Why This Conference?
Colonialism, from approximately the 15th century to the 20th century, was a phenomenon that gripped a large part of the world and radically altered the course of human history. The colonial empires established by European powers in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania permanently transformed not only political boundaries but also the social and ecoColonialism, from approximately the 15th century to the 20th century, was a phenomenon that gripped a large part of the world and radically altered the course of human history. The colonial empires established by European powers in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania permanently transformed not only political boundaries but also the social and enomic structures of those regions. Unfortunately, this transformation was often accompanied by violence, exploitation, and inhumane practices. Even today, the wounds inflicted by colonialism have not fully healed, because colonial regimes upended the social, economic, and political structures of the societies they targeted, causing traumas that would last for generations. Colonial administrations, with the crimes they committed for their own interests, cost millions of lives, destroyed countless cultural assets, and forced the regions they colonized into a prolonged cycle of dependency.
On the American continent, after European colonialism began in 1492, the Indigenous peoples experienced an unprecedented demographic collapse. Diseases brought from Europe, wars of conquest, and forced labor wiped out about 90% of the native population. Research shows that at the end of the 15th century the Indigenous population was around 60 million, which fell to only 6 million within a century. On the other hand, the African continent witnessed one of the most tragic scenes of colonial crimes. In the transatlantic slave trade, approximately 12 to 13 million Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas to serve the interests of European states. During this journey, over 1 to 2 million people perished aboard the ships, and millions more died during the capture and transport processes. Enslaved people were torn from their homelands and condemned to inhumane conditions, while the societies left behind lost their populations and productive capacity. In addition, the forced rubber collection regime in King Leopold II’s personal colony of the Congo is remembered for mass punishments and massacres. According to colonial era records, the Congolese population declined by millions during this period, and modern estimates suggest the population loss may have approached 10 million. These atrocities, of which there are dozens or even hundreds of examples, are the clearest proof that colonialism inflicted irreparable human and economic harm on societies.
The dominance of colonial powers in Asia also led to heavy human costs. For example, the British Empire’s colonial administration in India economically exploited the people while creating severe famines and poverty. Comprehensive historical research has revealed that during the period 1881–1920, when British rule was at its peak, colonial policies caused approximately 100 million “excess deaths” in India. This number constitutes one of the largest policy driven mass deaths in a single region in history, and is even greater than the total of the major famines that occurred under various regimes in the 20th century. Under colonial administration, the transfer of agricultural production and resources to the metropole paved the way for millions of people to perish from hunger and disease. As a result, India experienced economic decline during the colonial period, and extreme poverty and low living standards became permanent.
Colonialism did not only cause loss of life; it is also remembered for its policies of systematic cultural destruction. Many colonial administrations suppressed the languages, religions, and traditions of indigenous peoples, imposing cultural assimilation through tools such as missionary activities and compulsory education. For example, the residential school system imposed on Indigenous peoples in Canada aimed to create “model citizens” by separating children from their families and distancing them from their own culture and languages. Such practices are today described as “cultural genocide” by scholars and human rights advocates.
Similarly, in the lands they occupied, colonial powers destroyed religious and cultural artifacts and libraries, or carried them off to Europe. In this context, many nations lost not only their populations and material resources, but also a significant portion of their cultural heritage during the age of colonialism. Colonialism also established an order that made the occupied regions economically dependent. Throughout the colonial period, colonies were used as sources of raw materials and labor; industrialization or self sufficient economic development was largely hindered.
Monoculture agricultural economies and trade structures dependent on external markets were deliberately encouraged by colonial administrations. This led to many former colonies being condemned to fragile economies and unfair global trading conditions even after independence. Indeed, post-colonial neo-colonial relationships and the unequal structures of the global economy continued former colonies’ dependence on the metropoles in new forms. For this reason, the “wounds” caused by colonialism have not been fully healed.
Humanity Transcending Ages: A History of Unaddressed Colonial Crimes
