Expansionism and centralisation have existed throughout recorded history by states, with the earliest examples dating back to the mid-third millennium BC. However, the concept of imperialism arose in the modern age, associated chiefly with the European colonial powers of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and New Imperialism. Following the decolonization of European holdings, the concept has further evolved and has been broadly used to identify as well as criticise a range of policies and a number of states, including even supposedly anti-imperialist states.