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The white man's burden analysis essay
Britain's motives for imperialism
The white man's burden analysis essay
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One of the most prolific imperialistic powers was Great Britain. The British Empire stretched across the globe. There were British colonies in Africa, India, China, and the Americas. “The sun never sets on the British empire”, is a well-known quote that illustrates the stretch of the vast empire. This paper will analyze the positives, negatives and the overall influence of the imperialistic empire. Influenced by the Industrial Revolution, imperialism enabled countries such as India access to advanced technology and innovation, which in turn made is possible for them to become major players in trade. In addition to increased trade, British influence also prevented the political and social system of their colonies from crumbling within. However, there were still negative aspects of the British rule upon the different peoples. Moreover, each different colony the British ruled longed for a sense of nationalism and hence the revolts and turmoil.
To fully understand the influence Britain had over its colonies, imperialism itself must be defined. Winfried Baumagart explains the social conception of nationalism and the “white man’s burden” which is to not only expand into foreign lands and establish rule, but is also to culturally educate the people. This is the definition of imperialism; however, there is more to imperialism as he goes on to explain. The significance of trade, missionary activities, technological advancements, naval developments, and exploration are all highlighted as important factors of imperialism. This allows a grading criterion for this paper to be established. Questions such as what advancements and how trade changed with British influence can be evaluated. Including all of these factors in imperialism opens up a ...
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...lourish in the times they did and established the countries assets, which those countries still rely upon in modern society.
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Keay, John. The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India Company. New York, Scribner Press. 1994
Fay, Peter Ward. The Opium War: 1840-1842.Chapel Hill. The University of North Carolina Press. 1998
Marshall, Peter. "The British Presence in India in the 18th Century." BBC News. BBC, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 04 May 2014.
"Economic Reasons for British Imperialism in Africa - British Colonization of Africa." Economic Reasons for British Imperialism in Africa - British Colonization of Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2014.
"Foreign Imperialism in China." Alpha History. N.p., n.d. Web.
Marshall, Peter. "The British Presence in India in the 18th Century." http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/east_india_01.shtml (accessed June 8, 2014).
One country that had imperialism was India. By the mid-1880s, the British East India Company controlled three fifths of India. The cause of British domination was that the land was very diverse and the people could not unite and that the British either paid local princes or used weapons to get control. Positive effects of imperialistic rule in India were that the British set up a stronger economy and more powerful industries. They built roads and railroads. British rule brought peace and order to the countryside. They revised the legal system to promote justice for the Indians regardless of class. Indian landowners and princes, who still owned territory grew rich from exporting cash crops such as cotton and jute. The British introduced the telegraph and the postal system as a means of communication. These improvements and benefits from British rule eventually lead to Indian nationalism. The exposure to European ideas caused an Indian nationalist movement, the people dreamed of ending Imperial ...
At a glance Imperialism is seen as a horrendous practice that many European nations practiced at the turn of the century. With Britain at the top and many other nations coming up behind them Imperialism seemed to be the way to go. But why would such a practice that involved exploiting the natives and harming both the land and people be so appealing to the public? The profits offered by Politicians and Officials hid the truth behind Imperialism, swaying the opinion in favor of money, goods, and a sense of moral duty. Imperialism was a great example of ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’, its promise of greatness for everyone involved outweighed the hardships many endured from it. The pros and cons of Imperialism
The main objective of English imperialism was to spread economic influence, values and laws to different countries. The motivations of imperialism were to create merchant policy that only favors political class of the English imperialism and voters so that they can get reelected. The motivations comprised the willingness to control social class, to control foreign trade, to make money, acquire cheap labor, and dominate over America using political powers. The motivations were also based on the willingness to gain power over nations with a variety of resources (Peter, 2002). Power is authority; therefore English imperialism thought, by gaining power over different nations will make it succeed in
James, Lawrence. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. New York: St. Martin's, 1998. Print.
Introduction: The epoch of imperialism cannot be defined simply as a proliferation of inflated egos tied to the hardened opinions of nationalists, but also a multi-faceted global rivalry with roots of philosophies tainted with racism and social Darwinism. The technique of each imperialist was specific to the motivations and desires of each combative, predominantly Western power and subsequently impacted the success of each imperialist and its colonies. Driven by industrialization, Europeans are aware of the urgent need for raw materials and new markets to maintain a constant rate of expansion and wealth. Imperialism became a competition; in general, the European countries led with fervor while the non-Western regions deemed likely to be stepped on.
In this imperialism by Europe, there was much good that was brought out from it which allowed for the response of happiness. An Indian politician named Dadabhai Naoroji wrote all about “the Benefits of British Rule” specifically in India (Doc. 3). In his book, he talks about politics, economics, and material goods that was influenced greatly of Great Britain and greatly
There is a point of time in certain a country’s history where they become dominant and more powerful than ever before. During this elongated process a country becomes an empire. The British and the Ottomans were states that succeeded in this process, but becoming an empire such as theirs required vast amounts of political and social maneuvering to expand their boundaries, called imperialism. Imperialism is, “a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force”. By becoming a modern nation enjoying economic prosperity and political stability, the British and the Ottomans created an imperialistic impact over the globe with distinctive motivations and approaches especially during the transition period of gaining ample amount power and influence globally.
" India was where the riches of the world came from, the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. The British needed to dispel the threat of other Europeans in Africa to maintain control of India, and they did so efficiently. They quickly gained control of both the major sea routes to India and then turned their eyes to the rest of the continent. Whether the British were trying to foster public support or prevent another nation from becoming a threat, all British actions in Africa were directly or indirectly linked to India. The British were motivated by their desire to become powerful, and they skillfully combined enterprise and conquest to create a globe spanning empire centered around the wealth of India.
Imperialism has not only influenced colonial territories to better themselves or to further the mother country’s realm of power, it also had a significant impact on the people’s culture, education, environment, and political systems. Japan and Britain were two imperial systems that countered each other in many facets but also had strikingly similar qualities that had helped them become strong imperial powers that needed one another to continue their position amongst others.
A popular analysis of the late 19th and early 20th century “scramble for Africa” attributes it to a ramping up of European powers’ imperialist goals, often providing it as supporting evidence in the characterization of the late Victorian period as one of increased imperialist action. However, in analyzing the motives behind the actions of European imperialist powers, continuity emerges. Robinson and Gallagher describe the history of 19th and 20th century Europe as “the history of and expanding society”. This idea of characterizing the entire period as a single “history” is revolutionary in that it points to some sort of continuity in the actions and motives of European powers throughout the period of imperialism that the idea of the mid and late Victorian periods being anti and pro-imperialist periods respectively fails to address. As evidence counter to the idea of a dichotomy existing between the policies of the middle and late Victorian periods, Robinson and Gallagher point out the fact that during the same time period, mercantilist formal empire was being used in India while more informal free trade policies were being used in Latin America by the same imperialist power: Britain. It is in regard to this point that one of the signature ideas of
In order to understand the dynamics of each nation’s different fate through western imperialism, it is important to discuss what western imperialism is and it how came about. Over the course of history, we’ve seen many empires rise and fall through certain time periods. Imperialism is the practice of which powerful nations or peoples seek to extend and maintain control or influence over weaker nations or peoples . Western powers such as the British already had great advantages in this procedure by the 2800’s. One of the reasons why they had an advantage of imperialism is because they led the world in technology. Technology is a valuable asset for a nation to grow and a great resource in taking over other nations. This procedure of western imperialism was designed more towards the underdeveloped world which led to the domination and exploitation of Asia.
1 Moore, Robin J., "Imperial India, 1858-1914", in Porter, Andrew, Oxford History of the British Empire: The Nineteenth Century, Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2001a, p.422-446,
The decision to grant independence to India was not the logical culmination of errors in policy, neither was it as a consequence of a mass revolution forcing the British out of India, but rather, the decision was undertaken voluntarily. Patrick French argues that: “The British left India because they lost control over crucial areas of the administration, and lacked the will and the financial or military ability to recover that control”.
African History: What Caused the Scramble for Africa. Alistair Boddy-Evans, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.