2 Theories of Imperialism and Colonialism
Introduction
An examination of the politics of underdevelopment must start with a con-
sideration of imperialism and colonialism. The importance of imperialism
in the histories of Third World countries cannot be exaggerated. So it is nec-
essary to know what social scientists have said about it as a foundation upon
which the present circumstances of underdevelopment rest.
The term ‘imperialism’ has been given many different meanings.
Sometimes it is defined as sovereignty over what were formerly independ-
ent political entities. For some it has meant a relationship of dependency
without necessarily involving the forceful annexation of territory which is
then placed under alien rule. In classical Marxism, and especially for
Hilferding, Bukharin and Lenin, imperialism referred to a stage of capital-
ism leading to political, economic and military rivalry and conflict between
the advanced capitalist countries at the turn of the nineteenth century
(Brewer, 1980, p. 80). In many formulations imperialism is associated with
colonialism. Economic exploitation combines with political domination
and the superimposing of European control over indigenous political
authority (Cohen, B. J., 1973, ch. 1). It has been taken to mean the economic
exploitation of weakness in another country, often associated more broadly
with a policy that aims to reverse the power relations between two countries
(Morgenthau, H. J., 1948, p. 42). After an exhaustive comparison of defini-
tions of imperialism, Cohen concludes that there are three necessary ele-
ments for such a relationship between countries to be said to exist:
inequality, domination, and a multiplicity of cause, not just economic.
Imperialism ‘simply refers to any relationship of effective domination or
control, political or economic, direct or indirect, of one nation over
another’ (Cohen, B. J., 1973, p. 16, emphasis in original).
22