Colonialism refers to the establishment of rule by one country over another. In the modern period, western colonialism has had the greatest impact on India. The impact of colonial rule is distinguishable from all earlier rules because the changes it brought were far-reaching and deep.

To facilitate the smooth functioning of its rule, colonialism introduced a wide array of changes in every sphere, be it legal, cultural or architectural. Colonialism was a story apart in the very scale and intensity of the changes that it brought about. Some of these changes were deliberate while some took place in an unintended fashion.

Colonialism brought into being new political, economic and social structural changes. These structural changes were accompanied by cultural changes. For example, western education was introduced deliberately to create Indians who would manage British colonialism. However, instead it led to the growth of a nationalist and anti-colonial consciousness in an unintended manner.

There is a vital difference between the empire building of pre-capitalist times and that of capitalist times. The pre-capitalist conquerors benefited by exacting a continuous flow of tribute. On the whole, they did not interfere with the economic base. Colonialism is not just a topic in history but something which lives on in complex ways in our lives even today.