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Aftermath of Imperialism, Colonization, and “The Sphere of Influence” Narratives
The Imperialism, Colonization, and “The Sphere of Influence” Narratives had significant effect on Indochina, the Middle East and the African regions. These three regions were the subject of multiple form encounters from European conquerors, explorers, navigators, missionaries and merchants as well as other people and cultures throughout the past four centuries. Such encounters can be explained in the form of double aspect at a narrative and a practical level. Therefore, colonization, conquest, and trade led to co existence or domination modes along with transcultural relationships (Castillo, 26). In Indochina, Africa, and the Middle East these kinds of narratives led explanations attempting to interpret the nature and origin of cultural and racial (social, religious, and linguistic) diversity.
At this time, there were observations on alien cultures, societies, and religious practices thus broadening human social forms debate. Ultimately, this led to the critical reappraisal of a Christian civilization from Europe. These European observations and impressions were recorded in juridical, historical, religious, and philosophical literature. The rapid growth of European expansion through the Middle East, Indochina, and Africa provided the European community with an opportunity of learning other phenomena beyond the Atlantic through imperialism (Roberts, 31). In the course of these discoveries, several problems emerge related to the nature and origins, future of the affected nations, and the history.
For example, it lead to debates concerning the nature and origin of Amerindians thus giving rise to a number of conflicting explanations over the subsequent period. In accordance with a biblical point of view, they are descendants of Adam who survived the great flood by migrating to un-submerged land, in this case Asia. Another argument is the polygenic view that holds they resulted from acts of creation different from those accounted for in the book of Genesis. Evolutionism and diffusionism were two further explanation attempts proposed to give an account of the Native American origin (Roberts, 48).
With the above consideration is the connected problem of history and social forms. The European culture exhibited gradual tendency of analyzing different social organizations and cultures that developed to disciplines of historical sociology, anthropology, and ethnography. Missionaries especially engaged themselves in endeavors of understanding new cultures and their practices. They explored savagery and barbarism concepts especially in the African continent. This evidence is supported by writings, which had a seemingly scientific bearing. They argue colonization and the sphere of influence led to competitive struggles among the natives for natural resources and land propelled by antipathy (Suri, 29).
In addition, encounters from imperialism, colonization and the sphere of influence led to significant problems in the Middle East including differences in the races. Genetics has since established mixing of populations through migration paths to the Middle East. This influence led to other problems such as the perception that natives in the Middle East were a primitive society, and that their adoption of the European culture was a fundamental for their attainment of a civilized status. In addition, from the start of the European imperialism and colonization overseas, there was the development of problem of seizing the native families and individuals and thereafter transporting them to Europe. They were then used as slaves, or served the purpose of and sources of information for research. At certain cases, non-Europeans were abducted, with the intention of being used as examples to pass the message of European supremacy and Superiority (Roberts, 67). The influence of the European society had significant impact in the Indochina and Middle East region with some problems in Africa such as scramble for natural resources still prevalent.
Works Cited
Castillo, Susan P, and Ivy Schweitzer. A Companion to the Literatures of Colonial America. Malden, Mass: Blackwell Pub, 2005. Print.
Roberts, J M. History of the World. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 2003. Print.
Suri, Jeremi. “The Cold War, Decolonization, and Global Social Awakenings: Historical Intersections.” Cold War History. 6.3 (2006): 353-363. Print.
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