anticolonial

Anti-colonialism is a political and social stance that opposes colonial rule and seeks self-determination for colonized peoples. It covers a range of movements, ideologies, and tactics aimed at ending foreign domination and establishing political, economic, and cultural independence.

Historically, anti-colonial sentiment emerged across empires and intensified in the 19th and early 20th centuries. After World War II, decolonization accelerated as nationalist movements demanded independence, aided by changes in international law, diplomacy, and global opinion.

Strategies varied: nonviolent mass mobilization, political organization, and sometimes armed struggle. Notable episodes include Gandhi's nonviolent campaign in India, the Algerian War of Independence, the Indonesian national revolution, and various African liberation movements that led to independence in the 1950s–1970s.

Theoretical and cultural critiques, including postcolonial analysis, examined how colonial power shaped economics, knowledge, and identity. Figures such as Frantz Fanon influenced debates about violence, decolonization, and development. The movement's legacy persists in ongoing discussions about sovereignty, development, and neocolonialism.

Today, anti-colonial perspectives inform debates on global justice, reparations, and the legacy of empire, even as many former colonies remain integrated into global economic systems. The term continues to reference efforts to resist domination and claim self-determination.