TWS lecture/seminar notes Flashcards
Britain’s Industrialization and Cotton Trade…
- Britain’s rise to global economic dominance during the Industrial Revolution fueled largely by cotton + Much of cotton grown by enslaved African laborers in southern U.S
What is an organisation?
a systematic arrangement to achieve specific purposes
Theories of organisation…
ownership, size, industry, objectives and stakeholders.
Who built empire in Uzbekistan?
Tamer ‘lame’ - empire pretty much controlled entire world
(When tamer ‘lame’ died, empire collapsed)
(Power vacuum followed, filled by muslim powers, e.g. ottoman, safavids, mughals etc)
Qing empire details…
-> (1644) - Qing Empire est.
- Before this, Ming empire collapsed
-> (1592) Invasion of Korea = China’s size doubled
Details on battle of panipat…
- 50k killed by swords/muskets
Chinese and Russians deal with Central Asia…
- Had a trade deal for 125 yrs
Details on Seven Years’ War…
(To control trade)
- (1756-1763) Between French and Indians -> Brits win
- Brits were the main global powers
Why discovery of America (Americas) so important? + Transatlantic slave trade
(1492) Founded by Columbus
- High amounts of silver found Iin Bolivia + Mexico
- Market in Asia for silver
- Entire fiscal system silver dependent
Transatlantic slave trade: - 19m people enslaved?
- Slavery existed as judicial punishment?! -> Sentencing with freedom at the end?!
- Some argue slavery saved some africans from conflict etc?!
- (By 1830) 118kg of raw cottom imported to U.S
(Silver importation caused peasent uprising and Ming empire’s collapse)
Cotton in Brits’ industrialisation…
- Brits’ empire est. routes that directed raw cotton from enslaved African labor to Brits’ factories.
Brits’s colonialism in India…
- The British Empire imposed restrictions on Indian textile production, compelling locals to purchase British-manufactured cotton products.
- HOWEVER, some argue that some Indian traders benefited from British trade practices and that Indian textile production existed alongside British imports.
Mughal Empire’s decline…
- This helped Brits’ expansion in India
- HOWEVER, some argue that Mughal Empire was still powerful during British expansion + Brits’ actions accelerated its decline rather than just exploiting existing weaknesses.
Robert Clive + EIC…
- Clive played big role in Brits’ success in India + (1757) Brits win at Plassey and tax Bengal and profit from resoruces
1769 famine…
- EIC policies led to deaths of 10m people
- However, some argue that local disasters and local governance contributed to famine
Brits and opium…
- To balance trade deficits, Brits sold opium from India to China
- Led to opium wars + Brits’ forced China to accept opium despite it being illegal
- Some argue China complicit in opium trade and benefitted economically.
- (1839-1842) 1st Opium war + (1856-1860) 2nd Opium war -> These wars heavily weakened Qing Dynasty and boosted Western influence in China.
US expansion and industrialisation…
- Cotton industry vital to U.S economy + economic growth
Scramble for Africa…
(Late c19th) European powers rapidly divided and colonised Africa
(1882) Brits’ def. Egypt which leads to more colonisation of Africa
- Some argue African agency/resistance essential to colonisation
Colonial repression…
- (1893-1911) avg. 1 conflict per 8 mnths to suppress local uprisings
- (1904) German governor of SW Africa ordered extermination of Herrero people
Famines in India…
- Approx 45m people killed in total
- (1770), (1876-1878) and (1943-1944).
Brits’ empire defenders…
- Supporters of the British Empire often argue that atrocities were isolated incidents (“rotten apples”), not systemic.
- Critics counter that violence and exploitation were integral to the maintenance and expansion of colonial rule (a “rotten barrel” argument).
Who built empire in Uzbekistan?
Tamer ‘lame’ - empire pretty much controlled entire world
(When tamer ‘lame’ died, empire collapsed)
(Power vacuum followed, filled by muslim powers, e.g. ottoman, safavids, mughals etc)
Qing empire details…
-> (1644) - Qing Empire est.
- Before this, Ming empire collapsed
-> (1592) Invasion of Korea = China’s size doubled
Details on battle of panipat…
- 50k killed by swords/muskets
Chinese and Russians deal with Central Asia…
- Had a trade deal for 125 yrs
Details on Seven Years’ War…
(To control trade)
- (1756-1763) Between French and Indians -> Brits win
- Brits were the main global powers
Why discovery of America (Americas) so important? + Transatlantic slave trade
(1492) Founded by Columbus
- High amounts of silver found Iin Bolivia + Mexico
- Market in Asia for silver
- Entire fiscal system silver dependent
Transatlantic slave trade: - 19m people enslaved?
- Slavery existed as judicial punishment?! -> Sentencing with freedom at the end?!
- Some argue slavery saved some africans from conflict etc?!
- (By 1830) 118kg of raw cottom imported to U.S
(Silver importation caused peasent uprising and Ming empire’s collapse)
Britain’s Industrialization and Cotton Trade…
(Ban on Indian cotton)
- British Empire banned weaving of cotton cloth in India + obliging Indians (in modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) to buy British-manufactured cotton
- Raw materials for British cotton mills sourced from colonies -> particularly from enslaved labor in the Americas.
Bengal and Brits’ rule…
-> Bengal’s Richness -> Before Brits’ colonization, Bengal (part of the Mughal Empire, including modern Bangladesh, West Bengal, and parts of India) one of world’s richest places, largely due to its cotton and textile industry.
-> Robert Clive’s Influence: British colonist Robert Clive -> after making substantial wealth in India, returned to secure political power in Britain but failed due to corruption. -> Clive returned to India and played a key role in the Battle of Plassey (Jun 1757) -> he secured British dominance over Bengal by bribing Mughal cavalry commander Mir Jafar.
- EIC became a political force by getting rights to collect taxes in Bengal + EIC made 49% profit from tax in first year
(By 1767) EIC controlled 85% of Bengal’s exports
Famine in Bengal (1769-1770)…
- (1769) 10m died (approx. 1/3 of populace) died in Bengal famine
- EIC abolised Mughal’s system of regulating prices for food shortages, preventing mass deaths
Famine in Bengal (1769-1770)…
- Price Manipulation -> The Company hoarded rice in its warehouses and sold it at inflated prices + contributing significantly to the famine.
- Workers bought rice for 110 kilos per rupee and sold it at 3 kilos per rupee, amassing large profits.
British Trade with China and the Opium Wars…
- (By 1767) British East India Company was importing 3.65 million kilos of tea annually from China, and tea became key revenue source, contributing 10% of Brits’ govt. income via import taxes.
- Brits’ begin selling opium to China to balance trade deficit
- Opium produced in India and sold in China despite being illegal
- ## (By 1879) Brits selling 6.67 million kg of opium in China annually + Led to addiction, and societal collapse in southern China
Brits’ trade with China and opium wars…
- Wars fought to force China to continue accepting Brits’ opium imports
- Chinese govt. resistance led to conflicts -> resulting in Brits’ victory and continued opium trade.
U.S. Cotton and Industrialization…
- (By mid-1800s) U.S had become a major industrial power, 2nd to Brits.
- The rapid industrialization was fueled by cotton
- (By 1860) U.S supplied 77% of Brits’ cotton
- U.S expansion across North America -> Led to deaths and displacements of of Native American populations + Europeans bought diseases -> Reducing their numbers by 95%
British Control of Egypt and the Scramble for Africa…
- (1882) Brits occupied Egypt to secure control of Suez Canal -> vital link to India -> jewel of the British Empire.
- (1880s-1905) Scramble for Africa -> Europoean powers rush for control for Africa + (By 1905) Nearly all of Africa under European control exc. Ethipoia and Liberia
- Brits’ perhaps avoided European conflicts but fuelled local conflicts
The Political Economy of U.S. Expansion…
U.S. Industrial Growth:
- (1898) U.S expanded across pacific -> Acquiring Hawaii + Phillipines after def. Spain
- (By 1830) U.S 2nd largest industrial power globally, primarily through cotton and mass immigration across Europe.
European Colonialism and Global Economic Changes:
- Resources from Asia and Africa start going to Europe
Brits’ ‘pacification of Kenya’
- the British Army conducted 30 military operations in Kenya -> Approx 1 military action every 8 mnths over 18 yrs
German Colonial Atrocities in Southwest Africa…
(Oct 1904) Herero people genocided -> German governor of southwest Africa (Namibia -> Ordered for every male Herero armed or unarmed to be shot
- One of first genocides of 20th century, incluidng Namaqua
Imperial Violence and Famines in British India…
- The famines that occured in British-controlled India killed roughly 45m people -> Approx same as total no. of people who died in WW2.
Views on European empires…
- Many defenders of European colonialism argue famines were natural phenomena and unavoidable
- Other defenders argue European colonialism brought ‘peace and civilisation’ -> Ignoring the violence and exploitation by European colonisers
British Military Intelligence and Imperialism…
- Colonel Charles Edward Callwell -> A key figure in Brits’ military intelligence wrote ‘Small Wars: A Tactical Textbook for Imperial Soldiers’
- The txtbook was widely read by British officers + Advocated for tactics like the destruction of villages and food supplies to suppress resistance
- Callwell’s writings show how terrorism and violence were integral to Brits’ imperialism + Contrary to defenders like Nigel Biggar -> Who claimed Brits’ rule not inherantly violent
(PM Boris Johnson defended Brits’ empire
Orientalism…
(According to Edward Said…)
- Western framework that stereotypes and patronises Eastern societies as inferior , backward and uncivilised
- This served as justification for colonialism + Western powers argued they were ‘rescuing’ non-Western societies from their own regression and violence
(Week 3 Lecture)
Views of orientalism critics…
- Framework is reductive
- Ignores rich histories and cultures + Shows Eurocentric views of the world -> Dismisses autonomy of Eastern civilisations
Oriental violence and cowardice…
- Western stereotype is that Eastern societies inherantly violent and cowardly
- Bush had this idea during Iraq invasion -> Said that orientalits are deceitful and require strong Western intervention
- However, others say Eastern areas were intelligent + created guerilla warfare to combat Western firepower
Oriental despotism and corruption…
(Western viewpoint)
- Oriental societies viewed as inherantly despotic with rulers and titles
- Belief was despotism encoded in DNA cultures
- Characters like Dr. Fu Manchu from Western literature and film portray Eastern figures as dangerous, scheming villains -> Making eastern figures seem dangerous and threatening -> Modern scholars of this see this as harmful and racist
- However, such societies contributed to global knowledge, mathematics etc (golden age things)
Orientalism and islam…
- Viewed as ‘backward’ by Westerners
- Brits + French saw their role as ‘civilising societies’
- French Cardinal Lavagerie described Islam in North Africa as “14 centuries of ruin and death,” -> Viewing Islam as regressive
The Case of India…
- Brits’ orientalism -> Brit colonisers thought India was 1500 yrs behind India -> Led to 1861 criminal code -> codification of caste
- Western colonizers viewed nomadic populations with suspicion -> groups had to be sedentarised e.g. Controlling India and taxing them
- India’s caste system and cultural practices were misrepresented and misunderstood by the British + Rather than static system -> Indian society dynamic -> Brits’ policies reinforced rather than alleviating social inequalities
Orientalism and China…
- John Stuart Mill described China as ‘mired in custom’
- Philosopher Hegel saw no development in Chinese history, deeming it irrelevant to global progress.
- Westerners believed that China could only improve with foreign intervention -> seen during events like the Opium Wars -> Western powers forced their way into Chinese markets under the pretext of “civilizing” the nation.
- Modern historians argue that China has a rich and evolving history, and its early developments in agriculture, technology, and governance influenced global civilization -> Western viewpoints perhaps ignore this
Marx’s view on Orient…
- Marx viewed eastern societies, particularly india, as unchaging without history + He believed Brits’ socieites could make them change out of their ‘passiveness’
- However, focusing on economic conditions, critics argue that it underestimated the complexity and dynamism of Eastern societies.
Orientalism and Liberalism….
- Western liberals e.g. Alexander Solzhenitsyn and John Stuart Mill
- Solzhenitsyn linked Russia’s despotic government to its “Asiatic” roots
- Critics of this perspective argue that it ignores the historical agency of non-Western societies + Many non-Western nations embraced democratic reforms without need for Western intervention
Legacy of Orientalism….
- Orientalist thinking continues to influence Western perceptions of the East -> particularly in media, politics, and academia
- “clash of civilizations” narrative -> which pits the West against the Islamic world -> a modern manifestation of Orientalism
Critics of orientalism viewpoints…
(According to Edward Said/others)
- Postcolonial theorists, like Said, argue that these views maintain a colonial mindset, promoting Western superiority while ignoring the voices and perspectives of those in the East.
- Many argue western viewpoints of orientalism needs to be more nuanced
ontology meaning…
- Deals with metaphysics and nature of being
Details on al-wahhab (1703-1792)…
(Week 4 seminar)
- From KSA, he formed relations with ibn saud (KSA founder)
- They argued ottoman rulers were betraying islam -> by adopting western ideas
- (1804-1811) ibn saud + al-wahhab capture meca and mdina -> ottomans recapture these after
al-wahhab’s ideology…
- focused on purging Islamic societies from corrupt rulers + he believed they were betraying islm for westrn values
Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)…
- Led by Xinquan -> aimed to rid China of foreign influence hoever, adopted christian ideas
Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901)…
- A violent anti-Western uprising
- Suppressed by west (had better military technology)
Donghak Movement (1860s)…
(Korean movement)
- Began by Choi Je-u -> movement promoted Korean traditions to combat foreign influence - movement criticized Korean rulers for succumbing to foreign power and embraced spiritual nationalism
African Resistance to Western Culture…
- Africans mobilised to oppose Western culture
- criticizing rulers who engaged in slave trade and Western consumption habits e.g. alcohol
Nāsir al-Dīn (1673–1677)…
(African Resistance to Western Culture) - Week 4
- Led an islmic revival state along Senegal river
- opposing local rulers involved in the slave trade and Westernization
Uthman dan Fodio (1754–1817)…
- Est. Sokoto Caliphate + Began islmic revolution oin modern-day Nigeria
- Criticised corrupt leaders and the influence of Western colonialism