---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: British rule meant not democracy…"
description: "\"“British rule meant not democracy -colonialism is almost by definition underdemocratic - but limited constitutional liberalism and capitalism”\" — Faree..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/fareed-zakaria-3805_british-rule_british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonia_1118923.png"
---

#  British rule meant not democracy -colonialism is almost by…

![“British rule meant not democracy -colonialism is almost by definition underdemocratic - but limited constitutional liberalism and capitalism” quote by Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/fareed-zakaria-3805_british-rule_british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonia_1118923.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/fareed-zakaria-3805_british-rule_british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonia_1118923.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/fareed-zakaria-3805_british-rule_british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonia_1118923.png)

> ““British rule meant not democracy -colonialism is almost by definition underdemocratic - but limited constitutional liberalism and capitalism””

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The statement critiques British colonial rule as lacking true democracy, offering limited liberalism and capitalism.

**In simple terms:** British colonial rule lacked true democracy.

Key Takeaway

Recognize limits of colonial governance.

Themes

colonialism democracy political economy

Mood

analytical critical

Type

historical political

When to use this quote

- colonial history
- political reform
- economic policy

Key Concepts

historical analysis political theory economic systems

Questions to Reflect On

- How did colonial policies shape current political systems?
- What reforms can address these democratic deficits?

A Different Perspective

Colonial legacies still affect modern governance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[British rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-rule/) [Colonialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colonialism/) [Colonialism Definition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colonialism-definition-3016646/) [Democracy Colonialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-colonialism-3016644/) [Underdemocratic Limited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underdemocratic-limited-3016645/)

## Related quotes

> [The collectors of revenue and the policeman are the only symbols by which millions in India's villages know British rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-collectors-of-revenue-and-the-policeman-are-the-only-symbols-by/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [What is the true and original root of Dutch aversion to British rule? It is the abiding fear and hatred of the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/what-is-the-true-and-original-root-of-dutch-aversion-to-british-rule/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [To and for the establishment, promotion and development of a Secret Society, the true aim and object whereof shall be for the extension of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-rhodes/to-and-for-the-establishment-promotion-and-development-of-a-secret/)

[Cecil Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-rhodes/)

> [The Government which attacks its own innocent subjects has no claim to be called a civilised government. Bear in mind, such a government does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lala-lajpat-rai/the-government-which-attacks-its-own-innocent-subjects-has-no-claim/)

[Lala Lajpat Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lala-lajpat-rai/)

> [Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/among-the-many-misdeeds-of-the-british-rule-in-india-history-will/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [Christianity in India is inextricably mixed up for the last hundred and fifty years with the British rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/christianity-in-india-is-inextricably-mixed-up-for-the-last-hundred/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [That more than 90 per cent of the Indian population should continue to be illiterate even after 175 years of British rule in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syama-prasad-mukherjee/that-more-than-90-per-cent-of-the-indian-population-should-continue/)

[Syama Prasad Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syama-prasad-mukherjee/)

> [“Atlantic island under British rule that isn't quite the tropical paradise you'd expect”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/atlantic-island-under-british-rule-that-isn-t-quite-the-tropical/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The Africans were oftentimes allied with the antagonist of the Republic. Now, you may want to step back and ask yourself why that might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/the-africans-were-oftentimes-allied-with-the-antagonist-of-the/)

[Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/)

> [ There are no Rohingya among the races \[in Burma\]. We only have Bengalis who were brought for farming \[during British rule\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thein-sein/there-are-no-rohingya-among-the-races-in-burma-we-only-have-bengalis/)

[Thein Sein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thein-sein/)

> [Why should we not form a secret society with but one object the furtherance of the British Empire and the bringing of the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-rhodes/why-should-we-not-form-a-secret-society-with-but-one-object-the/)

[Cecil Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-rhodes/)

> [The shots that hit me are the last nails to the coffin of british rule in India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lala-lajpat-rai/the-shots-that-hit-me-are-the-last-nails-to-the-coffin-of-british/)

[Lala Lajpat Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lala-lajpat-rai/)

> [“Jawaharlal Nehru, who wrote in a 1936 letter to an Englishman, Lord Lothian, that British rule is ‘based on an extreme form of widespread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-tharoor/jawaharlal-nehru-who-wrote-in-a-1936-letter-to-an-englishman-lord/)

[Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-tharoor/)

> [“British rule also left its mark on Hong Kong in a more important and sustainable way. It led to the rise of a people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-tsang/british-rule-also-left-its-mark-on-hong-kong-in-a-more-important-and/)

[Steve Tsang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-tsang/)

> [British rule depends upon repression and collaboration and the Irish people should recognise that those who collaborate with Britain in exchange for a slice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/british-rule-depends-upon-repression-and-collaboration-and-the-irish/)

[Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/)

## More by Fareed Zakaria

> [I grew up in Mumbai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/i-grew-up-in-mumbai/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [“The political history of the twentieth century is the story of greater and more direct political participation. And success kept expanding democracy's scope. Whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/the-political-history-of-the-twentieth-century-is-the-story-of/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [No successful political transition can take place without leaders and movements that demand and press for freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/no-successful-political-transition-can-take-place-without-leaders-and/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [“For years many in the oil-rich states argued that their enormous wealth would bring modernizations. They pointed to the impressive appetites of Saudis and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/for-years-many-in-the-oil-rich-states-argued-that-their-enormous/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [It all looks American because America, the country that invented mass capitalism and consumerism, got there first. the impact of mass capitalism is now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/it-all-looks-american-because-america-the-country-that-invented-mass/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [If you listen to the political discourse in America today, you would think that all our problems have been caused by the Mexicans of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/if-you-listen-to-the-political-discourse-in-america-today-you-would/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [Thanks to the Communist Party of China, we now know the path to poverty alleviation is Capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/thanks-to-the-communist-party-of-china-we-now-know-the-path-to/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [I very much want to be in the business of creating content, of doing stories all over the world rather than figuring out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/i-very-much-want-to-be-in-the-business-of-creating-content-of-doing/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [It's not possible for two countries to be the leading dominant political power at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/it-s-not-possible-for-two-countries-to-be-the-leading-dominant/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [Some have said that the clash between Catholicism and Protestantism illustrates the old maxim that religious freedom is the product of two equally pernicious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/some-have-said-that-the-clash-between-catholicism-and-protestantism/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [I am an American, not by accident of birth but by choice. I voted with my feet and became an American because I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/i-am-an-american-not-by-accident-of-birth-but-by-choice-i-voted-with/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [“What we need in politics today is not more democracy but less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/what-we-need-in-politics-today-is-not-more-democracy-but-less/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [We have the leading companies and the leading sectors in the advanced industrial world, we have an incredibly dynamic society, and we have high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/we-have-the-leading-companies-and-the-leading-sectors-in-the-advanced/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [What we see today is an American economy that has boomed because of policies and developments of the 1950s and '60s: the interstate-highway system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/what-we-see-today-is-an-american-economy-that-has-boomed-because-of/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

> [If a senator calls me up and asks me what should we do in Iraq, I'm happy to talk to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/if-a-senator-calls-me-up-and-asks-me-what-should-we-do-in-iraq-i-m/)

[Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

[Explore all 121 Fareed Zakaria quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/)

## More British rule quotes

> [The collectors of revenue and the policeman are the only symbols by which millions in India's villages know British rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-collectors-of-revenue-and-the-policeman-are-the-only-symbols-by/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“British rule also left its mark on Hong Kong in a more important and sustainable way. It led to the rise of a people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-tsang/british-rule-also-left-its-mark-on-hong-kong-in-a-more-important-and/)

[Steve Tsang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-tsang/)

> [“Jawaharlal Nehru, who wrote in a 1936 letter to an Englishman, Lord Lothian, that British rule is ‘based on an extreme form of widespread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-tharoor/jawaharlal-nehru-who-wrote-in-a-1936-letter-to-an-englishman-lord/)

[Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-tharoor/)

> [The shots that hit me are the last nails to the coffin of british rule in India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lala-lajpat-rai/the-shots-that-hit-me-are-the-last-nails-to-the-coffin-of-british/)

[Lala Lajpat Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lala-lajpat-rai/)

> [Why should we not form a secret society with but one object the furtherance of the British Empire and the bringing of the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-rhodes/why-should-we-not-form-a-secret-society-with-but-one-object-the/)

[Cecil Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-rhodes/)

> [ There are no Rohingya among the races \[in Burma\]. We only have Bengalis who were brought for farming \[during British rule\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thein-sein/there-are-no-rohingya-among-the-races-in-burma-we-only-have-bengalis/)

[Thein Sein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thein-sein/)

> [The Africans were oftentimes allied with the antagonist of the Republic. Now, you may want to step back and ask yourself why that might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/the-africans-were-oftentimes-allied-with-the-antagonist-of-the/)

[Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/)

> [“Atlantic island under British rule that isn't quite the tropical paradise you'd expect”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/atlantic-island-under-british-rule-that-isn-t-quite-the-tropical/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [That more than 90 per cent of the Indian population should continue to be illiterate even after 175 years of British rule in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syama-prasad-mukherjee/that-more-than-90-per-cent-of-the-indian-population-should-continue/)

[Syama Prasad Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syama-prasad-mukherjee/)

> [Christianity in India is inextricably mixed up for the last hundred and fifty years with the British rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/christianity-in-india-is-inextricably-mixed-up-for-the-last-hundred/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/among-the-many-misdeeds-of-the-british-rule-in-india-history-will/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [The Government which attacks its own innocent subjects has no claim to be called a civilised government. Bear in mind, such a government does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lala-lajpat-rai/the-government-which-attacks-its-own-innocent-subjects-has-no-claim/)

[Lala Lajpat Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lala-lajpat-rai/)

> [To and for the establishment, promotion and development of a Secret Society, the true aim and object whereof shall be for the extension of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-rhodes/to-and-for-the-establishment-promotion-and-development-of-a-secret/)

[Cecil Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-rhodes/)

> [What is the true and original root of Dutch aversion to British rule? It is the abiding fear and hatred of the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/what-is-the-true-and-original-root-of-dutch-aversion-to-british-rule/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [British rule depends upon repression and collaboration and the Irish people should recognise that those who collaborate with Britain in exchange for a slice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/british-rule-depends-upon-repression-and-collaboration-and-the-irish/)

[Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/)

[Browse all 26 British rule quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-rule/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“British rule meant not democracy -colonialism is almost by definition underdemocratic - but limited constitutional liberalism and capitalism”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Fareed Zakaria"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonialism-is-almost-by-definition/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "British rule"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonialism-is-almost-by-definition/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/fareed-zakaria-3805_british-rule_british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonia_1118923.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/fareed-zakaria-3805_british-rule_british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonia_1118923.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/fareed-zakaria-3805_british-rule_british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonia_1118923.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“British rule meant not democracy -colonialism is almost by definition underdemocratic - but limited…” — Fareed Zakaria",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Fareed Zakaria",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“British rule meant not democracy -colonialism...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonialism-is-almost-by-definition/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/british-rule-meant-not-democracy-colonialism-is-almost-by-definition/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
