week 1 - maps and definitions Flashcards
resistance to the empire
encountered resistance from local people who had lived there for centuries or, in some cases, since time began.
in other regions, notably at the end of the 18th century, lands were wrenched out of the hands of other competing colonial powers that had already begun their self imposed task of settlement
widespread opinion that the british empire was maintained with little force and maximum co - operation
settlers
settlers and colonists had been forced out of scotland, while some had been driven from ireland, escaping from centuries of continuing oppression and periodic famine.
convicts and political prisoners were sent off to far-off gulags for
minor infringements of draconian laws.
soldiers and sailors were press-ganged from the ranks of the unemployed
white settlers in the americas, australia, new zealand, south africa, canada, rhodesia and kenya, simply took over land that was not theirs, often slaughtering, and even purposefully exterminating, the local indigenous population as if they were vermin.
ireland
no subject people proved more rebellious than the irish.
from misty start to unending finish, irish revolt against colonial rule has been the leitmotif that runs through the entire history of empire,
causing problems in ireland, in england itself, and in the most distant parts of the british globe.
often perceived the irish as “savages”, and they used ireland as an experimental laboratory for the other parts of their overseas empire, as a place to ship out settlers from, as well as a territory to practise techniques of repression and control.
entire armies were recruited in ireland, and officers learned their trade in its peat bogs and among its burning cottages.
british rule
british ruled their empire through terror.
colonies were run as a military dictatorship, often under martial law, and the majority of colonial governors were military officers. “
special courts and courts martial were set up to deal with dissidents, and handed out rough and speedy injustice. normal judicial procedures were replaced by rule through terror; resistance was crushed, rebellion suffocated.
many early campaigns in India in the 18th century were characterised by sepoy disaffection - britain’s harsh treatment of sepoy mutineers at manjee in 1764, with the order that they should be “shot from guns”, was a terrible warning to others not to step out of line.
