Colonialism as a system started emerging at the very beginning of the modern era, that is, the sixteenth century. To understand its distinctive character one difference from earlier eras has, to be noted. Colonies had always been there. The Greeks had established colonies in the pre-Christ era. Unlike earlier when the balance kept shifting between different powers, colonialism established an enduring pattern of rule and domination of a few countries over the entire world. Before the rise of colonialism the level of development of many countries like India or China or some Arab countries was as high or higher than that of the colonising powers. In fact the Mediterranean or the Indian Ocean trade was controlled by the Arabs.