Many causies, factors and conditions give rise to modern Imperialism. They are: The military disparity between the imperialist nation and the invaded country, which makes invading nation superior in arms and military organisation to the native peoples whom it conquers and enslaves. For instance, the British conquerors of Mughal India were much superior in arms, equipment, discipline and military organisation than all the native peoples of the sub-continent, whether Muslims or Hindus, Mughals or Marathas, or Afghans or Sikhs. If this disparity is too great, as in the case of the Red Indians and the American settlers or the Bushmen and the Australian colonisers, then the military contest between the two, ends in the physical extermination of the vanquished population.
Political Differences of development The imperialist State possesses a great political advantage over the native peoples and vanquished country in that it has already become a nation and has political unity, and solidarity which nationalism gives to its people, while the conquered and enslaved peoples are politically still in the pre-nationalist stages of evolution. They are divided into tribes, castes or religious communities and sects which create political and social disunity and dissensions among them, thus enabling the imperialist invaders to enslave and rule them. The death-knell of Imperialism is sounded when the subjugated people begin to develop a national unity and solidarity among them.
Economic disparity of development. Nations and countries of the world do not develop uniformly. History shows us that some are more advanced than others. They have better, more efficient and dynamic in economic production and organisation than those which have lagged behind in economic evolution. The countries of Europe and America developed large-scale machine production long before a similar evolution took place in Asia and Africa. The disparity of development in the West and the East changed the advanced countries of the West into imperialist nations They began to conquer colonies and markets for raw materials and sale of manufactured goods in the subject countries. The ever-increasing economic exploitation and impoverishment of the latter further increased this disparity.
Social and cultural disparity. The imperialist nations possess social and cultural unity, dynamism and progress, while the subject peoples are socially and culturally backward, static and unprogressive. Their tribal, religious, caste, and cultural ideas, relations beliefs and customs make them stagnant and decadent people and prevent them take up the challenge of imperialist culture and civilisation. This makes them to succumb to the imperialist conquest and domination for a long time, till they modify and develop their civilisation, society and culture in order to defy and defeat the imperialist power.
Intellectual disparity. In matters of science and learning, arts and philosophy, knowledge and propaganda, education and training, an imperialist nation is more advanced and developed than its enslaved peoples and countries. Hence, in this respect also. Imperialist domination lasts so long as this superiority lasts.