European colonization and the Muslim majority countries: Antecedents, approaches, and impacts

This chapter is divided into three main parts dealing with the characters of European colonization-the major processes of European colonization that significantly reshaped the economic structure and institutions of the colonies to impact human development in Muslim majority countries (MMCs). The chapter suggests that the effects of the colonial invasion depend on the character of the colonial master and its approach. The MMCs with no colonial invasion were also subjected to some outside intervention to face economic, political, and social transformations. The chapter concludes that the MMCs need to focus on introducing economic, social, and political structure and institutions to have a sustained human development, and not only to blame the past or present 'external forces' for lower human development.