British colonial policy- The British Empire comprised the dominions, ] colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom (UK), that had originated with the overseas colonies ] and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

British colonial policy by regarding the colonies not as integral parts of the home country but as countries with their own civilisation and values allowed and facilitated in some ways the greatest amount of autonomous development. There was far greater “sharing of the gains of colonialism’ between the colonial masters and the native peoples.

The latter were, gradually over a period of J time, accorded an increasing share in the system of governance and their views were taken into consideration in an important matter affecting them, j For example, this was done through various Acts passed by British parliament, j such as Indian Council Acts of 1892 and 1909 etc.

As a result there was less j disruption and greater accommodation of traditional values and ways of life. 1 The British invested a great deal in some colonial such as India, Ceylon and Malaya. By the 1940s there was a feeling that colonial rule imposed responsibility for the well-being of the dependent peoples and greater acceptance of the need to end colonialism speedily.

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French colonial policy:

French colonialism adopted in contrast a policy of economic, political and cultural assimilation i.e. the colonies especially in the case of Africa, were seen as part of the mother country. For example, political leaders from the colonies could stand for election to the French National Assembly, the lower House of parliament, the best example being Humphrey Boigny from the Ivory Coast who became a member of the French Communist party.

There was greater disruption in the traditional culture. The French continued to invest in the colonies even after the Second World War and found it very difficult to adjust to the idea of decolonisation until the revolution in Algeria in 1958. Even then they decided on retaining close ties and aid to their former colonies leading to many of them being described by their neighbours in Africa as “neo-colonial satellites” of France. Yet French colonialism is similar to British in so far as it did not rely on use of force to govern, compared to our two other models.

Portuguese Colonialism:

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Portuguese colonialism provides in some ways the greatest contrast. It is based much more on use of force and even as some has pointed out, racial prejudice. Oldest among the colonial powers, it hung on to some of its colonies till 1975, long after the other colonial powers had departed from their colonies.

It created a small “civilized” class among the large number of “uncivilized natives” and depended on them to help control and govern their colonies. The overwhelming majority of the colonial inhabitants remained illiterate and untouched by modernity, they were largely trained to work as labourers on land, industry, or in the mines.

There was also competition, and in fact violence between the local Africans and Portuguese labourers who emigrated in the hope of gaining goods hobs. It was only after uprisings such as the one in Angola in 1961, that reforms were announced and attempts made to provide some elements of self-governance.

Although investment took place in the colonies, it was rarely for the benefit of the colonial peoples. The underlying reason was that Portugal remained technologically a backward power in Europe and had to use direct and often oppressive methods of governance to control its colonies and prevent them from falling into British or French hands.

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It had a dictatorial form of government at home and was unable to overcome its own problems of poverty and illiteracy. Many scholars feel Portugal and Spain transplanted authoritarianism into Latin America which is evident even today in the lack of democracy on that continent, and frequent military take over in some of the Latin American countries.