Imperialism - unedited

IMPERIALISM




Q1. Explain why industrial revolution encouraged western imperialism in Asia and Africa during the 19th century?

Ans. : Industrial Revolution created a new trend of society where the goods were manufactured at a faster rate. With new inventions this was made easy enough. The capitalists who had invested in these new machines wanted to earn more and more profits and they did it by maximum sale of the products produced and at the cost of the wages of the workers. When the purchasing power of the whole of middle class was brought down, it created a new problem for the capitalist i.e. to find new markets for his finished products and that he did not find it in his own country. He had to export the goods but every country had the same problem and they tried to protect their goods by levying huge taxes on the goods imported.

Another problem which the capitalists faced was the finding of the raw materials for the hungry machines and without the supply of raw materials these machines would be idle and thus increase the production cost for the capitalist. The capitalist started looking for areas where he could find ready markets and have areas where there would be a continuous supply of raw materials. This could be done only if they could politically dominate any country so that they could control the export of finished goods to the dominated country and import raw material from that same country at a price which would be profitable to the capitalists.

The reasons why the European countries started looking towards Asia and Africa was that Industrial Revolution had not yet taken place in these countries and they were still backwards when it came to new types of warfare and industry when compared to Europe. Political domination would be easier and would also be beneficial for these imperialist countries.


Q2. Why were Asian and African countries so easily dominated by the western powers?

Ans : The most important condition favoring the imperialist conquest of Asia and Africa was that the industrial revolution had not come to this part of the world. The craftsmen produced goods of the fine quality that westerners admired and desired. But they relied entirely on hand tools which meant production on a small scale. In comparison with the production of western countries in the 19th century, the Asian and African methods were backward. Also, because of the lack of knowledge that the industrial revolution had brought to the west, the two continents were weak militarily and unable to stand up to the armed might and power of Europe.

The governments of the countries of asia and Africa were weak in the 19th century. In ancient and medieval times powerful empires had existed there. Asian and African civilizations had also contributed to the developments in the western world. In the 19th century the old ways of governing were still followed even though they had outlived their usefulness. Strong nation-states in the modern sense had not developed. The people’s loyalties were still to local princes as in the feudal times, or to tribal chieftans. These rulers cared little for the welfare of the people as a whole. These conditions help to explain how small bands of westerners succeeded in gaining power and finally with the backing of their governments in conquering the entire countries.

Q 3. Describe the steps by which the imperialist countries took over most of Africa.

Ans. : The interior of Africa was almost unknown territory to the Europeans. Any trade that was carried out was on the coastal areas. The demands of industrialization led the capitalists sponsor the discovery of new lands. The explorers, traders and mainly the missionaries helped in discovering the new lands. The governments too wanting to have a share in the pie sponsored and encouraged these explorations.

For e.g., King Leopold II of Belgium gave financial assistance to H M Stanly to take over Congo who cheated the chieftains in signing away large tracks of land for cloth and other articles of no real value. In South Africa the English adventurer came to South Africa in 1870 and made several fortunes in the diamond and gold mines in the region gave his name and formed Rodhesia and also started the Rhodes scholarship. Though he is known as a philanthropist, he always said that philanthrophy with 5 % was better.

Through these means the explorers cheated the locals away from their rich deposits of minerals and made huge fortunes at the cost of the continent of Africa. They steadily drained the rich natural resources to feed their factories in their mother countries and also made the mother countries prosperous. The missionaries worked relentlessly to convert the African to Christianity and openly proclaimed that their main duty was to show the right path to these barbarians through Christianity.

Another step these explorers took in conquering Africa was through slave trade. The Americas had been discovered and slaves were needed to work in the plantations in the southern part of America. The Europeans raided the African settlements and transported these slaves to Europe where they were sold for profits and then taken over to south or North America. The inhuman conditions in which these slaves traveled killed many of them even before they reached their destinations. The European monarchs too had a share in the slave trade profits for e.g., Sir John Hawkins on his first voyage of Africa shared a part of his profits of slave trade with the reigning monarch at that time Queen Elizabeth I

Thus through many means the European trades’ men took over the whole of Africa and ultimately Africa was divided in many number of colonies to suit the greed of the European capitalists.



Q4. How did nationalism help to make imperialism popular in Europe?

Ans. The late 19th century after the revolutions led to the formation of nation states, where the nations united by joining their separate states. Nationalism encouraged pride for their motherland, culture and tradition. It also encouraged chauvinism. Many Nations developed the myths that they were superior when compared to the other nations and the literature too at that time encouraged this myth. In the second half of the 19th century imperialism became a fashion with the nations and they felt it fashionable to call their territories empires. Getting control of overseas land generally became a desirable aim in the western world.

Imperialist countries started taking over areas in Asia and Africa not only for their strategic importance but also to fill in their nationalist egos. Having overseas possessions became a matter of showing off their prosperity to their neighbouring nations and building up huge amounts of wealth. The overseas possessions also added to the manpower of the imperialist nations like recruiting the people of the colonized countries into army, to work on plantations and mines for a specified number of years.

Q 5. Describe the total impact of the imperialist conquest of Asia and Africa.

Ans: Imperialism is a story of deception, brutality and armed might. The imperialist powers justified their enslavement of other nations and peoples in the name of spreading civilization. Getting possession of new markets and raw materials and establishing industries to be worked by cheap labour created many conflicts. Despite many agreements to pacify those colonized the western powers made continuous efforts to re-divide the world as between themselves but never with any consideration for the welfare of the people to whom had the territory belonged. The empires acquired by the European powers were the largest in the world. The imperialist conquests had many effects which still figure on the life of the people even today.

Some of the effects are discussed as under:

Draining of the wealth. : The imperialist rule multiplied the problems and prevented the progress in Asia and Africa as the European countries were only interested in profiting from their colonies. They obtained raw materials to feed their industries at a very cheap rate and pushed the finished products of their industries into the markets of these colonies at double the rate and with low quality. They took steps to destroy any sort of competition from local industries and in every step of the way provided better business facilities to their European fellow people like no taxes or low taxes, better business deals etc. The import of raw material which was more than that needed added to the draining away of the wealth which was already being done by the European countries. Exploitation led to greater poverty and which in turn led to backwardness from which these colonized countries are yet to recover.


Racial discrimination: The Europeans believed that they belonged to a race superior than those of Asians and Africans and that they were destined to rule made them to remain aloof from the locals. They barred the Asians and African from high posts in the government and in some cases were forbidden to enter into hotels and clubs and had to live like untouchables. Though the Europeans preached equality, democracy and equal rights to all, they followed them in their own countries and not in the countries which they colonized. They practiced segregation and dictatorial rule and denied even the most basic rights to the locals.


These acts of imperialism have had a deep impact on the countries that the imperialist European countries ruled and some of the countries of Asia and Africa are yet to recover from these impacts.

Q 6. Explain the meaning of the following terms with examples :

Sphere of influence: Region of dominance – a geographical region or area of activity in which a particular state, organization or person is dominant.

Exploitation: Unfair treatment – use of somebody or something usually for personal gain for e.g., Draining of wealth in the colonies by imperialist countries.

Extra territorial rights: Situated outside the territorial limits of a jurisdiction or the jurisdiction of local tribunals.

Protectorate: A country or region that is defended and controlled by a more powerful state or the relationship between the two.