Imperialism p2

• In 1900 Britain controlled more than half of Africa
• The British Empire was the largest empire in history, covering one-fifth of the world's land surface
• The Berlin Conference was held to divide up the African continent between European powers, with no regard for local populations or their rights.
• Britain's main interest in Africa was economic - they wanted access to raw materials such as rubber, gold, diamonds and ivory which could be sold back home at high prices.
• African people were often forced into working on plantations owned by Europeans, who paid them very little money.
• By 1876 Britain ruled over 35 million people in India alone
• India became self governing in 1947 but remained part of the Commonwealth until 1949
• European settlers also took over large areas of fertile farmland, forcing Africans off their own lands.
• Many Africans died from diseases brought over by Europeans, like smallpox and cholera.
• India had been under Mughal rule since the early 16th century but it became increasingly unstable during the late 18th century due to wars and rebellions.
• Some Africans resisted colonial rule through armed rebellion, but most chose peaceful resistance instead.
• When the East India Company took control of Bengal (a region in eastern India) in 1757, they began to expand their power across the country.
• In 1905, the Indian National Congress demanded greater representation in government and an end to taxation without representation
• Gandhi led non violent protests against British rule in India from 1915 onwards
• The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in Amritsar in April 1919 when General Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on unarmed protestors killing hundreds of men women and children
• The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was sparked when sepoys (Indian soldiers serving in the army) rebelled against British officers because they were unhappy about being given new rifles that used cartridges coated in animal fat.
• The British government believed that it had a duty to 'civilise' African societies, so many Africans were sent to school where they learnt English and Christianity.
• The British government was worried about the growing power of the East India Company and decided to take direct control of India in 1858.
• The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 as a forum for Indians to discuss political issues and demand reforms from the British Raj
• European powers competed with one another to establish colonies in Africa, leading to conflicts between them
• Britain established a system of indirect rule in which local rulers remained in charge of their own territories while paying tribute to the British Empire
• • The symbolic story in the Shooting an Elephant is an attack towards imperialism.  
  • Orwell presents the idea that imperialism benefits neither the imperialists or the countries they colonized
  • Orwell also wrote Animal Farm and 1984
  • This is set in Burma, a Southeast Asian country now known as Myanmar
  • Burma became a providence of British India (Burmese resented British rule) 
  • Orwell was a British officer 
• BRITISH IN INDIA

  • Created in 1602—Ceased operation in 1874 
  • However British ruled India until 1947 
  •  In 1947 the British withdrew from the area and it was partitioned into two independent countries - India (mostly Hindu) and Pakistan (mostly Muslim). Around 2 million people fled from their homes to areas of Pakistan or India where they would not be a minority
• FACTS

  • We hit Africa last week, I picked the Sepoy Rebellion to show how these events happened not just in Africa but other places to. 
  • British East India Company (Business to make $, government-contracts, Military) 
  • Sun Never sets in the English Empire 
  • Sepoy=Indian Soldier.  By the 1850s, there were nearly 300,000 Sepoys serving in the Company’s army
  • Indian Mutiny, Great Mutiny, First War of Independence (in India)---Look at the names and the different viewpoints of the countries 
• CAUSES

  • Short Term:
  • Sepoys were given lubricated cartridges?
  • Greased with pork fat (violation on Muslim rules) 
  • Greased with beef fat (violation of Hindus rules) 
  • Bite them off 
  • British manufacturers soon changed the cartridges in an attempt to calm the spreading anger among the soldiers, but this move backfired. The switch only confirmed, in the minds of the sepoys, that the original cartridges had indeed been greased with cow and pig fat.
  • Long Term: 
  • British East India Company 
  • Westernization 
  • Missionaries – They already have their own religions 
  • Lost of Culture 
  • Lost of land 
• REBELLION

  • Sepoy named Mangal Pandey attacked British officers 
  • Arrested and persecuted (hanged)
  • Later Sepoy’s refused the cartilages 
  • These Sepoys were put in jail 
  • Rebellion in Northern India by Sepoys killing English living in India
  • How was the news displayed in English newspapers?   
• WHY SEPOYS

  • Money
  • Privilege
  • To serve in the English Government----3 things
  • Go to England for the test 
  • Take the test in English
  • Pass the test   
• The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place

  13 April 1919
• Jallianwala Bagh massacre


  Also known as the Amritsar massacre
• Jallianwala Bagh massacre


  • Shooting was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer
  • Dyer was convinced of a major insurrection and thus he banned all meetings
  • On hearing that a meeting of 15,000 to 20,000 people including women, senior citizens and children had assembled at Jallianwala Bagh, Dyer went with fifty riflemen to a raised bank and ordered them to shoot at the crowd
  • Dyer kept the firing up till the ammunition supply was almost exhausted for about ten minutes with approximately 1,650 rounds fired
• Official Government of India sources estimated that the fatalities were 379, with 1,100 wounded
• The casualty number estimated by Indian National Congress was more than 1,500, with approximately 1,000 dead
• BRITISH RESPONSE

  • A 19 year old British soldier took part in the mayhem and described it:
  • “The orders were to shoot every soul. I think I must have seen about 30 or 40 defenseless people shot down before me. It was literally murder and I was perfectly horrified. . . and a few yards further on still some of our own drunken soldiers would reel past, exciting your pity not unmixed with disgust. Wherever you go, you see some unfortunate man or other being dragged out of his hiding place, and barbarously put to death” 
• OUTCOME

  • As a result of the rebellion, Britain took over the East India Company’s colonies 
  • Direct rule vs Indirect rule 
  • Hundreds of thousands-possibly millions of people have been killed 
• Indirect vs direct rule:

  Indirect Rule vs. Direct Rule-Indirect: When a European country uses a local leader-was easier and cheaper-Direct: Doesn’t use any local power-Sepoy rebellion lead to direct rule
• General Dyer-General Dyer: Fired and removed from post in India, polarizing figure-Amritsar Massacre (1919): General Dyer said to fire on Indian crowd

  Livingstone

  -Livingstone was a reporter-Livingstone stayed with a community in Africa-“Dr. Livingstone I presume”: Stanley
• Matthew Perry

  -US Commodore Matthew Perry (1853)-Forces Japan to trade with them-Japan not happy
• Ismail

  -Ismail (Muhammad’s son):-rich spoiled brat-spent lots of money-started to sell stocks to get money back

  Muhammad Ali

  -Ottoman Empire-Made Egypt an independent state from England
• Who controlled land in Africa in 1914?

  -England
• Berlin Conference

  Europeans came together to decide who gets who in Africa

  1. 3 Rules:If you take over a territory, you must let others know2. You must send representatives to live in this territory (missionaries)3. You must set up a government: