Imperialism: India & China

Question 1

imperialism

Answer 1

• when a stronger nation controls a weaker nation politically, socially, and economically
• the first empire was the British to utilize imperialism
• causes/reason:

Question 2

reasons–why did Europe want India, Africa, China, Japan?

Answer 2

1. Markets for manufactured goods
2. Raw materials
   a. colonizers wanted mother country to be self-sufficient
3. Nationalism
   a. love of one’s country–pride
   b. “sun never sets on the British flag”
4. religion
   a. spread Christianity to the unfortunate
5. “White man’s burden”
   a. duty of the whites to civilize the world
   b. a poem by Rudyard Kipling mention this as a duty
6. who is the best without going to war??
   a. this was one way to keep score (like the cold war era)

Question 3

India

Answer 3

• was the crown jewel of the British empire because it had all the raw materials it needed
• used sepoys (Indian troops) to maintain control in India
• Britain brings in its infrastructure: government, lifestyles, philosophies, customs, etc.
• Mauryan to decentralized
• Gupta to decentralized
• Mughals to the British
• British involvement sets the stage for later India Independence movements
• corporations gobble up territory in India (before Brits actually rule India)
• cartridges for weapons were grease with pork and beef fat which you tore open with your mouth
• were the Brits trying to Christianize the Indians?
• by 1877 queen Victoria is empress over India
• English becomes the official language
• western education (Rom Roy)
• end of sati
• Indian National Congress established as a reaction to imperialism

Question 4

China

Answer 4

• originally, China had a favorable trade imbalance as the British wanted tea and paid high silver prices for it
• later, the British get the upper hand on trade by introducing opium to China
• this would launch the Opium Wars:
• China realizes how technologically behind they are in war and will eventually lose to Britain and trade will open wide in favor of Britain
• other countries would now begin trade with China (i.e. France and United States)
• rebellions in China start (in response to foreigner invasions)
• Europe had become China’s equal if not superior in sophistication and complexity
• trade imbalance (silver a luxury item in China)
• by 1839 40,000 chests were imported
• Chinese became addicted, much of their wealth went to buying opium
• infrastructure was being neglected as officials were strung out
• Lin Zexu ordered the confiscation and destruction of opium
• after opium wars the west infiltrates China who continues to resist
• Britain gains exclusive trade rights in China (given control of Hong Kong which was just returned in 1997)

Question 5

note

Answer 5

• search for raw materials -> markets for production -> competition leading to nationalism -> technological advances to the west
• India would not be the only country under the British Empire, as China and Africa would have the same issues. It is believed that the :Sun never set on the British Empire” as it had controlled many parts of the world
• White Lotus Rebellion: A rebellion led by a secret religious group against taxes
• Taiping Rebellion: almost took down the Qing, 20 million died
• led by a mentally unstable semi-Christianized prophet and attacked the traditional Confucian elite
• Boxer Rebellion

Question 6

Boxer Rebellion

Answer 6

• to expel the foreigners, but didn’t work as Japan will now trade as well as other countries
  1. led by a patriotic group known as the ‘righteous fists”
  2. had been attacks on ruling government, the Manchu’s
  a. widespread corruption
  3. the Manchu’s tried to channel attacks on foreigners and missionaries
  4. rebellion put down by the combined forces of Europe, US, and Japan
  a. this was one time when the foreigners were able to band togehter
  5. China forced to pay an indemnity, station troops in China and open new ports

Question 7

Cecil Rhodes

Answer 7

• 1853-1902

- remember that you are an Englishman, and have consequently won first prize in the lottery of life

Question 8

As British corporations increased their stronghold on India, Sepoys rebelled against the British because

Answer 8

• they feared they were being “Christianized”
• the British were culturally insensitive
• they resented British exploitation

Question 9

the demise of China’s bureaucratic infrastructure can be blamed on ____

Answer 9

• opium addiction

Question 10

imperialist nations like Great Britain used the theory of ____ as a rationale for the subjugation of weaker nations

Answer 10

• social Darwinism

Question 11

the formation of the Indian National congress was a reaction to

Answer 11

• British imperialism in India

Question 12

“the white man’s burden” as experienced by industrialized European nations can best be described as

Answer 12

• Europe’s rationalization for creating a kleptoracy