On the political side, European countries had heavy influence amongst politicians or rulers of African and Asian countries. In most cases, Europeans ruled their colonies with the help of, and sometimes completely through, intermediaries and collaborators. Because of their small numbers relative to local populations, most European colonizers resorted to indirect rule, relying on the governments that were already there but exerting control over their leaders. Now, this isn’t to say that indigenous rulers were simply puppets; often they retained real power. This was certainly true in India, where more than a third of the territory was ruled by Indian princes. For the most part Europeans could almost always rely on their superior military technology …show more content…
The establishment of global empires from 1850-1950 has truly shaped the world into what it is today. With powerful militaries, persuasive politicians, and determined missionaries, the West had major influence in African and Asian nation-states. Their control amongst these territories not only affected the people in them but people native to other, surrounding nations. That’s how strong of an influence the West had. All of the imperial powers changed the societies they ruled into a more modernized state, bringing them closer to the rest of the world economically, politically, and culturally. It also tightened the links between world societies. Yet, at the same time, these global empires nurtured divisions between the world’s people. The introduction to modern weapons and racial beliefs brought the Western nations to think of themselves as superiors amongst the rest of the world. And it was this feeling of superiority that caused tensions to rise exponentially eventually leading into the Cold War. Still, that did not stop the West from slicing up Africa and Asia like a pie and giving everyone a piece. It was during this time, the West strongly believed in their imperialistic actions because it was crucial for the survival of their states and