...the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas,[1][2][3] often by establishing colonies[4] and generally with the aim of economic dominance.[5] In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their religion, language, economics, and other cultural practices. The foreign administrators rule the territory in pursuit of their interests, seeking to benefit from the colonised region's people and resources.
Colonialism is a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one people to another.
Colonialism is the practice of one country taking full or partial political control of another country and occupying it with settlers for purposes of profiting from its resources and economy.
Above are a few definitios or meanings of Colonialism found in the internet. Notice that the definitions are so mild, nothing evil, nothing wicked, not cruel, nothing about massacres, genocides, oppression, suppression, atrocities, looting, plunder, slavery, torture, imprisonment, violation of human rights, etc etc.
These versions of Colonialism are what the white men, the practitioners of Colonialism, would want the innocents to believe. It is just control, domination, subjugation and occupation of other people's land only.
Nothing was mentioned about invading the land, killing and massacring the people, plundering and looting the land, no, they definitely did not rape the womenfolk or kill the young and old. They just walked into a land and took control of the people peacefully, the people would not resist, would not fight for their freedom and their way of life, or to protect their land and wealth. The people just surrendered to be ruled by the Colonialists...happily?
What is real about Colonialism is the attacking of another people by military force, weapons of war, to kill and subjugate the people and take control of their land, their possession and their freedom as human beans. The colonialists were the warlords, gangsters, the bandits, the robbers, the killers, murderers and rapists, many were blood thirsty savages.
Only after they have subdued their victims by force, when the victims became hapless, unable to fight back anymore, would the invaders, the colonialists start to rule with some semblance of peace, when there was no more need to kill, to suppress, repress, to torture or to commit atrocities and fear. The victims would by then have become the sheep, to be herded everywhere, to do the chores of the colonial masters like slaves, lucky to be paid a pittance or fed, if not for free labour. The land and everything belonged to the colonial masters aka the gangsters and bandits. See how elephants and beasts of burden go quietly doing their chores for their masters in peace, after they had been broken in? See how the sheep and pigs were marched into the abattoir without resistance when their time come? Consequences of Colonialism and coercion.
Before this state of forced tranquility is arrived at, many would have died, massacred or raped. Just like after WW2, the Americans were the victors and ruled the world in 'peace' with the Americans as the unchallenged rulers. But once the ruled are able to stand up to challenge the rulers and their 'rules based order', the rulers aka colonial masters, would bring out the whip or the guns to keep the unhappy to remain quiet, like sheep.
Under Colonialism or the Empire, the rest of the people are just docile sheep, living under the mercy of the colonial masters, the king or queen or the Emperor. There would be peace, with a ruling race, and the rest as sheep. Some may be happy under such an arrangement, like the Hongkies, so happy to live in peace under the British rule, as second class citizens if they are lucky. The people of Africa and many parts of the world would not accept the colonial masters 'rules based order' when they are second class to the colonial masters or the Empire. They have pride to want to live as free people, under their own laws, not the 'rules based order' of the Empire.
See how the Americans are trying to oppress and suppress the Russians, the Chinese, Iranians, North Koreans, the Latin Americans and Asians and South East Asians, the Arabs and Muslims, so that they remain the dominant race, the dominant power, the ruling class? There will be peace under the Pax Americana, when the Americans are the rulers, the superior race, bossing around with the ruled.
How many people would want it to be this way, to be ruled by the Americans under the American 'rules based order'? It is just another kind of Colonialism, when there is a ruling race benefitting from subjugating and controlling the other races.
Colonialism is an oppressive way of the strong controlling, bullying and oppressing the weak, started by killing and massacring them to rob them of their land, properties, human rights etc etc. It is something that cannot be treated as neutral or good. It was a white men's way to conquer and dominate the coloured people, another form of slavery at the national level.