colonial masters
Foreign occupying powers
Colonial masters refers to the European powers—Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and others—that ruled territories in Africa, Asia, and the Americas from roughly the 16th through 20th centuries.
The phrase typically appears in postcolonial discourse, often with critical or ironic edge: The former colonial masters left behind arbitrary borders that still cause conflict.
It emphasizes the power imbalance inherent in colonialism, framing the relationship as one of domination rather than governance.
- imperialismExtending dominion over others
- empireDomain under unified control
- divide and ruleControl through fragmentation
- subjugationForcing into submission
- oppressionUnjust exercise of power
white man's burden · plantation · forced labor · exploitation · dominion · overlords · puppet government · settlers · conquest · territory · natives · rebellion · independence · sovereignty · crown · motherland · viceroy · occupation
- Guiana slaverySuriname, French Guiana, Demerara, maroons, plantation economy
- slaverychattel slavery, enslaved, slave, enslavement, slave traders
colonial mastersindigenous leaders
Native community authorities
indigenous peoples · native populations · sovereign nations · First Nations
colonial mastersindigenous peoples
Original inhabitants of lands
native populations · indentured laborers · subaltern · plantation workers
colonial mastersfreedom fighters
Armed opponents of oppression
independence leaders · liberation movements · nationalist leaders · resistance fighters · Mahatma Gandhi
colonial, masters, colony, colonies, colonist, colonists, colonize, colonized, colonizing