Imperialism - Imperialism in India
and China
Imperialism: In the late 19th
century and early 20th century there was a great upheaval in Europe
in their political and economic systems. These European upheavals forced the
European nations to extend their authority over the political and economic life
of other nations which we call it as imperialism. The word imperialism derives
from the Latin word 'Imperium' meaning 'Power'.
The term imperialism refers to the policy
of extending a country's rule over the others (or) the aggressive behaviour of
one state against another (or) a country's dominant over the political and
economic interest of another nation to exploit its natural resources.
Difference between Colonialism and
Imperialism:
The policy adopted by the European
countries from AD1492- AD1763 is known as Colonialism. During this period
England, France, Spain and Portugal established their colonies in the Asian and
American continents.
Colonialism refers to the policy of
acquiring and maintaining colonies especially for exploitation. It also means
that it is a relationship between an indigenous majority and a minority foreign
invaders.
Imperialism is a state policy and is
developed for ideological as well as financial reasons. Imperialism is the
concept while colonialism is the practice.
Between A.D 1763-A.D 1870 the European
countries were involved in a number of wars and unification movements. After
the unification, Italy and Germany began to establish their political and
economic powers in Africa and Asia. This policy of imperialism followed by
European countries from A.D.1870-A.D 1945 is known as New Imperialism.
The major forms of Imperialism:
Imperialism took two major forms in the
19th century. It was typically enforced with either direct military
intervention (total control by the mother country) or indirect control by
establishing a protectorate (where the mother country served as a 'guide').
Military Imperialism
The USA's invasion against Iraq with its
military power, forced it to have another sort of government favourable to the
USA. This is called military imperialism.
Political Imperialism
British conquered territories in India and
appointed their own officers and changed the existing political structure. This
is called political imperialism.
Economical Imperialism
China was politically independent under
the Manchu rule, but it was economically controlled by the European and
American countries. This is called economical imperialism.
Causes
for the rise of imperialism:
Industrial Revolution: Industrial
Revolution in European countries resulted in a great increase in production. So
it created a great demand for raw materials and new markets in Asian and
African continents where the industrial revolution had not yet spread. They
could not find market in Europe as they followed 'Protective Trade
Policy'. The purchasing power of the people was also less due
to capitalism. It also introduced a great progress in the means of transport and communication.
The telegraph system linked the whole
world and reduced great distances. The development of railways speeded up the
movement of goods between colonies and the mother country. So it was easier to
bring raw materials and to take the finished goods to the markets in the
interior parts of the colonies in Asia and Africa.
National security
The sense of national security and self
-sufficiency among the European political groups instigated colonial imperialism.
Often Presidents or Prime Ministers worked towards colonial imperialism owing
to the influence of business or some other interest.
Nationalism
The later part of the nineteenth century
saw extreme nationalistic ideals in Europe. Germany and Italy were unified.
Many nations developed pride over their race, culture and language and started
feeling superior to other countries. They felt that acquisition of colonies
would enhance the prestige of their nations. Imperialism became the fashion of
the age. The Europeans felt that it was 'White Man's burden' to
civilize the backward and uncivilized native people of Africa and Asia. This
was another cause for Imperialism.
Balance of power
The concept of Balance of Power was one of
the driving factors. European Nations were forced to acquire new colonies to
achieve a balance with their neighbors and competitors.
Discovery of New routes
The discovery of new routes to African and
Asian continents promoted the spirit of imperialism. The discovery of sea
routes paved the way for the traders and soldiers to exploit the abundant
wealth of the countries.
Growth of Population
The population growth and its
impact-unemployment, forced the Europeans to emigrate in search of new lands
and careers abroad.
State of Anarchy
There was no international organization to
enact and enforce laws for nations to maintain peace and security among
countries before the First World War. This state of anarchy supported the
colonial race.
Techniques
of Imperialism:
Several techniques were adopted by the
imperialists in order to establish themselves.
Conquest and Annexation: In
the early modern times, the Spaniards, the Frenchmen and the British used to
send soldiers to distant lands. They overpowered the native chiefs, conquered
their lands and established colonies. This is the method of Conquest and
Annexation.
Concession or Franchise
Sometimes an aggressive agency, would
acquire an exclusive right to exploit some economic resources, in a "backward"
region
and it was called a concession or franchise. A group of German
bankers and engineers got a concession to build a long railroad called Bagdad
Railway in Turkey.
Leasehold: When an exclusive right
to exploit some economic resources was accompanied with the grant of lease of a
stretch of territory and the actual exercise of political control over it, it
was called leasehold. The German Empire acquired such leasehold of ninety-nine
years over a part of the Shantung Peninsula in China.
Sphere of Influence: In
some instances a state would acquire an exclusive or even a preferential right
to exploit and develop a backward region economically, and not allow other
states to establish any form of control over it. This technique was called 'Sphere
of influence.' Thus in 1907, Great Britain and Russia, divided Persia
into three zones:
- British (southern)
sphere of influence., Russian (northern) sphere of influence, and
- Central or neutral sphere of influence.
This method was also adopted in China by
the European countries.
Protectorate: It means an indirect
exercise of political control of a powerful nation over a weak and backward
region through a native puppet ruler. Example in 1912 France established a
protectorate over Morocco.
Economic or Tariff Control: In
some other cases the powerful nation could take over the complete charge of the
finances of a weak and backward region, or its tariff system. This method was
called Economic or Tariff control. For example before World War I, the Turkish
economic system was actually controlled by the Ottoman Public Debt
Administration. This was an organization composed of mainly European officials.
Mandate System: This was the last form
of the new imperialism. It emerged at the Paris Peace Conference(1919), at the
suggestion of General Jan Smut of South Africa. Most of the former colonies and
other backward regions were assigned to the League of Nations. The League
delegated its authority, subject to some restrictions, to various states as its
agents or “mandatories”.
Effects
of Imperialism
Positively speaking the powerful nations
developed the transport and communication facilities in the weaker nations. The
former gave the latter education. They improved medical care, and better methods
of sanitation. They introduced new farming methods, to get increased food
production. These changes meant less death in the colonies, and overall
improvement in the standard of living. It promoted order and discipline and
unity in countries.
- Negatively speaking,
the colonies had no freedom. They were exploited and treated as slaves.
-
Imperialism led to the exploitation of the natural
resources of the colonies.
- The colonies were used
as the suppliers of raw materials and markets for finished products.
- The colonies plunged
into poverty and unemployment due to the disappearance of indigenous
industries.
- The traditional pattern
of agriculture was completely changed as the natives were forced to cultivate
raw materials than food crops.
- The introduction of
western culture and education led to the loss of traditional culture of the
colonies.
- It also led to the
extinction of some native races of Africa due to slave trade.
- The policy of racial
discrimination was practiced in some colonies.
lmperialism
in India
It is true that the political condition i.e. the rivalry among the native rulers rather than the
motive of the British that instigated imperialism in India. The English East
India Company was formed in 1600 in England and later it set up a trading post
at Surat with the permission of Mughal Emperor, Jahangir. In the next few years
the Mughals granted Britain the right to trade and establish factories in
exchange for English naval protection to the Mughal Empire, which faced
Portuguese sea power.
In 1664, the French East India Company was
established by Colbert, a minister of Louis XIV of France and opened trading
centres in India. There started rivalry between France and Britain. It led to
Carnatic wars resulting in the uproot of French influence in India.
In 1757, the Nawab of Bengal
Siraj-Ud-Daulah, opposed the British attempts to use Duty free Trade in Bengal.
It resulted in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 led by Robert Clive. The East
India Company was granted undisputed right to trade free of tax in Bengal,
Bihar and Orissa and the 24 parganas near present Calcutta. The Company
acquired the civil rights of administration in Bengal from the Mughal Emperor
Shah Alam II after its success in the battle of Buxar in 1764. It marked the
beginning of Company's formal rule in India. Lord Wellesley conquered number of
states in India by his Subsidiary Alliance. Lord Dalhousie annexed many more
states by his Doctrine of Lapse. In 1857, the Great Indian Revolt against the
English East India Company's rule broke out and later it was suppressed. In
1858, the administration of India was passed to the British Crown by Queen
Victoria's Proclamation. India continued to be under the rule of British
Government till her independence in 1947.
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