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Merits and Demerits of
Imperialism
in
Political Science
Though today we consider imperialism altogether an evil
phenomenon, yet it has had certain supporters from time to time, who were
convinced of its advantages.
The theories of Fichte, Hegel and Darwin encouraged imperialism.
Thinkers like Glossritz, Bernhard, Nietzsche and Treitschke have been the
supporters of imperialism.
Treitschke said, “The state is the supreme in human society. The
right and wrong can only be decided by war”.
Overlord countries are benefited the most in imperialism because
they exploit the countries under them and make themselves and markets for the
disposal of finished goods. They also solve the problem of inhabiting their
additional population. They also solve the problem of inhabiting their
additional population.
They also enhance their influence in diplomacy because their
economic and military means increase manifold. In war also only those states
become victorious who have economic and military resources in abundance. The
British could become victorious in the First and the Second World War because
they ruled over a vast empire.
Benefits which dependent countries derive:
(1) The imperialists argue that the dependent countries are
benefited by imperialism because people of different cultures, races arid
nationalities are united under one banner and they become politically
conscious. It is said in the case of India that political unitywas
the result of imperialism.
(2) In a vast empire
different races get opportunity of mutual contacts and thus their outlook is
broadened.
(3) When many countries become a part and parcel of a vast
empire, they get trading facilities.
(4) When backward races get into touch with the developed
nations, they make a tremendous progress.
(5) The aggressiveness of the dependent countries is destroyed
and a new awakening and strength is infused into them.
Demerits of Imperialism:
The following are the disadvantages to
imperialist countries:
(1) The imperialist countries indulge in luxurious way of life
and thus they are unable to face the warrior nations.
(2) Because of the spirit
of autocracy, they lose many advantages.
Disadvantage to dependent countries:
The dependent countries are to face many hardships due to
imperialism.
The disadvantages to dependent countries are
as under:
(1) Because of imperialism there is a continuous exploitation of
the dependent nations. The dependent countries become the main source of supply
of raw material and consumers of finished goods of imperialist countries.
(2) The imperialist countries continuously try to expand their
language and culture in dependent countries and they offer jobs only to those
persons who possess a good knowledge of their language. Consequently, the
natives forget their own language, literature and history and they start thinking
that the foreign language, literature and history are better than theirs. It
dampens their passion for freedom.
(3) The imperialist countries encourage communal feelings among
the people of dependent countries to check the feeling of nationalism. It poisons
the whole life stream of those countries. The British employed these tactics in
India.
(4) Because of imperialism, the all-round development of
dependent countries is retarded.
(5) The imperialist
countries destroy the local-self institutions of dependent countries.
(6) Imperialism gives birth to wars. The imperialist countries
first of all fight with those countries that they want to conquer. Later on the
wage wars against each other, because their interests clash. This was the
reason for the start of the First and Second World Wars. It resulted in a
large-scale destruction of men and material.
(7) The imperialist countries adopt repressive policies and
commit atrocities on a large scale on the dependent people. They terrorise and
demoralise the people and thus the people of dependent countries have to face
many hardships.
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