Colonial administrators framed imperialism as enlightened cosmopolitanism

Evidence

As Cromer argued, “the real future of Egypt … lies not in the direction of a narrow nationalism, which will only embrace native Egyptians … but rather in that of an enlarged cosmopolitanism.” In other words, the subject people should stop any effort toward self-government and realize that they are better off as members of the global British Empire. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 364

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s broader interest in how empire legitimates itself through ideology — resonates with the Milgrom piece on how institutions encode self-interest. — connects to: Enlightened colonialism fused preparation, scholars-in-the-field, and a justifying rationale; Institutional Orientalism, not all Orientalist scholarship, served colonial power; Colonialism replaced Enlightenment universalism with an imperialist superiority complex (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Colonial administrators framed Orientalist knowledge as essential to maintaining empire. #corroborates (0.85) — Edward W. Said, Orientalism, 531
• Institutional Orientalism, not all Orientalist scholarship, served colonial power #expands (0.80)
• Colonialism replaced Enlightenment universalism with an imperialist superiority complex #complicates (0.75)