What are the differences between colonialism and post colonialism?

I am not sure how to formulate definitions in terms
of tenets. Colonialism and Postcolonialism refer to certain periods in history relative
to the countries being discussed.

Colonialism is often
discussed as the history of imperial expansion and colonization which was generally
initiated during the age of exploration. Colonialism is usually discussed as a European
domination of American, African and Asian lands. This is true, but this could also
include examples like the Roman and Persian empires. Empires that have taken over other
countries have often established colonies as a way of staking out territory. In literary
analysis, colonialism refers to literature and criticism dealing with the periods of
colonialization. This can be from the perspective of the colonized or the
colonizers.

Postcolonialism refers to the time after these
colonized nations have become independent. Since these nations still experience the
effects of colonialism, a postcolonial interpretation can often include the events of
colonialism. A postcolonial analysis of historical or literary documents usually focuses
on the challenges faced by the once-colonized and now independent people. The challenges
they face could be issues with identity, race, economics, politics and
culture.

If you’re doing a historical study of India or
A Passage to India, a colonial study would focus on India during
the British occupation. A postcolonial study would focus on India after its independence
from Britain. Postcolonialism is more encompassing because such an analysis must address
the events of colonialism to discuss its postcolonial effects. Culturally speaking,
postcolonialism often refers to the interactions between Europe and the nations it has
colonized. Particular attention is paid to the ways race and cultures are represented by
the colonized and the colonizers.

If you generalize the
concept of colonialism to mean “certain degrees of control by one country over another,”
there are certainly examples today of colonialism in the form of
imperialism.