Imperialism, 1850 - 1914
What is Imperialism?• As European countries
industrialized, they needed new markets and raw materials to further
improve their economies. (output=wealth!)
• In simplest terms, it is the “domination and
exploitation of weaker states by stronger ones.”
New Imperialism?• Old imperialism was when European nations established colonies in
the Americas, India, and SE Asia between 1500
and 1800.• New imperialism was
when industrialized nations focused on Asia
and Africa to expand their territories between
1870 and 1914.• Prior to WWI
Justification:(AKA reasons, rationale)
• Social Darwinism!• Moral duty to pass on
European progress to the less-advanced non-
Europeans• (White Man’s Burden)• Chance to “westernize”
people
• Christianity!• Best way to end slavery
is by helping them
Social Darwinism• Applying Darwin’s theory of
“survival of the fittest” to human society
• It was natural for stronger nations to dominate weaker ones.
White Man’s Burden
• Poem penned by Rudyard Kipling
offered justification for Imperialism
• Wrote it to remind Americans of their moral obligation to
educate lesser peoples
• It is the duty of all white imperialists!
East India Company• Since 1600s, East India
Company controlled Bombay, Madras, &
Calcutta to conduct trade ->
• British East India Company governs directly the best
territory in India• The company even had its own army of Indian soldiers
(sepoys)
Colonial Policies• The British viewed
Indians as second class citizens.
• Members of the Indian Vaisya and Shudra
castes were servants to British officers and
their families.• Often showed disregard for Hindu and Muslim culture,
exploit workers
Why was India valuable?• India was “Jewel in the
Crown”- most valuable of Britain’s colonies
• Valuable markets for British goods,
supplied raw materials for industrialized
economy• Plantation cash-crops
(tea, indigo, coffee, cotton, OPIUM)
Sepoy Mutiny• Cause - began when Indian
soldiers of the East India Company (sepoys) were
jailed for refusing to accept rifle cartridges that they
believed were greased with beef and pork fat
• Cows are sacred to Hindus, Muslims cannot eat pork• Indians already mad at
racism
Sepoy Mutiny• Consequence - sepoys
rebelled and march on Delhi, East India
Company takes over 1 year to restore order.• British government takes over control of
India from E.I.Co.• India now governed
by a British viceroy, with authority from
London
Berlin Conference• 1884, in order to avoid
conflict among themselves, European
leaders from 14 countries met in Berlin, Germany
• Set up rules for colonizing Africa
• Divided Africa with little to no regard for the people who lived
there!
Boer War• Dutch settlers (Boer/Afrikaner) settled in South
Africa 1st, and fought Zulus for control of
territory, 1700s• British annexed the
Boer republics = Fight over land, and
British win 3 year war, despite heavy
losses• Leaves feeling of
hatred in region
Resistance?
• Africans -> spears• Europeans -> guns
• Enough said.• Africans that were armed
with European guns (Menelik II in Ethiopia)
were able to resist European domination
African Settlement
• In 1850, most of Africa had been free
•70 years later, only Liberia and Ethiopia were free.
China under the Qing • Qing - Manchus from N.
China conquer Ming Dynasty
• Ethnocentrism - looked down on all foreigners - little interest in trading
with the West• 1760 - restricted all foreign trade to city of Canton (Guangzhou)
• England was trading silver for Chinese tea - specie drain (running
out of silver)
Qing Dynasty• Had a Ministry of
Punishment to deal with treatment of foreigners• Westerners hated it• British send Lord George McCartney to
Qing emperor Qianlong to try and expand trade• NO - England has nothing that China
wants (ethnocentrism!!!!)
Opium?• Started to trade opium
for tea - stopped specie drain
• Opium is addictive, and Chinese get hooked - Prohibition Edicts in
1800 and 1813 make it illegal in China
• But by 1835 - 12 million hooked, & England
continues to trade it
Opium War! • Cause - British
merchants ignored China’s requests to stop trading opium
• China confiscates a shipment and dump it into river, take a British trade official
hostage• British are pushed
from Canton
Its on!
• British iron-clad ship Nemesis blockades
Canton, other ports, then Nanjing (capital)
• Consequences - China suffers humiliating defeat• China forced to sign the
Treaty of Nanjing
Treaty of Nanjing
• 1) Treaty Ports - China forced to open new ports to trade
• 2) fixed tariffs - low cost to trade• 3) “most favored nation” status• 4) Hong Kong - British property• 5) indemnity - China must pay in
silver the cost of lost opium• Other nations followed +
extraterritoriality
Effects of Opium War
• Extraterritoriality: Westerners could
commit crimes with impunity
• Western countries never set up jails or
courts• Chinese grow to resent
foreigners, opium trade they introduced
Reaction to Europeans:
1st Take out the Qing!
• Taiping Rebellion - 1851-64 - led by Hong Xiuquan, mili. & social movement
tried to overthrow Qing & estab. “Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace” -
capture Nanjing in 1853• Qing counterattacks backed by Western
tech. drive them out after 11 years - 20 million die
Boxer Rebellion
• China has internal problems - food
production can’t keep up with pop.
• Widespread hunger• Poor peasants resented
privileged foreigners, Chinese Christians
• Rebelled against Qing rulers, foreigners,
missionairies
Boxer Rebellion• 1900-1901
• Slogan:“Revive the Qing, destroy the foreign”
• Called Boxers due to martial art practice
• Western military force put down the rebellion• Though defeated,
Chinese nationalism will emerge
Chinese Nationalism• Sun-Yatsen (Sun Yixian)• Led a secret movement
within the Chinese military to overthrow the Qing - succeeds in
1911 (Wuchang Uprising)
• His Revolutionary Alliance becomes
Guomingdang (or the Nationalists)
Sun Yat-sen• Wanted to end foreign
domination• Form a representative
govt• Create economic
security for the Chinese
• Sun becomes President of New Republic of
China, secures backing by western countries
• End of Dynastic Cycle in China