Examining Colonialism as State Crime: History of Crime and Criminology

This essay examines colonialism through the lens of criminology, defining it as a state crime characterized by political control, economic exploitation, and human rights violations. It traces the historical evolution of colonialism, highlighting instances of oppression, forced labor, and the suppression of indigenous populations. The essay further explores the enduring impact of colonialism in the present day, manifested through economic inequalities, cultural hegemony, and neo-colonial practices. Examples such as China's policies in Tibet and the suppression of media are provided to illustrate the modern forms of colonialism. The essay argues that even democratic governments can engage in colonial practices through policies that marginalize certain communities and suppress dissent. It concludes by emphasizing the need for a critical understanding of colonialism's legacy and its continued relevance in shaping global power dynamics and social justice issues.

HISTORY OF CRIME AND
CRIMINOLOGY
Colonialism is a state crime: Past and Present

1
Crime has been given many definitions but in modern criminal law does not have simple and
universally accepted definition. In the layman terms, crime is stated as the unlawful act
punishable by state or other authority. One proposed definition is that a crime or offence is an
act harmful not only to persons but also to a society, state or the community. These acts are
punishable-by-law and forbidden (Salamanca, et al. 2012). Colonialism is understood as a
policy or practice of acquiring partial or full political control over another nation, occupying
it with settlers and exploiting it economically.
Colonialism was always understood as a crime that was done by one state over the others.
Numerous incidents took place when one state becomes the colony of others. The colonial
powers did not give people even the basic rights. Poverty and economic condition of the
people got bad day after day. The first thing that made colonisation a state crime is the fact
that basic rights of the people is taken and hence they are not able to live in an appropriate
manner. Extra burden in the form of taxes are imposed on the people’s daily life things
(Morgensen, 2011). This has impact on their livelihood. Their economic properties are seized
by the colonial governments which again has impact on their condition in the society. If they
are unable to give the taxes or they did not follow the rules made by the colonial government,
people were treated poorly and sometimes inhuman behaviour was done with them. This is
also the case if the people fight for their rights. For instance the cases of Jallianwala Bagh
massacre were many people were killed just because they were gathering against the British
government. Censorships become so much powerful that even the basic rights of the people
to have public debates and express their feelings come under the question. They do not have
the power to form unions and fight for their demands. It’s the colonial powers that decide
everything about the state. The policies were not made seeking the problems that are faced by
the people but according to the resource requirements that these colonial powers have. When
the demand in the industries of European region increased they forced the farmers of both
Caribbean region and that of India to produce more crops for them (Strakosch and Macoun,
2012). They were forced to do even after continuous opposition from the farmers and even
they were not given proper money for growing these crops. At the same time, they were also
not allowed to grow the general crops such as wheat and rice which has reduced their income.
Land resources have been converted into source for the industry.
There were historical evidences that the people who were sometimes one of the rich classes
in the history became poor due to the colonial rule within the country. The biggest examples
were the tribal and farmers who owned properties in the past become deprived of lands and

2
properties. The development is only of the people that remained closer to the colonial powers.
Colonial people always understood them as the superior than the people who were ruled and
hence all the low grade works were done by the people that came from the ruled states
(Langbehn and Salama, 2011). There were incidents where people were treated like animals
without even giving them food. The slave trade was a common practice in the colonial states
where people were traded like commodities based on the skills they have and also in the place
wherever required.
The state crime can also be understood in terms of the fact that many of the prisoners were
not even being given the chance to prove their innocence and they were held without trails for
so many years. The laws were also moulded as per the need of the colonial powers (Pheko,
2012). The oppressions were so big that it even led to failure of state that was under the rule.
The colonial powerhouses deprived people from their rights to education. This was the major
reason why the colonial nations had a poor educational infrastructure when compared with
the countries that were colonial powers. Crime is also done by the colonial powers in terms of
the fact that there was no equal treatment of the people as the people who felt themselves as
superior tends to treat others not even with basic practices. There was state stealing of the
items that was integral part of the wealth of the colonised country (Van Dommelen, 2012).
For instance Kohinoor which was a part of the princely state was taken by the British
government as a part of the treasury. The local leaders who tried to protest against the
problems they were facing were put into the jail.
Colonisation is some parts of the world exist even till today. It is just that the forms of
colonisation have changed. The forms of colonial powers have changed. It is also the fact that
colonisation was previously done in a harsh manner but now there is some leniency. The best
example of it is the China enforcing their power within Tibet. They have not given the people
of Tibet even the local authorities to govern themselves as a unique state (González-Ruibal,
2016). Colonial rulers these days are elected by the people. The majority communities in
different parts of the world have come into existence and are overruling the communities that
are deprived. They are not respecting the people’s culture at local levels and are forcing their
culture on others. Since in today’s time there are people from different parts of the world
living in one country hence there is lesser chance that they can be exploited. It is also the fact
that the international institutions such as human rights commission and UN are playing a
bigger role in avoiding such incidents but still it is prevalent in today’s time. The leaders such
as Dalai Lama are not allowed to enter in their own nation by China as he is fighting for the

3
freedom of Tibet and the rights of the people there. Media reports do not comes out of these
parts of the world and at the same time government is also not allowing people to protest
against their rights.
Governments in the name of the privileged rights and also in the name of autonomy are trying
to supress people. Media rights and oppression on the basis of internal security is one of the
most common ways of implementing the colonial powers (Quintero, 2012). World is talking
about free media as media in most of the countries are under the pressure of the government.
It is also seen that in many countries due to the lack of strong political support many of the
people are losing their representation in the parliaments and hence their voices are not being
heard. Colonial practices are also being followed by the government in the form of the
policies that are made without the consent of people (Kobayashi and De Leeuw, 2010). In the
name of the harsh laws and nationalism many of communities especially the Muslims are
being threatened from different kinds of laws and in the name of terrorism. People in the
regions such as Kashmir in both Indian and Pakistan side are fighting for their proper life. In
the war between India and Pakistan, it is the people of Kashmir who are facing challenges as
both the governments are putting their armies to have control over the region.
The new form of colonisation differs from one that was in the past. This can be understood in
terms of the fact that in the previous times colonial powers and the colonies might belong to
two different continents but this was not the case in today’s time. Today’s it was done within
the nation’s own territory. The acquisition of the people’s land is also taken in the name of
development projects initiated by the governments (King, 2015). `Sometimes this is done
without even the consent of the people. In some of the countries where the judicial system is
not so powerful many of the people face challenges in fighting for justice and many people
are still help without any trials. Nationalism has become one of the best tools of the countries
to take the rights of people whether it is in the case of privacy of the people or in terms of
censorships that is used by the countries over what people are posting. New form of
colonisation is also different from the old time as the route that is taken by the government
differs. For instance previously the major approach to colonisation was in the name of
industrialisation while in today’s time it is done in shadows of national integrity and cultural
past.
Today governments do not name these colonialism ideology but they are practicing the same.
Even the democratic governments have also become colonist in some or the other terms

4
(Mishra, 2016). One thing that is common in past and present is that governments in both the
times were highly influenced by the capitalists.

5
References
González-Ruibal, A., 2016. : Colonialism and European Archaeology. In Handbook of
postcolonial archaeology (pp. 39-50). Routledge.
King, A.D., 2015. Urbanism, colonialism, and the world-economy. Routledge.
Kobayashi, A. and De Leeuw, S., 2010. Colonialism and the tensioned landscapes of
Indigeneity. The Sage handbook of social geographies, pp.118-138.
Langbehn, V. and Salama, M. eds., 2011. German colonialism: race, the Holocaust, and
postwar Germany. Columbia University Press.
Mishra, P., 2016. The Globalization of Rage: Why Today's Extremism Looks
Familiar. Foreign Aff., 95, p.46.
Morgensen, S.L., 2011. The biopolitics of settler colonialism: Right here, right now. Settler
Colonial Studies, 1(1), pp.52-76.
Pheko, M., 2012. Effects of colonialism on Africa’s past and present. Address at AZAPO
commemoration of African Liberation Day, Pimville Community Hall, Soweto, 26.
Quintero, J. 2012. Residual Colonialism In The 21St Century. [Online] Available at:
https://unu.edu/publications/articles/residual-colonialism-in-the-21st-century.html. [Accessed on
06th July 2019]
Salamanca, O.J., Qato, M., Rabie, K. and Samour, S., 2012. Past is present: Settler
colonialism in Palestine. Settler Colonial Studies, 2(1), pp.1-8.
Strakosch, E. and Macoun, A., 2012. The vanishing endpoint of settler colonialism. Arena
Journal, (37/38), p.40.
Van Dommelen, P., 2012. Colonialism and migration in the ancient Mediterranean. Annual
review of anthropology, 41, pp.393-409.