What is the meaning of the title of "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling?

The title of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The White Man’s Burden” refers to the idea that white people took a burden upon themselves when they took empires.  It refers to the idea that the imperial powers acted selflessly to improve the lives of ungrateful colonial subjects.

In this poem, Kipling emphasizes that imperialism is hard on the imperial powers.  He says that the imperial power has to send out its best people to “wait in heavy harness” on its subjects.  He says that these representatives of the imperial power have to work hard to try to help the people they have conquered.  They have to do their best to improve the people’s lives even though the people will hate and resent them.  This, to Kipling, is why having an empire is a burden.

The “white man’s burden,” then, is the burden that white people assume when they take an empire.  It is the burden of working hard for the benefit of other people who do not appreciate what the white people are doing for them.