Negative Impact on the Periphery Flashcards
How can divide and rule be seen in Nigeria under Lugard? What principle does this show?
He kept the muslim north separate from the increasingly christianised south
Rule by law instead of of law
Why did Judge Thacker convict Kenyatta for his role in the Mau Mau Rebellion? What does this show?
Governor Baring bribed him with £20,000
This shows the opposite of rule of law
How many non-white British colonies maintained democracy following colonisation?
1
Give some examples of ethnic conflicts which were heightened by British rule:
Jews vs Arabs (Palestine)
Catholics vs Protestants (Ireland)
Chinese vs Malayan (Malaya)
How much of the world’s manufacturing output did India have prior to colonial rule? What did their share of world trade decrease to by the end?
1/4 decreased to 5%
How many Indians were living below the poverty line by the end of colonial rule?
78%
Who did Britain launch a punitive expedition against in Kenya in 1905? What wider imperial policy does this show?
The Kisii
Shows the policy of land grab and forced resettlement
What is the moral argument against empire?
Imperialism is morally corrupt since it removes the freedom of the nationals to rule themselves and take responsibility for that. It creates a power hierarchy.
What levels was infant mortality at in India in 1947? How did this change over the next two decades?
200 deaths were 1000 live births in 1947
This figure halved over the two decades after independence
How can the worse economic situation of colonies post-decolonisation still be seen as the fault of colonisation?
The rule under colonisation led to the economic extraction of the colony and hence when it was independent, it lacked the resources and necessary economic position to be strong by itself.
Against which populations was indentured labour used? Which argument does this rebut?
Indentured labour of Indians and Chinese
This rebuts the argument that the British empire brought an end to slavery
What did the British do during Indian famines 1860-1870 which could be seen to worsen the problem?
They experimented to see how little rations they could give the workers without them dying. This obviously led to excess deaths
In which decade was the first White man prosecuted for murdering an African?
1960
What is the argument against the positivity of high investment by the British in the empire?
This investment was designed to facilitate wealth extraction rather than to build the wealth and infrastructure in the colonies.
Who were mostly responsible for developing education in the colonies? e.g. how many schools was the government responsible for in the Gold Coast by 1914?
Missionaries
8% of schools in the Gold Coast under the government by 1914
In what decade did government sponsored secondary education in the Gold Coast, East Africa and Nigeria first begin to emerge?
1930s
The imposition of what tax caused a rebellion in Sierra Leone? When?
Hut Tax
1898
What was the trigger for the 1906 Bambatha rebellion?
Onerous tax legislation
How many Indians died from famines between 1860-1900?
14.5m
When did the first directly financed colonial projects begin?
1929 (First Colonial Development Act)
What impact does George Otto Trevelyan describe to do with the expansion of the railways in India?
Argues that trains encouraged lazy workers and robbers rather than them being used to a beneficial purpose
By 1948, how many Kikuyu were forced into landholding of 2000 acres?
250,000
Why did british authorities permit domestic slavery sometimes?
Since it was seen as essential for the mobilisation of African labour
When was Indentured labour banned by the Government of India?
1917
How does C.L.R James see the encouragement of sports such as cricket in the West Indies?
Sees it as an instrument for colonisers to increase control over the colonies i.e. sport teaches one to accept rules and play fairly
How many civilians were killed in concentration camps in the Second Boer War?
110,000
Who wrote that the Black Aborigine’s “life is such that the law can hardly reach him”?
Novelist Anthony Trollope
Which two key countries were Britain forced to leave from due to an inability to maintain and enforce law and order?
Palestine and India
Which democratic party was suppressed in Egypt in favour of King Farouk? What does this demonstrate?
The Wafd
demonstrates how indirect rule prevented the development of modern states
For how long were no Africans full diocesan Bishops in the Anglican church?
Until 1953
Where did White and Black towns emerge in India?
Madras and Calcutta
What was Benevolent Apartheid in Fiji (from 1874)?
The separation of Fijians and Indians legally and politically in Fiji until 1959
By 1921, what proportion of children in the Gold Coast under 16 attended government financed schools?
3.9%
What happened to the status of doctors in Sierra Leone in 1902?
British doctors were made senior to Sierra Leoneans regardless of qualifications
What have Rachael Hill’s studies about women in Igbo and Yuroba societies shown?
That women had much greater economic independence before colonial rule when they played an equal role in farming and managing family land. Under British rule, only men were allowed to register land ownership.
Which directive issued to the colonial service in 1909 forbade colonial officials from taking indigenous concubines? What negative theory did this cement?
Lord Crewe’s Circular on Concubinage
Cemented growing racist ideologies and divisions between colonial officers and native populations
Which historian has shown that in India, the Empire reinforced sexual barriers i.e. that women were inferior and weak?
Indrani Sen
How did Britain use sexism to help raise certain Indian groups above others?
They praised the Sikhs for their manly, martial qualities whilst critcised the Bengali males for their effeminate nature. Even Gandhi succombed to these stereotypes when criticising European Doctors.
What did Section 377 of the Indian penal code (1860) forbid?
Homosexual relations and hijras (non-binary group)
What proportion of the current 71 nations who outlaw same-sex relations were part of the British empire?
Over half
What gender system did Britain enforce upon its colonies?
A monolithic gender system
How many Indian workers died constructing the Mombasa-Lake Victoria Railway (1895-1903)?
2500
When did the East African population start declining as a result of poor wages, food provision and medical attention?
1924
How were Kenyans forced to work on European farms rather than their own?
The British often used military intimidation or physical engagement to seize lands of tribes. They then set up specific cash taxes which could only be paid off through a wage earned by working on a European farm.
What was Churchill’s response to the 1943/44 Bengal famines?
He refused to divert scarce shipping to Calcutta to alleviate the issues
How many cattle did the Ndebele in Zimbabwe lose between 1893-96 due to colonial settlers?
100,000-200,000 according to Wayne Dooling
How did Britain help consolidate apartheid in South Africa after the Second Boer War?
They put white landlords back in control of the land and disarmed the blacks who had fought with them. They engaged with negotiations to establish the Union of South Africa with racist figures such as Jan Smuts.
Which historian argues that the British were partially responsible for the consolidation of muslim and non-muslim identities in India through improving communication, transport and separating muslims electorally?
Francis Robinson
Which tribe did Britain collaborate with in Uganda to secure control (alienating the other tribes)?
Buganda
By 1908, where did a quarter of British exports end up? What does this highlight?
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and India
Highlights that the majority of British colonies did not benefit from Britain’s industrial production.
