Final answer:
Beneficiaries of European colonization included European colonizers who gained economic benefits through exploitation of labor and resources, and local elites who collaborated with imperial powers and achieved education and employment opportunities.
Step-by-step explanation:
During European colonization, there were several groups that benefited and grew from this process. Firstly, the colonization of various regions, notably Africa and the Americas, led to significant economic benefits for European colonizers. They profited immensely from the exploitation of labor and resources, such as the labor of enslaved people in sugar plantations in the Caribbean and Brazil, and industries enriched by the slave trade and sugar production.
Secondly, another group that benefited was those who collaborated with the imperial powers. For instance, indigenous or local elites who gained education or employment in the lower levels of colonial governments, served as soldiers or police, or became intermediaries, like interpreters or guides. Their cooperation with European powers enabled access to education, employment, and potentially, social mobility, despite the overall negative impact of colonization on indigenous populations.