Making empire Flashcards
1
Q
Early commercial expansion
A
PIRACY
- Conflict with other Empires. Namely the Dutch, Spanish and French Empires
- Nial Fergusson: “empire envy” p. 4
- Drive to build Protestant empire to combat ‘Popish’ Spanish Empire
- Gold was motive for conquest of Virginia, none found. Six expeditions to Gambia 1618-1621 were unsuccessful
- -> Piracy tactics against Spaniards, “privatized naval warfare” p. 8
STATE-SPONSORED PIRACY
- 1585-1604, £200 000 every year from robbing Spaniards
- Henry Morgan, 1668: (Parts of) Cuba, Panama, Venuzuela, island of Old Providence. Invests in Jamaica for sugar
- “transition from piracy to political power” p. 12 Nial Ferguson
COMMERCIAL EXPANSION
- Sugar Britain’s largest export from 1750s
- Also demand for Caffeine and Nicotine
- Mass production= low price = mass market by 1750s
- 800 000-> 2.5m lb of tea imported for use in the UK 1746-1750
- 85% tobacco 95% coffee exported
- Textile market: 1664, 1/4m pieces of Calico imported
“The Empire, it might be said, was built on a huge sugar, caffeine and nicotine rush- a rush nearly everyone could experience.” - p.15 Nial Fergusson
2
Q
The East India Company (And the Dutch)
A
East India Company:
- Founded early September 1600
- Became permanent joint stock in 1650
Dutch East India company:
- Officially formed 1602, but trading in the area from 1596
- Innovative public borrowing scheme with low interest, could finance their endeavours
- Permanent joint stock
- At times, 5* as many ships as the English in action
- “Both companies could not have a monopoly on Asian trade in Europe”
- Three wars 1652-74
- -> Anglo-Dutch merger after James II’s coup of 1688
MERGER
- Bank of England for regulated public borrowing
- England took textiles, Dutch took spice
- Bombay, Sutanuti, Fort St George, Madras bases
3
Q
The growth of private trade as a means of early expansion
A
- Distance between India and England meant 6 month travel time. Hard to monitor employee action
- Thomas Pitt, 1673, joins company but conducts private business in India
4
Q
The Imperialism of Free trade
A
- Illogical to write imperial history in terms of the “red on the map” yet this has happened: expansion and retraction of Empire correlates with periods of imperialism and anti-imperialism
- Both proponents and opponents of that view agreed that rise and decline of formal and informal empire correlated to support of free trade
- “By informal means if possible, or formal annexation where necessary, British paramountcy was steadily upheld”
- Empire not rendered ‘superflous’ by free trade. Change in “degree” of control
NEW HYPOTHESIS
1) Imperialism moves beyond economic expansion, for the protection of economic interests
2) Imperialism is necessitated by social and political circumstances to allow for free trade
EVIDENCE:
- Paradox of expansion in period of ‘indifference’
- Why was responsible gvt. not only granted in period of ‘indifference’, but also later when British concerned with maintaining unity?
- West African Committee 1865 cosidered abandoning all but one colony, didn’t happen
- India in laissez faire period was subject to extensive economic development
- India was formal and Latin America informal at the same time
- Free trade generally preferred from 1840s,
5
Q
Case Study: India
A
Collaboration:
- Early collaboration with Mughal Emperor
Company Administration:
- Treaty of Allahabad 1765, Company administration and right to tax Diwani, 20m people for revenue of 2-3M a year
- Warren Hastings is first Governor General in 1773. Fluent in persian and hindi, translated religious texts, praised Muslim law, encourgaged study of India’s Geopgraphy and botany p.39 Nial Ferguson
- Extremely profitable ie approx 18m in diamonds transferred from Indian mines to England p.42 Nial Ferguson
- Famines in Benghal in 1770 and 1783-4
- Defecit in spending, debt of 8.4 million in 1784
- Hastings charged with “…a wanton, and unjust, and pernicious exercise of his powers…”. Edmund Burke: “I impeach him in the name of the people of India, whose rights he has trodden under foot, and whose country he has turned into a desert.”
- -> Company rule ends, Governor Generals now appointed by the crown
- Tax reform in 1793, “…landowners’ tax obligations in perpetuity…” p.51 Nial Ferguson
- “British power in India continued to be based on the sword” - Ibid.
India, initially dependence on indigenous collaboration. Mughal emperor lost control. EIC garrisons + 7 years war = bigger shares of indigenous revenues taken (paid by indigenous citizens) –> Land directly administered by EIC = more costs for defence = more encroachment
Scottish:
- Large Scottish presence early in Empire
- 119/249 of the writers serving in Bengal under Hastings were Scottish
6
Q
Naval power
A
- Initially, naval power inferior to that of other Empires. Boats were nimble, but lacked firepower p.9
- By Mid 16th century, English had ‘sailing galley’ boat, better firepower and better navigational capabilities
- “…unquestionably Europe’s dominant naval power” by 1713 p. 30 Nial Ferguson
- 105 ships by 1750s
- Quiberon bay, 1759, Victory by English
- 1762, Indian bases and land in Phillipines/Cuba captured
7
Q
Military power
A
- Warriors employed in late 18th Century by the East India Company. Threats from Afghans and Persians, Mughal Empire losing grip
- National debt grew 74-133 Million in 7 years war
- By mid 18th Century, 100 000 soldiers under control of EIC
- In 1756 it had maintained a mere 3,000 troops in
Bengal; in 1766 the number had risen to 26,000
8
Q
Financing imperialism
A
- Warfare: Conquering new territories to pay for territories already conquered
- The Excise on imported commodities. Added to price for consumer, so the citizens ultimately paid for it
