The domination of the political, cultural or economic life of a country or region by one country is called imperialism. (Esler, page 632) European imperialism began in the 1800s. "European nations conquered empires in the Americas after 1492, established colonies in India and Southeast Asia, and gained a foothold in the coasts of Africa and China. Despite this progress, between 1500 and 1800, Europe had little influence on the lives of the people of China, India or Africa. » (Esler, page 632) Then Europeans industrialized and believed that Western cultures were superior to all others. They felt that other countries were inferior to them and began to westernize. The causes of imperialism were multiple. One of the main causes of imperialism was their economic interests. Europeans had begun to industrialize. They needed cheap raw materials and markets. Industrialization demanded the need for it. Europe also needed a place to accommodate its growing population. Another cause of imperialism lies in political and military interests. Europe needed to stock up on coal and supplies. To do this, you need steam-powered warships and merchant ships. Nationalism also played an important role in the growth of imperialism. Humanitarian and religious goals were a cause of imperialism. Some Europeans had the impression that other countries were their “little brothers”. Europeans brought doctors, new medicine, law, and Christianity to the colonies. This was one of the positive effects of imperialism. Many called this the “white man’s burden.” The missionaries wanted to spread the word of Christianity to the lower lands. Some missionaries believed that to end some of the negative results of imperialism, one needed to convert people to Chr... middle of paper ...... by working together. “Over time, however, Muslims began to resent Hindu domination of the Congress party. » (Esler, p. 649) They felt that the Muslims were going to rise up against them. They established the Muslim League to pursue their own goals in 1906. European imperialism had both positive and negative effects on India. Some positive effects on India were: exposure to westernization, new medicines, laws and cultural diffusion. Some negative effects were that they disrespected and took away the beliefs of India. February 28, 2010, at http://regentsprep.org/regents/global/themes/imperialism/index.cfmWesseling, HL © 2004, European Colonial Empires (1815-1919) Pearson Education Limited 2004