Politics: systems, strategies and agents

Question 1

Centres of power in the metropoles

Answer 1

Split between many hands:secretary of state, ministers, coucils, lobbyists
Little representation for colonised

Question 2

Dadabhai Naoroji

Answer 2

1885: co-founder Indian National Congress
1892-95: first Asian MP in UK House of Commons

Question 3

Centres of power in the colonies

Answer 3

Metropoles were represented by governors and viceroys
High turnover to preserve a link with the metropole
Armies: key role in the distribution of power (e.g. the force publique) – led by white officers w largely native soldiers
Indigenous people generally didn’t have seats in governance

Question 4

Representation in India (exception)

Answer 4

19th c and first half of 20th c:
Started w the great mutiny (1857-59)
1882: Municipal governance - 2/3 indian
1921: provincial governments - 3/4 indian
1935: autonomy to provinces
1937: 1/6 indians could participate in elections

Question 5

Indirect rule

Definition and pros

Answer 5

Local rulers could keep their power if they pledged allegiance to the throne
Minor competences: admin, justice, etc
Not: military, fiscaility, foreign policy
Advantages: cheaper, less responsibility, legitimisation

Question 6

In/direct rule in British India

Puppet princes

Answer 6

Bengal: double government - Nawab (puppet) + East India company (army and taxes)
1858: 580 puppet princes in india - mostly nawabs (muslim areas), 1 nizam, rajas (hindu king), maharajas (great king)
These ruled over about half of BI

Question 7

Indirect rule elsewhere

Malaysia, Congo, Java, Indochina

Answer 7

Malaysia: current monarchs are descended from the indirect rulers of colonial times
Belgian congo; only symbolic, cant really be compared to maharajas
Dutch indies: Batavia (Jakarta) had a governor general but other provinces in java were controlled by local leaders
French Indochina (federation): only the region of cochinchina was ruled directly by france, 4 other regions were protectorates w their own leaders

Question 8

Assimilation

Reasons and failure

Answer 8

Mostly the french empire: Turning the colonies into departments of france inhabited by French citizens
Reasoning: ideas of universalism from the French rev and of institutional centralism from napoleon
Largely failed due impracticality and growing feelings of white superiority

Question 9

Association

Answer 9

Assimilation to association: colonial inhabitants would no longer be equal to the French
A bilateral relation between colony and france, usually for economic reasons
Governance still remained centralised

Question 10

Divide and rule

Definition and example

Answer 10

Enforcing existing inequalities and using them to the advantage of the coloniser
Differences usually existed prior to Europeans, but made absolute and recognisable by the coloniser
E.g. caste system being recorded in Indian censuses

Question 11

Minority rule

Answer 11

Europeans would choose to side certain ethnic groups, giving them advantages and power over other groups - turned into collaborators
E.g. tutsis used in governance of Rwanda

Question 12

Martial races

Explanation and examples

Answer 12

Some ethnic groups were seen as martial people that were better suited for military
Led to over-representation of certain ethnicities in armies
E.g. Sikhs in india and Ambonese (South Moluccans) in East indies

Question 13

Military superiority

Examples: British vs Matabele and Omdurman

Answer 13

Gunboats and maxim guns vs swords and spears
Matabele war: British army - 50 men and 4 maxim guns vs 5000 matabele soldiers (caused 1,500 deaths)
Omdurman – British lost 40 soldiers while mahdi army lost 11,000

Question 14

Herero rising

Answer 14

A tribe in german south west Africa: against land appropriation and bad treatment
Germans: issued an extermination order to genocide an entire nation – led to the execution of 75-80% of the herero people (60,000-100,000 people)
An early form of a holocaust?

Question 15

Diseases

Answer 15

Variety: Small pox in australia, measles in fiji, leprosy in Hawaii
Sometimes deliberate: Hispaniola in 16th c and Tasmania in 19th
Sometimes collateral: Spread of malaria in india due to irrigation schemes

Question 16

Causes of famine

Answer 16

Indifferent attitudes from colonial administrators
High taxation
Other priorities, e.g. during war
Local superstition

Question 17

Famines in India

Answer 17

Bengal famine of 1777: 10 mil deaths, 1/3 of the pop
Great famine of 1876-8 (6 to 10 mil)
Indian famine of 1899-1900 (1-10 mil)
Bengal famine of 1943-44 (1-3 mil) - caused by deliberate destruction of infrastructure by Churchill

Question 18

Colonial party

Answer 18

The group of people who support colonialism for political, economic, scientific or religious reasons
E.g. Scientists, lawyers and professors from leuven were directly involved in the formation of congo policy

Question 19

British PMs and colonialism

Answer 19

Advocates: Benjamin Disraeli, Salisbury, Joseph Chamberlain

Reluctant: William Gladstone - withdrew British troops from the 2nd afghan war and reluctant to colonise egypt

Question 20

Overseas rulers

Answer 20

Success overseas often led to success at home
Lord Curzon: viceroy of india (1899-05) and foreign secretary (1912-24)
Herbert Kitchener: command in mahdi war and 2nd boer war, then commander in chief for india and then secretary of state for war (1914-16)
Also Gallieni and Lyautey for france