To begin with, colonialism profoundly affected indigenous communities throughout the Indian subcontinent. While there is general agreement among scholars that colonialism negatively affected the mental health of Indians, little empirical research examines such conventions. A small but expanding body of research has begun to examine the impact of internalized colonialism among earlier subjugated populations.
Moreover, colonialism, embedded in mercantilist and imperialist ideologies, includes gaining political dominance over another country or group of people
with the main goal of economic development. European colonial powers were supported by their mother countries show effective control over colonies. Indian resistance to colonialism was met with brute land and sea military force that allowed the colonists to establish and maintain dominance.
Exclusionary government tactics implemented
Meanwhile, through exclusionary government and corporatist tactics, colonial powers were able to use indigenous elites and traditional powers as administrative support while relinquishing their power to make laws or advocate on behalf of their communities. Another popular strategy was “divide and conquer,” a perceptive effort by colonialists to deliberately weaken indigenous power structures. The separation of religious and tribal groups has contributed to the deepening of group differences in language, culture and ethnicity, which have led to the worsening of the current psychological phenomenon.
Besides, the main instrument of colonialism’s influence on the Indian psyche was the educational system. By condemning Indian culture in terms of its music, names, dance, marriage, inheritance system and discouraging them from being taught in schools, colonialism alienated people from their culture and instilled a sense of inferiority in the Indian psyche.
Colonialism destroyed Indian communities
Meanwhile, all of the above strategies helped the colonial powers, they were fulfilling their goals of exerting dominance and increasing revenue for mother countries.
However, these techniques were far less beneficial to Indians, as colonialism destroyed Indian communities and encouraged the degradation of Indian culture and instilled a belief in white supremacy.
