Why did Cecil Rhodes’s support strengthen Rudyard Kipling’s imperialist views?

Rudyard Kipling’s imperialist views were significantly reinforced through his association with Cecil Rhodes, the British diamond magnate and statesman who spent much time in South Africa.1

Rhodes, a prominent figure in the expansion of the British Empire, provided Kipling with a house in South Africa, fostering a close relationship between the two men. This association strengthened Kipling’s existing imperialist convictions, which were rooted in a belief in a "civilizing mission"—the idea that it was the duty of white men to bring European culture to those he perceived as the "heathen natives" of the uncivilized world.12

Because these views were deeply held and aligned with the expansionist goals championed by Rhodes, Kipling’s commitment to the ideology of imperialism grew stronger over the years.1