When European imperial powers conquered territories in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, they took on the project of ruling diverse populations that usually differed from the conquerors along ethnic, linguistic, and religious lines. How did they approach state formation in their colonies? How did they attempt to govern different populations, and what were the responses to colonial rule? Drawing on cases from the French Empire, this talk looks at the consequences of France's civilizing project for anti-colonial resistance and rebellion. Author of Imperial Rule and the Politics of Nationalism