Internal wars and unrest were prevalent in the 1800s. The Europeans, including Norwegians in South Africa, Madagascar and the Congo, believed that in order to get development underway and put an end to the Arabic slave trade, a state organisation was required. State-building is the essence of colonial rule. Naturally, political alienation became a problem. In order to evaluate colonial rule, it is also necessary to form an opinion on what would have happened without colonial rule, which shows just how complicated the whole issue is.
Opinions vary and are strongly coloured by political ideology and wishful thinking.
However, historical comparisons can be drawn with countries that were not colonised, such as Ethiopia and Thailand, with developments after independence and with early stages of European state building. Colonial rule demonstrates in pure form the element of force and exploitation that accompanies all nation-building and modern economic development. Research Magazine fom the University of Oslo.