts of India, Britain ruled indirectly through rajas and maharajas. This allowed the British to rule efficiently and at a low cost. France, another European country that desired to control India, tried to eradicate the British East India Trading Company, but failed due to a lack of governmental support. Therefore, Britain remained the dominant European power in India. In contrast, multiple countries influenced sub-Saharan Africa. Britain, France, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, and Germany all partook in the “Scramble for Africa,” a desperate race to claim territory in Africa.
All of the aforementioned Western countries established colonies in Africa, which roused aggression amongst them and led to the Berlin Conference in order to agree on boundary lines and rules for expansion. Although Western imperialism affected both India and sub-Saharan Africa, colonial rule in India was predominantly British, while European influence in sub-Saharan Africa came from a variety of countries. In India and sub-Saharan Africa, European imperialism was a driving force for industrialization and economic change.
In India, economic change spurred harsh treatment of the population, particularly women and the lower class. Similarly, sub-Saharan African women did not benefit as much as men from European colonial rule. While European imperialism caused many similar effects in India and sub-Saharan Africa, differences still existed. In India, Britain was the predominant power, which contrasted from the numerous European countries that influenced sub-Saharan Africa. Both India and sub-Saharan Africa were affected by Western imperialism, which led to poor treatment of natives, but differed in the predominant Western influence.
