Post Colonial World Essay Example for Free

Post Colonial World Essay Colonialism has been a large factor in the development of the world, particularly in the past three centuries, from the 18th to the 20th century. Colonialism has been so important because it was so widespread. With large historical empires like those of Great Britain and France reaching out and colonizing nations from India to the continent of Africa in hopes of being able to gain access to the natural resources found there, colonialism was to effect almost every nation in one way or another. While colonialism did open up the world to greater trade and disbursement of many aspects of another culture to Europeans and, eventually, to Americans, the colonizing of these countries created difficulties and problems in the colonized nations. The fact is that the post-colonial world is nothing but a product of the colonial period and colonialism creates a whole new set of problems that do not go away even after the colonizing nation has pulled out; in fact, more problems develop.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Colonialism was a major aspect of modern world history as it really did transform the world. The remnants of this can still be felt today. In Africa, many African nations have French or English as their official language, as in the Ivory Coast or South Africa, because of the lasting effects of colonialism. In England, remnants of their colonialism of India are still felt in things as small as a love of Indian cooking, and in India the memories of children being forced to learn at English schools are still remembered. The lasting effects go much deeper, however, than simpler a transference of a nation’s vibrant culture, or the adoption of an official language. Post-colonialism, in its essence, is the philosophy that many problems arise from colonizing a nation, not the least of which is the loss of a national identity and, perhaps even more unsettling, is the fact that when a empiric power pulls out of a colonized nation, leaving them alone to fight for themselves and create their own way, sometimes centuries after overtaking them, the colonized nation is lost and goes through a period of war and infighting to try and find their place in the world as their own nation, and not a puppet nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The many wars, uprising, and political instabilities found in post-colonial nations like India and many countries in Africa are directly related to the Colonial period. An example of this can be found in South Africa where long after the British had colonized the country the remnants of their civilization was left behind. Apartheid, in its ugliest form, was left behind and the way that the white people in South Africa treated the black people in their own homeland has been widely publicized, interpreted and studied in historical studies. Even today some tensions exist in South Africa and they are still trying to maintain their own national identity in the light of post-colonialism. This can be seen in nations around the world who have been colonized.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The colonial period was a time of large powerful empires and nations that did not have the means or the military might to defend themselves from being colonized. The countries that were colonized during this period faced problems that they had never faced before, including a lack of a national identity and having to deal with the fall out when their colonizing power pulled out. Much of the difficulties of the post-colonial period trace their roots back to the colonial period and most particularly to the ruling nation that took over their nation and changed their way of life.