Colonisation

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The expressions colonization, colonization, and rarely also colonism in historical and political science denote the establishment and development of colonies (), i.e. the taking and settlement of land by colonizers or colonists. The colonized area may have been previously uninhabited or already inhabited by humans. In any case, colonization is the expansion of a society beyond its ancestral habitat.

The terms are used both for early cultures and for developments in modern times. Colonization in modern times can mean the seizure, settlement and development of hitherto unused areas of a state. In these cases, there is also talk of internal colonization (colonization) or “inner colonization”. But colonization can also mean expansive and aggressive usurpation and subsequent foreign rule by a people from another culture or by a foreign state power, i.e. colonialism. According to Wolfgang Reinhard, “historical colonization without colonialism was probably only rarely possible.”

Classification and conceptual delimitation
There was land seizure already in the Stone Age. Colonizations have existed since the emergence of advanced cultures. In addition to states, colonizers could also be territorial authorities (sub-states) or institutions (merchants, orders, privateers, pirates).

This early colonization is not bound to the modern notion of the creation of an overseas territory of a centralized state, but was associated with very different side effects. Colonization is fundamentally different from colonialism as a ruler. Colonization by expansion is called imperialism. Colonization, even if other reasons are officially mentioned or under discussion, has primarily economic reasons. For example, they secured access to resources (people, goods) in a foreign territory or state. This sometimes accompanied a depopulation of the conquered country (for example by forced resettlement). The reason was to secure power and prosperity. After all, already in Roman times, colonies opened up a market and cheap labor in the form of slaves and important raw materials. The fact that many territories conquered as colonies – often even very quickly – become independent plays no role in terms of initial motivation. Colonies, although sometimes appear to be integrated, are not complete parts of their respective motherland. In part, they are also mortgaged (Orkney), sold (Estonia, Alaska) or exchanged (Helgoland for Zanzibar).

Ancient
The oldest documented examples of the creation of dependent areas date back to the end of the 3rd and the middle of the 2nd pre-Christian millennium from advanced civilizations around the Levant. Presumably Sargon of Akkad already conquered all Mesopot