history- asian imperialism Flashcards
British East India Company
Economic interest in India -> took over India
Has its own army staffed by sepoys (Indian soldiers)
Western influences in India
Western education and legal procedures
No caste system
No slavery, etc.
Sepoy Rebellion
Rumor spread that new bullets for rifles were greased with fat from cows (sacred to Hindus) or pigs (Muslims can’t eat)
When told to load rifles->sepoys refused to bc they had to bite off cartridges -> arrest sepoys ->sepoys rebel -> brutal fighting on both sides, Britain eventually put down rebellion
What divided India after sepoy rebellion
Some wanted independence form British rule, come just wanted more rights under British rule
What happened as a result of the sepoy rebellion
British govt took tighter control on india->direct command over India and sent more troops -> British raj (with British viceroy
Why was India considered britains most valuable colony
Many raw materials and new markets and customers and people to work
What did Britain prohibit in India to benefit themselves
Indians required to produce raw materials (cars crops, no food crops->famine)
Indians must purchase only British goods
Benefits of British colonialism
Improved transportation, improved communication, damn/verges/irrigation canals, sanitation and public health improved
Ram Mohun Roy
Called for modernization of India politically and socially
Adopt western ways
Believe that unless Indian modernized they’d continue to be controlled by others
Why were Indians mad ->Sparks nationalism
And why did they start a nationalist movement
They hated the system that made them second class citizens in their own country Schooled in western ideas such as democracy and equality
Two nationalist groups in India
Indian national Congress (congress party) and Muslim league
What was the goal of the nationalist groups
Independence from British rule
Ideals of Indian national Congress
Believed in peaceful protest
Called for a greater democracy
Called for self-rule/home rule
Supported western style modernization
Indian national Congress was primarily…
Hindu
Jawaharlal Nehru
Leader of the congress party
Became the first prime minister of India
Mohandas K Gandhi ideals
Nonviolent civil disobedience
Willing to except the consequences of your actions
Satyagraha= “soul force”
Gandhi’s four general principles
- live as simply as possible, never striving for material reward
- be tolerant of the religious beliefs of others
- devote ones like to service of others
- battle injustice in all of its forms but never resorting to violence
What is nonviolent civil disobedience
Peacefully not obeying unjust laws
Why was the Muslim league formed
Didn’t like Hindu domination of the congress party
Worried that Hindu-run government would oppress Muslims
Called for an independent Muslim state
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Head of the Muslim league
Became the first leader of Pakistan
Why did Gandhi only wear homespun clothing
Says not to buy clothes from stores because those clothes are British clothes and we shouldn’t give them our money-> make your own clothes instead
Also disobeys law that outlaws Indian textiles
Describe the events of the Amritsar Massacre
Thousands of people were meeting and one man was talking about nonviolence and peaceful protest-> British army enters and open fire on unarmed crowd without warning
Effect of the Amritsar Massacre
Gandhi requests self-rule and warns British that they simply cannot control the Indians if they choose not to give their cooperation
The salt march
What tax does Gandhi decide to fight-> salt tax
How was he going to fight it -> Make his own salt-> shows Britain doesn’t control their lives (bc salt=life )
What happened at Dharasana Salt Works
Indians peacefully try to walk in but get beat down by British every time
Effect of what happened at Dharasana Salt Works / Salt March
Britain is no longer seen as moral and India is basically free
British conference occurs to consider Indian independence
Partition of India
When India is granted independence by Britain, it is simultaneously partitioned into Pakistan and India
Conflict over Kashmir
Kashmir had Indian leader -> wants to join India
Kashmir has majority Muslim pop-> wats to join Pakistan
Bangladesh
During partition, Pakistan is East and West Pakistan on both sides of India
Govt, etc. set up in west Pakistan ->becomes Pakistan today
East Pakistan -> becomes Bangladesh
China’s superiority
China always produced top quality products that were in high demand in the west, but China was uninterested in products from the west-> Limited contact with the west to one port in the south
China has a favorable balance of trade with the west
Define favorable balance of trade
When a country exports more than imports
What Chinese products were in high demand and what did they trade them for
Tea, porcelain, and silk are in high demand and were traded for gold and silver
How did china fall behind
Because China had limited contact with the west, they missed the industrial revolution (fell behind militarily, and west needed more markets )
How did Britain weaken China’s economy by using opium
Britain use the opium to turn the balance of trade in their favor-> got Chinese addicted to opium-> Britain treated opium for Chinese tea-> as they got more addicted China gave Britain lots of silver in payment for the drug-> china’s economy weakened
Opium war
Chinese government outlawed opium and executed drug dealers-> told Britain to stop the trade but Britain refused because right of free trade->opium war->took place mostly at sea->China’s outdated ships were no match for Britains ships->humiliating defeat for China
Treaty of Nanjing
Peace treaty
Britain received huge indemnity and is,and of Hong Kong
China had to open five ports for trade
British ppl in china are granted extraterritoriality
Define extraterritoriality
The right to live under their own laws and be tried in their own court
( British were not subject to Chinese law)
Unequal treaties
Treaty of nanjing was the first of many unequal treaties where western powers took advantage of China
Tailing Rebellion
Qing dynasty in decline->peasants suffering->peasants revolt (led by Hong Xiuquan) -> hong took over lots of china->eventually put down -> 20-30 million died (one of largest peasant rebellions) -> end result: weakened Qing dynasty
Why was modernization so difficult for China
There was debate on whether to modernize to western ways or to continue traditional ways
Ci Xi
Empress who said to strengthen China but keep traditional ways (strengthen China by not changing anything?)
What did China eventually do to “change”
Self-strengthening movement: some changes but not full western modernization
Results of self-strengthening movement
Mixed results
Not fully supported
What five countries carve out spheres of influence in China
Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Japan
Open door policy: why was it made
Suggested by U.S. to protect our trading rights with China (we feared we’d be shut out if European nations colonized China->we had long time trading relationship with China)
Open door policy: what was it
China’s “doors” would be open to merchants of all nations: Chinese trade would be open to everyone on an equal basis
Results of open door policy
Protected US trading rights in China
protected China from formal colonization
Hundred days of reform
Chinese reformers say to start modernizing government and don’t look back-> conservatives don’t like this-> call Ci Xi back into power -> Ci Xi arrests current emperor and undoes all reforms
Boxer rebellion
Anti-foreign frustration -> anti-foreigner Chinese group formed called the Righteous harmonious Fists (“the Boxers”) -> want to drive out foreigners-> rebel by attacking foreigners in China and control Beijing for several months-> eventually boxers are put down, but it makes Chinese people realize they must change
Beginnings of reform
Nationalism causes china to reform and modernize (even though it’s too late)
Sun Yixian
Wants to rebuild china as a republic
Pu Yi
2 year old emperor after Ci Xi dies -> chaos breaks out -> Qing dynasty falls -> Sun Yixian becomes president of new a Chinese republic
Matthew C Perry
From U.S. -> brings letter from U.S. Pres to Japanese shogun->open ports or else-> Japan opens ports and gives into western powers -> makes Japanese ppl mad
Mutsuhito
Replaces shogun as emperor after revolts against shogun (bc of foreign pressure)
Changed name to Meiji
Meiji era
Meiji restoration where Japan modernizes / westernized / industrialized
Conflict in Korea
Eyed by Russia, Japan, and china
Tributary state to china (independent but acknowledged China’s supremacy)
China weakens->Russia advances in -> Japan makes Korea open ports for trade with Japan thru unequal treaty
Russo-Japanese War
Over Korea and Manchuria
Japan wins->first time an Asian power has beat a European power
Ends with treaty of Portsmouth -> gives Japan control of Korea and parts of Manchuria
What changes took place in Japan during Meiji era
Adopted the German model for strong centralized government
Western style bureaucracy
Send members of government to study western ways abroad and institute in Japanese government
Improved the economy by building factories, encouraging Japanese business, setting up a banking/post/education system, and telegraphs/railroads / ports
Sino-Japanese War
Japan began to modernize->joined western powers in making an empire -> defeated china in this war over conflict in Korea ->gained island of Taiwan
What problems did Japan face when industrializing
Japan had rocky soil and not a lot of resources -> look to Korea and china
