Prsentation PowerPoint

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BRITISH COLONIES 1815- 1939

• THE BRITISH EMPIRE CONQUESTS AND STATUTES
• A FEELING OF SUPERIORITY IMPERIALISM ( THE
  WHITE MANS BURDEN  by Rudyard KIPLING)
• RESISTANCES IN INDIA CONTESTING BRITISH
  IMPERIALISM
• 1 The Sepoy mutiny (1857)
• 2 The Congress Party in India

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• INTRODUCTION
• In 1876-77, Queen Victoria of England became
  Empress of India this coronation embodied
  Britains domination over a vast gathering of
  overseas territories, the British Empire. In the
  early 20th century, the British Empire could be
  considered as  an Empire where the sun never
  sets  (as for Emperor Charles V in the 16th
  century).
• What territories were under British control in
  1939, just before WW2 ?
• What links existed between the  Mother
  country  and colonies ?
• How did local populations ( indigenous  or
   native ) react ?

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• THE BRITISH EMPIRE
• CONQUESTS IN THE 18th AND 19th CENTURIES

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In the early 18th century, the United Kingdom
already controlled many territories overseas.
Though, these territories always were on the
oceanic shores. They served as commercial meeting
points, where the powerful Royal navy could get
supply. The British had barely explored inland
territories. As a consequence, no political
domination really was set up before the UK
managed to control wider parts of overseas lands.
The situation deeply changed in the 19th
century, when new territories were conquered.
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In 1914, the British Empire had gained control of
various territories, mostly in America
(Caribbean), Africa (mostly in the East and
South), Asia, with its Indian colonies and Burma,
and Oceania. In the years 1870-1900, Her Majesty
Victoria was  offered  6 million km², and 90
million new subjects.
Nevertheless, all colonies didnt have the same
statute
INDIRECT RULE
DOMINION

• Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
  were known as  dominions  this gave them a
  large independence in local government they
  were mostly inhabited by European populations,
  with the striking exception of South Africa

• In India or Africa, the British authority rather
  used  indirect rule  it controlled local
  traditional powers in order to protect their
  commercial and military interests. For example,
  until 1876, India, theoritically was ruled by the
  East India Company

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Tr if the UK was able to expand the Empire on a
world scale, it was mostly due to its industrial
and sea power. But it was also because the
British culture was eventually considered as
superior.
Thats cultural imperialism
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II) A feeling of superiority Kiplings  White
mans Burden 
Take up the White Man's burden--Send forth the
best ye breed--Go bind your sons to exileTo
serve your captives' needTo wait in heavy
harness,On fluttered folk and wild--Your
new-caught, sullen peoples,Half-devil and
half-child. Take up the White Man's
burden--The savage wars of peace--Fill full the
mouth of FamineAnd bid the sickness ceaseAnd
when your goal is nearestThe end for others
sought,Watch sloth and heathen FollyBring all
your hopes to nought.
Harness harnais
To flutter to fly like butterflies
Sullen reluctant to obey
To bid, bade, bidden, (or bid, bid, bid) to
demand, to command
Sloth one of the 7 sins laziness
Heathen pagan, non-believer
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Take up the White Man's burden--Send forth the
best ye breed--Go bind your sons to exileTo
serve your captives' needTo wait in heavy
harness,On fluttered folk and wild--Your
new-caught, sullen peoples,Half-devil and
half-child. Take up the White Man's
burden--The savage wars of peace--Fill full the
mouth of FamineAnd bid the sickness ceaseAnd
when your goal is nearestThe end for others
sought,Watch sloth and heathen FollyBring all
your hopes to nought.
Reference to race
Who is described by such words ? What do all
these words mean ?
All these words generally refer to people without
awareness of the reality of things, without
wisdom or education, or with minds not able to
understand.
Is colonisation only a means to dominate
according to Kipling ?
The British also have duties to civilise
conquered peoples, and bring peace and
development along with them. for example, in
territories in the British Empire, railways and
hospitals were built.
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III) Resistances in India native against
British imperialism
It shouldnt be believed that despite
British sea and industrial power all indigenous
peoples agreed with European domination
resistance occurred, and took different forms.
First, it generally was violent then, it
slightly became more organised and political.
1) The Sepoy Mutiny 1857
Cause for the mutiny the projectile for the new
Enfield rifle was part of a paper cartridge that
contained both ball and powder charge. It
required only the end to be bitten off and the
cartridge then rammed down the muzzle of the
weapon. To facilitate this process the cartridge
was heavily greased - with animal fat. Sepoys
heard and quickly passed on the rumour that the
grease was a mixture of COW (sacred to Hindus)
and PIG (abhorrent to Moslems) fat. The British
realised their mistake and tried to have the
Sepoys make up their own grease from beeswax or
vegetable oils, but in the atmosphere of distrust
that prevailed in 1857 the damage had been done
the Sepoys attacked and besieged towns. The
mutiny was violently repressed by British
army 1858 Creation of the India Office, that
directly rules India from the UK, with a vice-roy
representing the Sovereign
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2) The Congress party in India a non-violent
resistance. Founded in 1885,it aimed at gaining
political rights for Indians, mostly educated
ones, even under British rule. Originally
respectful of British law, the 1919 Amritsar
slaughter led to more radical demands
independence was to be obtained. In the years
1920s Mohandas Gandhi, one of the CP leaders,
organised civil disobedience to British laws, as
photograph shows. It also encouraged the boycott
of British goods. In 1942, the Congress Party
officially claimed for independence through the
 Quit India  campaign 
This photograph depicts Gandhi holding a lump of
"forbidden salt." This is due to the British law
forbidding salt extraction from the ocean by the
citizens of India.