imperial & colonial policy (ch. 1) Flashcards
colonial office
cabinet minister (or, colonial secretary)
• responsible for territory acquisitions.
• orders were issued with advice of law officers → administer in crown colonies without consultation.
• 5 departments: aus, west indies, africa, north america, & mediterranean.
foreign office
- some protectorates
- other areas such as egypt & ports in china under authority of this office.
india office
separate office & secretary of state
- highlights importance of british involvement in india.
government of india act 1858
• secretary of state for india (cabinet minister).
• territories passed to queen & company ceases to exist.
• india council (15 members) is advisory.
• viceroy replaces governor-general.
• indian civil service controlled by SoS.
india’s defence 🤺
- reformed the army
> 40k british soldiers → 70K.
> 125K indian soldiers, deliberately mixed & isolated:
~ more sikh & gurkhas, less bengali.
~ high-caste regiments disappeared.
*** field artillery in british hands & more british officers, less indian. - 3000 miles of track — swifter deployment of troops.
> armoured gun train. - CANNING → imperial police force for extra security & avoid reliance on the army.
administration of india
- legislative council of 5 handle finance, law, the army, economy & home affairs.
> jobs earned through examinations, open to all, but predominantely white. - viceroy relied on rulers from princely states (40% of india) → doctrine of lapse lifted helped ensure loyalty.
> treaty alliances with Britain; handled external affairs, defence, & sometimes general policy. - RESIDENT - oversee affairs on behalf of viceroy.
- AGENT - represent viceroy interests.
- attention paid towards traditional prachice & customs
- christian missionaries actively discouraged, but education promoted.
- public works schemes.
- INC formation → more representation!
informal empire
- sealed through free trade agreements or direct british investement in the country.
- british influence derived from ;
- commerce financed by British capital
- carried in British ships
- providing profits for British companies, bankers, & insurence firms.
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LATIN AMERICA → government-owned assets.
> public capital stood at £80m by 1865.
> accounted for 10% of Britain’s exports and imports.
argentina 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷
- 1881 charles morrison acquires mercantile bank & invests directly into the countries utilities.
- us consul ; ‘they are in everything
except politics.
gunboat diplomacy
- peru 1857
- chile 1863.
~ CHINA ;
- lucrative opium trade
> treaty of nanking 1842
> treaty of tientsin 1858 secures trading bases at shanghai & hong kong.
- chinese imperial maritime customs office — protected british interests.
~ AFGHANISTAN ;
- treaty of gandamak provided britain control over foreign policy & strategic land gain.
inf. emp.
trade treaties
- siam (thailand)
- iran
- mexico 1861
france (& britain)
- rapid recovery after 1871 german defeat.
- 1880s ; naval building programmes.
+ become more invoived in africa & expand beyond coastal settlements. - 1860s ; established foothold in Indochina & begin to push north for concessions.> british response to french activity is to match expansionism ;
- 1884 ; annex malaya
- 1881 ; north borneo
- 1885 ; brunei & upper burma.
— leave THAILAND as buffer.
russia (& britain)
- less industrially advanced.
- 1884 ; take empire to borders of afghanistan.
> railway construction — britain feared
could carry an army & challenge their
position in india. - 1880s ; naval building (though less dangerous due to freezing rivers).
- imperial expansion in china.
- trans-siberian railway — building in 1891.
germany (& britain)
- huge supply of natural resources 8 favourable geographical location in europe’s center.
- industrialisation.. german merchant ships appear more.
- 1890s ; naval building programme.
- join france in north push for commercial concessions.
-1884 ; began making annexations in south-west & western regions of africa.
brussels conference 1876
- king leopald invited explorers & leaders.
key points of conference ;
- motivated to protect his own interests.
- african’s incapable of developing
natural resources in central africa.
- routes to lakes needed roads / rails.
- international african association should coordinate european efforts.
> IAA hire henry morton stanley to advise in congo region.
leopald was intent on establishing his own
congo empire.
- 1879 ; france hire pierre de brazza & extend control from senegal into western sudan.
- germany hire gustav nachtigal.
- 1884 ; portugal assert claims to mouth of congo.
berlin conference 1884-85
otto von bismarck invited foreign ministers of14 European states, & USA ;
- initially… congo & niger river’s remain neutral and open to trade (free trade).
→ GENERAL ACT ;
- all nations permitted to trade in basin of congo.
- protect indigenous peoples & suppress the slave trade.
- support religious, scientific & charitable undertakings.
> christian missionaries, scientists, & explorers.
- must notify signatories when asserting control.
EFFECTIVE OCCUPATION ;
- if the nation has a local treaty agreement, active administration, & could police the area they were recognised as the rightful ruler.
