The White Man's Burden (Rudyard Kipling)

"The White Man's Burden" is a poem by Rudyard Kipling published in 1899. It reflects the belief that Western powers had a moral obligation to govern and uplift non-Western societies, which were often viewed as "backward." The poem suggests that imperialism was a noble endeavor, despite its challenges and sacrifices. This concept captured the paternalistic attitudes of the time, reinforcing colonialism as a duty to civilize others, but it also revealed the underlying racism and ethnocentrism of the era, as it dismissed the value of indigenous cultures and justified exploitation under the guise of benevolence.