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British Empire - Coggle Diagram
British Empire
RULING THE EMPIRE
massive army ; regular use of violence ; strong bureauracy
colonies recognized Q as head of state but brit sovereignty = diff forms
some terr ruled directly by brit gov
some larger autonomy
white colo
racist element in distrib° of pw
A. dominions : the empire of settlement
End of 19th c
Canada, N.Z, Aus, S.Af
white pop° = migrants from brit.isles or o/ eur countries
indigenous ppl displaced gradually
encouraged emigration
subsidies
prisoners
1780-1840
160 000 in Aus
1815-1914
22.6M Brit ppl emigrated
hoped to achieve "responsible gov"
sovereignty over national affairs
2 more items...
B. dependencies/ crown colonies
1854 -1966
colonial office
Secretary of State for colo ; authority over crown colo
white brit minority ruled over numerous local pop° in
India
Af
Carribean + Indian ocean
execptionnally a local ruler kept
if submitted
to avoid rebellions
X self gov + strong military presence
1885
Indian National Congress
Indian party for self gov
repressed
indian indie in 1947
"indirect rule"
most of african countries
rulers remained but heavily controlled
BUILDING THE EMPIRE
17th + 18th c
Expansion in N.Atlantic very profitable
West Indies + 13 ame colo
slave labor
1783 = war USA == indie
Brit look for o/ terr
Pacific = INDIA + AUSTRALIA
1807 = slave trade illegal
1834 slavery abolished in empire
But still forced labor + migrations
A. the conquest of India
1600
East India Company chartered by Q.E 1
18th c
Indian subcontinent gradually conquered by EIC
Company signed treaties w local prince == forced to submit to brit.
company = state within the state + corruption
Rebellions
1846-1852 war in afghanistan to defend india // russian empire
1857- 1858 Sepoy Rebellion
1st Indian war of indie
sepoys = soldiers for EIC
mutiny
grease = pig + cow fat
taboo for muslims + hindus
Region of the Oudh annexed
cultural assimilat°
christianisation
attacks // Brit families + garrisons
severe repression
entire village razed
estimation of victims = 100 000 - Millions
1858
Company dismantled
all pw to brit crown
secretary of state appointed in LDN
governor of India = viceroy
1877
Q Vict == empress of India ; prestige
B. China + far east ; opium wars
x direct colonization
eco + military pressure
chinese empire
hostile to brit.advances in 1st half of 19th c
huge commercial interests
tea, silk, china (porcelaine)
high demand in Europe + trade ctrld by chinese gov
Brit imposed terms on chinese traders
opium trade in exchange of goods
opium produced in Bengal
illegal trade
chinese gov forbade importation + consumption of brit. opium
Opium Wars
1839 1842
HK ceded in 1842
99 year lease in 1888
handed over to china in 1997
1860 1862
Shanghai in 1860
Forced concessions ; opening up Chinese ports to British trade
China remained indie but had to submit to brit rules in commerce + diplomacy
C. "the scramble for Africa"
1806
Brit. conquered the Cape from dutch
new terr conquered ; intense competition w Netherlands
regular wars // African ppls
end of 19th c
expression used to refer
fight btwn eur pw to take possessions of terr on African continent
1869
Opening of the Suez Canal
Brit + FR ctrl
opened way to India
1885
Berlin Congo Conference
distributed sovereignty of African terri to eur pw
1902
90% Af cont under eur rule
Colonial competition
one of causes to WW1
INTRO
Start
late 15th c
Spain + Portugal
later ; FR+ UK
Imperialism ; ideology
idea that colonial interests over dependent terr need to be promoted + defended
Aft WW1 ; Brit. Emp = highest point
largest in the world
13M square miles
25% earth surface
500M ppl
Aft 1945
colo = indie
but still major eco + geop csqc
IMPERIALISM IN BRITAIN
A. economic system + commercial network
1850s
Brit ctrl 45% global trade
hegemonic position
impose free trade
less taxes on imports/exports
source of raw materials + markets
Indian cotton industry gradually stopped
force Indians to buy clothes produced in brit.
I.R
infrastructure for dvmt of eco networks in empire
steam ships routes, railways, telegraph lines
B. civilisation + cultural domination
imposition of western cultural values in colo terr
religious missionary activities = numerous
widespread support
Protestant + Anglican churches founded in Empire + beyond
racist ideologies
darwin theories on natural selection + "survival of the fittest"
used to explain superirority of races
idea that indigenous ppl need to be civilized
however goal was never to make them equal or to emancipate them
1860
Imperialism as an ideology triumphed
celebrated in school + popular press + Great British Exhibition of 1899
1904 -1958
Empire day
"remind children what it meant to be part of such glorious empire"
CONCLUSION
19th c
highest point of brit. domination
but threat of new competitors
FR + GERM+ USA
1883
Historian robert seeley
"no planning in brit. imperialism"
"result of military gains // o/ eur pw"
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