The purpose of this research has been to compile various aspects of colonial rule and explore the paradoxical complexities embedded within the Victoria Memorial, in present day Kolkata, India. By creating an analytical synthesis of the historical and colonial intentions through the development of Curzon's attempt to create a monument which conveyed the power of the British Empire to the people of India, the Memorial represents Curzon's general attitude towards cultural imperialism. His ambitious approach remains articulated through his architectural desires for the creation of the edifice, as well as for the landscape design of the Memorial and collection of objects displayed there. Each chapter begins by addressing a topic specific to the ways in which the British exercised imperial power, and then narrows to focus on a specific aspect of the Victoria Memorial's history and how it applies within this broader colonial context.