Intra-State Imperialism

In recent years the imperialistic exploitative rela tionship has manifested itself at the intra-state level. In many countries we come across situations in which one caste, class, or region has attempted to become more prosperous and dominant at the cost of others within a nation, giving rise to what we may call intra-state imperialism. This paper attempts a study of exploitative structures with reference to East Pakistan in the sphere of politics, economics, and culture. The study presents three theoretical propositions which have a measure of general relevance also: the intra-state exploitative structures (a) are more pro nounced in the poor nations than in the rich, (b) tend to develop in large-size poor nations more than in the small ones, and (c) can be created and sustained more in authoritarian political systems than in a democratic system.These propositions may be tested in the light of the experience of the exploitative structures in numerous other countries also. It is hoped that the conclusions of the paper may be used as building blocks in the construction of a new theory of imperialism.