5.2 西方殖民主义的历史背景
5.2 Historical Background of Western Colonialism
西方殖民帝国主义的起源,可以追溯到基督教时代欧洲各国君主之间的激烈对立。尽管这些君主在形式上都效忠于同一位教皇,彼此之间的争斗却从未停止。随后,欧洲列强开探索海路,越过地中海东部,专门抵达印度次大陆。这也促使欧洲人探索美洲,他们对个人财富的贪欲,导致了对那些无力自保的当地人民所犯下的种种暴行。
The origins of Western colonialist imperialism can be traced back to the bitter rivalry between the kings of Europe, during the Christian era. This conflict was despite their formal loyalty to the single Pope, who was common amongst them. European powers then explored sea routes, traversing beyond the Eastern Mediterranean to reach the Indian Subcontinent, specifically. This also led the Europeans to explore the Americas, whereby their lust for personal enrichment led to atrocities perpetrated upon the powerless people of those lands.
在亚洲和非洲的某些地区,暴行也曾发生。此外,当奥斯曼国家在伊斯兰历第十二世纪由世界的领导性国家沦落之时,欧洲获得了一个千载难逢的机会。于是,亚洲和非洲丰饶的财富骤然间向欧洲的殖民主义敞开了大门。
Atrocities were also perpetrated in certain regions of Asia and Africa. Furthermore, Europe attained a golden opportunity when the Ottoman State fell from being the leading state of the world, in the twelfth Hijri century. Thereupon, the abundant wealth of Asia and Africa was suddenly open for European colonialism.