ABSTRACT
I choose to think of colonial modernity as the condition created by the process of modernisation attendant on western global expansion. Through European colonisation in particular, attempts were made to inscribe imperial subjects within the space of modernity. 1 Such a project experienced varying degrees of success, for, although universalising in intent, it lacked coherence and met significant resistance from subjects opposed to western influence. In its global reach, however, colonial modernity forged complex relationships which transcended discrete and elemental units such as nation states or civilisations, and in so doing shaped the contemporary world. 2 The notion of colonial modernity therefore touches on a range of vital questions about the origins of modernity, the nature of colonial rule, and the relationship between colonies and the imperial metropolis, all of which this chapter hopes to address. To begin, let us investigate modernity itself, and consider whether it operates in the plural or singular.
