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Again, the conquered nations imitate the conquering ones. Generally the conquering race forms the aristocracy, and the imitation of them is governed by the same laws by which the imitation of the upper class by the lower class is governed. Even in a country where the foreign rulers are theoretically outcasts, there will be enough men from the native society who would imitate their rulers. Moreover, inasmuch as imitation is the best form of flattery, those who imitate the rulers are generally favoured by them. The persons who imitate without any scruples of self-respect are complimented by the ruling class as more progressive. This spirit of imitation is manifested not only in dress and manners, but even in religious form and ceremonial. If a nation is conquered by a race which secludes women, the conquered will also seclude their own women. If the women of the conquerors are free and bold, the conquered nation will try to remodel their relations between the sexes.

More than this. An appearance similar to the conquering nation very often saves individuals of the conquered nation from the personal insult and humiliation to which the members of the conquered nation are put. Imitation helps a person of the conquered race to pass as an individual of the conquering race.

The imitation does not always originate in flattery. Very often the conquered become conscious of the real superiority of the institutions of their conquerors and adopt them. The moral effect created by conquest is so great, that even the follies of the ruling race pass for virtue among the conquered, and the latter try to adopt them.

It is not very difficult for the invaders to impress on the mind of the conquered the superiority of their own god