European Imperialism in India, China, and the Pacific Rim

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European Imperialism in India, China, and the
Pacific Rim

• By Devika Chandramohan
• Period 5- Kinberg

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Imperialism
(Miller)

• Extension of power through diplomacy/military
  force
• Shift from mercantilist colonial world
• Independence movements in New World
• Ex Creole elites in Latin America
• Abolitionist movement
• Especially successful in Britain
• Enlightenment
• Enlightenment universalism humans are the same
• Impacted the idea of dominance of certain races,
  etc.
• Free-trade Lobby
• Drew on ideas of Adam Smith and David Ricardo
• Viewed mercantilism inefficient, prevented
  economic growth for people
• End of European slave trade
• Denmark 1st
• Britain extremely dedicated to it (searching
  ships, etc.)
• Spain, Portugal, France, Netherlands agreed to
  abolishment, but didnt really follow through

Father Hidalgo leads the Mexicans revolt against
the Spaniards. (Father)
(Chambers 774-776)
3

• New Reasons for Expansion
• Economic endeavors
• Powers eager to abandon free trade in order to
  increase economic influence
• Enlightenment
• Using reason, they could guide groups towards
  civilization
• Cultural Relativism
• Accepted others accomplishments, but still
  believed in supremacy
• White Mans Burden
• moral duty and obligation to help the poor
  (different ethnicities) whether they want the
  help or not
• Instrumentalism idea that single person can make
  a difference
• Felt confident about civilizing other peoples

(The White)
Click to read Rudyard Kiplings poem, The White
Mans Burden (Rudyard)
(Chambers 776-777)
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India

• Motives
• Economic benefits
• Industrial Revolution
• Needed source for raw products, like cotton and
  indigo
• Large market to sell manufactured products to
• Civilizing mission
• Charles Grant and William Wilberforce brought
  religion
• Reformers, like Thomas Macaulay, wanted to get
  rid of barbaric rituals (sati burning of widow
  with corpse of husband), bring European education

(British)
(Chambers 777-779)
Sati tradition in India (Rowlands)
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• British East India Company
• Many trade posts along India (Bombay, Madras,
  Calcutta), but powerful Mughal emperors
  controlled trade
• By 1707 Mughals losing power
• Opposition from Marathas (wanted Hindu ruling)
  lead by Shivaji Bhosle (father of Maratha
  nation) ? Maratha War of Independence (aka War
  of 27 Years) ? death of ruler Aurangzeb

(British)
(Rise)
Emperor Aurangzeb (Aurangzeb)
Shivaji Bhosle (Shivaji)
Click to watch a movie about the Mughal Empire
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• Gained importance in 1757 defeat of nawab of
  Bengal
• Lead by Robert Clive
• In charge of 900 Europeans and 1500 sepoys
  (Indian soldiers)
• Attacked and killed nawab at Plassey
• Made nawab a figurehead while increasing British
  power
• Britain got rid of French competition in Treaty
  of Paris after defeating France in French and
  Indian War

(Chambers 549)
Click to watch video on the rise of British power
in India
Lord Clive meeting with Mir Jafar after the
Battle of Plassey (Hayman)
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• Impact

Positive
Negative

• Destroyed purity of Indian culture
• Forced reluctant groups to conform
• Loss of native languages
• Didnt take religious restrictions into
  consideration
• Ex sepoys had to bite the bullet even though
  it was coated with animal fat
• Missionaries converted many
• Set up segregated regions (parks, etc.) where
  only British were allowed
• Saved best goods for British doctors would only
  treat them
• Economy
• Took much of Indias wealth (jewels, gold, etc.)
• Forbid Indian production had to depend on
  Britain for goods
• Forced to work on farms to grow cash crops for
  British
• Massive poverty and famine
• Poverty rates still extremely high
• Skewed borders made by Europeans conflict
• British left India within in 7 months
• Left a mess of Hindu/ Muslim conflicts (lead to
  creation of Pakistan)
• India-Pakistan conflict still going on

• More rights for women
• Still had freedom of religion
• British disapproved of having untouchable caste
  improved condition of lower castes
• Jobs for Indians as servants, soldiers, etc.
• Education system
• Gandhi and Nehru (1st prime minister) were
  educated in British system
• Speaking English opened up trading opportunities
• Improvements of port cities
• Political system
• Today, India is the worlds largest democracy
• Framed after British gov. (parliamentary system)
• Railroad system (one of the worlds largest)

(Crawford)
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The Kohinoor diamond, once known as the largest
diamond in the world, was taken in 1849 by the
British from the Punjabi treasury and given to
Queen Victoria. It still resides in the Tower of
London today in Queen Elizabeth's crown.
(Kohinoor)
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China

• Motives
• Desired goods like tea, silk, porcelain, paper
• China had stopped expansion and had turned
  inwards
• Imbalance of trade (aka export of specie)
• Placed high prices on luxury goods that gullible
  foreigners bought
• British treasury being depleted due to dependence
  of China for tea
• Had no desire for European goods
• Europe had no access to rich market

(China)
Different nations holds on China (Spheres)
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• Opium
• British East India Company imported opium to
  China from India
• Chinas addiction
• Loss of silver/money for China (34 million
  silver for opium in the 1830s!)
• Damaging health
• China takes actions
• 1840 Qing Emperor put ban on opium
• Didnt work b/c
• Beijing too far from southern ports
• 900 tons of opium/year illegally smuggled
• New strict commissioner to control opium trade at
  the port of Guangzhou Lin Zexu
• Oversaw destruction of British opium

(Caswell)
Commissioner Lin Zexu (Lamqua)
(Ritvik)
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This war with China . . . really seems to me so
wicked as to be a national sin of the greatest
possible magnitude. -Thomas Arnold to W. W.
Hull, March 18, 1840

• Opium Wars
• 1st Opium War
• China sent a message to Queen Victoria, berating
  Britains opium dealings
• Britain angered by this and ban on opium imports
• Declared war in Nov. 1839
• Blockade on Pearl River
• Jan. 1841 British land victories
• June 1841 Controlled much of South China
  (rice-growing land)
• Key to British victory was Her Majesty's Navy
  (used broadsides against wooden ships)
• Treaty of Nanking (Aug. 29, 1842)
• China had to accept the following conditions
• Handed over island of Hong Kong to Great Britain
• Opened five treaty ports (Canton, Amoy,
  Foochow, Shanghai, and Ningbo)
• Paid 9 million in return for destroyed opium
  chests
• Abolished Chinas monopolies and limited tariffs
  to 5
• Western merchants only accountable for laws of
  country

(England)
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• 2nd Opium War
• Chinese resentment over terms
• Oct. 8, 1856 Chinese officials boarded Arrow
  (ship from Hong Kong) because it was smuggling
  opium, but British argued it was a foreign ship
• Great Britain, Russia, U.S.A., and France (angry
  over Chinese execution of a French missionary,
  Father August Chapdelaine) vs. China
• Anglo-France force overpowered Chinese
• When Qing were slow to accept terms of peace
• British and French occupied Peking and destroyed
  Emperor Xianfeng's Summer Palace
• Russia obtained Vladivostock
• Convention of Peking, signed by Prince Gong
• Payment to all the nations
• Gave over port of Kowloon to Great Britain
• Export of indentured Chinese workers to U.S.A
  (lead to rapid building of Trans-Continental
  Railroad)

(England)
(Chambers 782)
(England)
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• Impacts

Negative
Positive

• Lost part of their culture
• Opium addiction increased, disabling or killing
  thousands
• Displeasure with gov.
• Rebellions
• Boxer Rebellion (1898-1901)
• Peasants angry with special treatment of
  foreigners/ Christian Chinese
• Formed secret Society of Harmonious Fists
  (Boxers)
• Surrounded parts of Beijing inhabited by foreign
  powers
• Defeated
• Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)
• Peasants tried to overthrow European-dominated
  Qing gov.
• Death toll of 20 million
• Ever-Victorious Army lead by General Charles
  Gordon crushed it by 1864
• Economic subjugation

• Growing feeling of nationalism, unity
• Open Door Policy
• China trade with nations economic growth
• Better living conditions
•  Better education, better sanitation, etc.
• Saw the corruption in their gov. system
• Desired Enlightened Emperor
• Sought reform

(Bayerl)
(Bayerl)
(Chambers 782)
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Pacific Rim

• Motives
• More like American colonization
• Australia
• Penal colony prisoners sent from Britain
• Economic opportunity for settlers
• Seek adventure

(Chambers 783)
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• Australian Gold Rush (1851)
• Edward Hargraves found grain of gold in a
  waterhole near Bathurst
• Found a place (named if Ophir) full of gold
• More than 100,000 prospectors within 4 months
• 1852 370,000 immigrants arrived
• British, Americans, French, Italian, German,
  Polish and Hungarian exiles
• Booming economy? gold shipped to London for
  goods? started producing in Australia
  stimulated local economy
• 1st railroad/ telegraph systems
• Tensions rising
•  Ballarat Reform League under Peter Lalor
• Gathered at Eureka to stand up for rights? 22
  killed by Melbourne soldiers

(Wells)
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Edward Hargraves
Ballarat Reform League
(Ballarat)
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• New Zealand
• New Zealand Trading Company brought settlers
  (despite British protest)
• Gained Dominion status in 1907 (Australia
  received in 1901)
• Settlers had limited autonomy while British gov.
  controlled foreign policy/trade
• Settlers didnt respect locals
• Waitangi Treaty
• Promised local Maoris land protection, but didnt
  follow up
• Rebellion by Maori violently crushed by British
  forces

(Chambers 783)
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Suggested Viewing

• Highly suggest watching Gandhi, directed by
  Richard Attenborough, starring Ben Kinglsey. It
  is a beautifully made biographical movie about
  the life of one of the greatest peaceful freedom
  fighters, Mohandas Gandhi, from his days of youth
  in South Africa to his assassination. It also
  provides a clear picture of the effects of
  imperialism on India.

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Works Cited
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Pictures