Imperialism in Asia

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Imperialism in Asia
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A. Justification

• Social Darwinism, which applied Darwins theory
  of natural selection to sociology
• Dominant classes or races rose to the top
• Because Britain was the most powerful nation the
  British were superior
• Second not only were the British superior they
  had a moral obligation to dominate and civilize
  others
• Rudyard Kiplings poem White Mans Burden
  shows this idea

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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--In
patience to abide,To veil the threat of
terrorAnd check the show of prideBy open
speech and simple,An hundred times made plainTo
seek another's profit,And work another's
gain.
Rudyard Kipling
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I. Imperialism in India
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A. Early European Contact

• 1750s
• England and France fought over India
• England won out
• (Seven Years War
• Same war that ???)

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B. British East India Company

• Joint-stock company
• Exclusive trading rights over the British trade
  with India
• Led by Robert Clive

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C. British East India Rule

• BEIC directly ruled over India
• Had its own army
• From 1750 1858 the company took control of much
  of the subcontinent and set up administrative
  regions
• Sepoy mutiny
• Sepoys Indians who work for the BEIC mostly in
  the army
• Fought for two years
• British won
• Led Parliament to step in

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D. British Colonialism

• Political Structure
• 1858 India become a Crown Colony
• 1877- Queen Victoria named Empress of India
• British rule through Viceroys

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D. British Colonialism (Cont)

• 2. Economic Structure
• Raw materials sent to Britain
• Cotton
• Timber
• Metals
• Finished goods sent to India
• Cotton Fabric
• Steel

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D. British Colonialism (cont)

• 3. Social Structure
• Upper classes were Anglicized
• Taught English
• Adopted English dress and culture
• Many began to want Independence
• aa. 1885 Indian National Congress established
• bb. Congress party sought Independence but
  recognized the need for reform

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II. Imperialism in China
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A. China before European Imperialism

• Isolationist
• Trade was important
• Foreigners were restricted to Canton (Remember -
  Canton System from Qing Notes)
• Limits on what could be bought and sold
• All goods had to be bought with silver

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B. The Opium Trade

• 1773 Opium Introduced to China
• The Opium Trade
• Opium grown in British India
• Opium smuggled into China and bought with silver
• Silver from Opium sales used to purchase Chinese
  goods
• TEA - The are British after all!!!
• Silk
• Porcelain

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C. First Opium War 1839 - 1842

• 1838 Manchu Emperor issues an edict forbidden
  the sale and use of opium
• 1839 Chinese seize British opium
• First Opium War
• British win with relatively little force
• Chinese forced to sign the Treaty of Nanking
• Called the Unequal Treaties
• British gained trade concessions
• Opium trade made legal again

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D. Second Opium War 1856 - 1860

• 1843 British gain control of the island of Hong
  Kong
• 1844 Christian missionaries allowed back into
  China
• Second Opium War
• Chinese attempt to curb the opium trade again
• China defeated
• All of China now open for trade

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E. Impact of the Opium Wars

• Externally and internally China was viewed as
  weak
• Internally this turned to rebellion
• White Lotus Rebellion
• Led by monks over taxes and corruption
• Taiping Rebellion
• i. Led by a religious zealot who raised a million
  man army
• Both Rebellions were stopped by the Chinese
• Manchu launched the Self-Strengthening Movement
• aa. Largely unsuccessful

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E. Impact of the Opium Wars (Cont)

• Chinese begin to lose territory
• Korea and Taiwan to Japan
• Vietnam to France
• Major European Country establish Spheres of
  Influence setting up
• Military bases
• Businesses
• Transportation
• Communication
• Open Door Policy
• Chinese sovereignty maintained
• Equal trading privileges among all imperial
  powers

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F. Boxer Rebellion 1899 - 1901

• Boxers Anti-Manchu, anti-European, anti-Japanese
  and anti-Christian
• Wanted foreigners out of China
• Used guerilla tactics
• Killed missionaries
• Seized embassies
• Foreign military stopped the rebellion
• China paid foreigners for these costs and
  apologized

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III. Imperialism in Japan
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A. Japan Before European Imperialism

• 17th and 18th century closed to outsiders
• 1853 Commodore Mathew Perry U.S.N. forced Japan
  to open to outside trade
• U.S. and other nations won trade concessions
• Japanese revolted against the Shogun
• Led by the samurai
• Shogun removed from power
• Power returned to the Emperor Meiji

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B. The Meiji Restoration

• Characterized by rapid industrialization
• 1876 Samurai class abolished
• a. Universal military service established
• By 1890s Japan was on equal footing with the
  western powers
• Japan would go on to gain control of Korea and
  Manchuria from the Chinese and Russians
  respectively
• The willingness of the elite to reform in Japan
  led to rapid industrialization and would allow
  it to become an imperial power of its own