Education is Power

European imperialists utilized many tactics to colonize Asia, Africa, and South America, but their primary tool to conquer, was superior education. Superior education, in the case of the era of colonization, which parallels with the European Industrial Revolution, eludes to technology. We have seen throughout history that superior technology enables a society to forcefully, and often unjustly, take for themselves what is not theirs. A society’s ability to conquer a land completely relies upon their technology, and the society they are conquering’s lack there of. A society’s technology is solely dependent upon their outside influence and education system.  This trend of education dictating a country’s fate, to conquer or be conquered, is blatantly clear in India, Korea, the Philippines, and Mexico’s story of colonization and independence.

When studying The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, we wrote letters to Balram in attempts to convey and convince Balram what the essential and most necessary aspects to a society are. To me, it is education and technology. See my next post for my letter to Balram! In the mean time, check out Ali’s blog on India, Lauren Carpio’s blog on Korea, Kathy’s blog on the Philippines, and Sarah’s blog on Mexico. European imperialists due to poor education systems, and inferior technology forcefully colonized all of these societies. As the British sought colonization of India via the East India Company, they gained power over India.  The East India Company began annexing states within India, which led to a war with the Nawabs. The British completely dominated battle “against Indian Nawabs due to the technological difference created by the Industrial Revolution.” Many Asian countries, particularly Korea, were subjected to isolationist policies, leaving them without negative and positive outside influence. Without foreign ideas to help them improve upon their technology, they were fiercely crushed by Japan. The Philippines are a perfect supporting example as to how technology is necessary for the improvement of a society. Kathy, in her blog about the Philippines, explains how Britain colonization did reap some benefits; a primary one being they did ultimately bring the superior technology to the Philippines. A final and legendary example of superior technology and education prevailing over others is Hernan Cortes’s colonization of the Aztecs. Hernan Cortes succeeded in running out the Spaniards and Aztecs in Tenochtitlan by means of superior technology and knowledge of medicine.

This trend of superior technology due to education civilians doesn’t seem like a coincidence to me. Time and time again, education and technology prevail and those without suffer. This phenomenon of colonization brought pain and suffering to many, but also brought education and technology to those without.