The godfathers of postcolonialism

The Sati of Ramabai, the wife of the high nobleman Madhavrao, 1772. The British Governor General Lord William Bentinck banned widow burning in 1829

The Sati of Ramabai, the wife of the high nobleman Madhavrao, 1772. The British Governor General Lord William Bentinck banned widow burning in 1829

How does what is known today as postcolonial thinking come about historically, where do its characteristics come from, what historical structures and processes do they reflect? Here one will first have to deal with the actual development of anti-colonialism, insofar as it already develops the ideologemes that virtually define post-colonialism to this day.

These are, first and foremost, shaped by the very specific class character of colonial rule. The colonial power normally encounters an existing, relatively static class society: it is traditionally legitimized by religion, its economy and thus the revenues of the ruling class are based on serfdom, direct expropriation of the rural population and often also on slavery; The circulation of goods is oriented towards the luxury consumption of the upper class, which is satisfied by a relatively small artisan community operating with traditional techniques. In this general form, cum grano salis applies to both African coastal kingdoms and Asian sultanates or theocracies.

The complete destruction of the existing social order remains the exception; Rather, colonial powers make use of what exists, co-opt part of the upper class and gradually train locals in administration and the military.

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