INTRODUCTION AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Chapter 34: The Rise of Global Empires
Throughout history strong societies have often sought to dominate their weaker neighbors by subjecting them to
imperial rule. They have built empires for various reasons: to gain control over natural resources, to subdue potential
enemies, to seize wealth, to acquire territory for expansion, and to win glory. From the days of ancient Mesopotamia
and Egypt to the present, imperialism has been a prominent theme of world history.
During the second half of the nineteenth century a handful of western European states wrote a new chapter in the
history of imperialism. These European states came to believe that imperial expansion and colonial domination were
crucial for the survival of their states and societies–and sometimes for the health of their personal fortunes as well. A
wide range of motives encouraged European peoples to launch campaigns of conquest and control. Some advocates
argued that imperialism was in the economic interests of European societies. Industrial growth demanded an endless
supply of raw resources: rubber from the Amazon and Congo River basins, tin from colonies in southeast Asia, copper
from central Africa, petroleum from southwest Asia. The geopolitical argument offered by European states suggested
that even if colonies were not economically beneficial, they were crucial for political and military reasons. Controlling
strategic sites on the world’s sea-lanes, or maintaining harbors and supply stations for commercial and military
vessels, justified imperialistic European goals. Finally, spiritual motives fostered imperialism. Missionaries flocked to
African and Asian lands in search of converts to Christianity. Missionaries facilitated communications between
imperialists and subject peoples, and they sometimes provided European officials with information they needed to
maintain control of overseas colonies.
Imperial expansion began with the British conquest of India. The British empire in south Asia grew out of the
mercantile activities of the English East Indian Company, which enjoyed a monopoly on English trade with India. The
death of an India emperor allowed the British empire the foothold it needed to establish economic as well as political
authority with the help of a small British army and Indian troops known as sepoys. Unstable political forces and a
rebellion facilitated the imposition of direct rule of India by the British government. This stranglehold of India allowed
the British empire to expand into central and southeast Asia. But the British empire was not without competition from
other European states. This competition culminated in the scramble for Africa and Europe’s renewed efforts to
establish, consolidate and impose colonial rule on African territories.
The nineteenth century was mostly an European affair. Toward the end of the century, however, two new imperial
powers appeared on the world stage: the United States and Japan. Both lands experienced rapid industrialization in
the late nineteenth century and both built powerful armed forces. As the European imperial powers planted their flag
throughout the world, leaders of the United States and Japan decided that they too needed to establish a global
imperial presence. The United States pursued domination of Latin America, the Caribbean and parts of the Pacific
while Japan likewise pursued domination of southeast Asia as well as Korea to the north.
Imperialism and colonialism profoundly influenced the development of world history. In some ways they tightened
links between the world’s peoples: trade and migration increased dramatically as imperial powers exploited the
resources of subject lands and recruited labor forces to work in colonies throughout the world. Yet this competition
brought people into conflict and heightened senses of difference between peoples. European, Euro-American and
Japanese imperialists all came to think of themselves as superior to the peoples they oppressed. They employed the
tools of scientific racism and social Darwinism to justify the violence and exploitation they initiated on a global scale.
At the same time, foreign intrusion stimulated the development of national identities in colonized lands, and over time
these national identities served as a foundation for anti-colonial movements.
After studying this chapter, students should understand and be able to discuss the following issues:
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

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the motives behind European imperialism and the tools used
British imperialism throughout India, southeast and central Asia
the emergence of Japan and the United States as new imperial forces
the legacies of imperialism: labor, migration, scientific racism and growth of nationalism
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I.
II.
Foundations of Empire
A.
Motives of Imperialism
1.
Modern imperialism
a.
Refers to domination of industrialized countries
over subject lands
b.
Domination was often achieved through trade,
investment, and business activities
2.
Two Types of Modern colonialism
a.
Colonies ruled and populated by migrants
b.
Colonies controlled by imperial powers without
settling in the societies
3.
Economic motives of imperialism
a.
European merchants and entrepreneurs were
often advocates of imperialism
b.
Overseas expansion for obtaining raw materials
such as rubber, tin, copper
c.
Another argument: Colonies provided markets
for industrial products
4.
Political motives
a.
There were geopolitical and military reasons to
maintain colonies
b.
Overseas expansion was often used to defuse
internal tensions
5.
Cultural justifications of imperialism
a.
Missionary campaigns provided a powerful
religious justification for imperialism
b.
"Civilizing mission" or "white man's burden" as
justification for expansion
B.
Tools of Empire
1.
Transportation technologies
a.
Steam-powered gunboats could penetrate inland
sites of Africa and Asia
b.
Railroads helped maintain imperial hegemony
and organize local economies to serve imperial
advantage
2.
Military technologies
a.
European weaponry superiority: from muskets to
Maxim guns
b.
European arsenal advantage as seen in war
between Britain and Sudan, 1898
3.
Communication technologies
a.
Oceangoing steamship shortened
correspondence time
b.
Telegraph was invented in 1830s
c.
Cables linked imperialist countries with their
colonies throughout the world, 1902
d.
Telegraphic communication provided imperialist
powers with distinct advantages
European Imperialism
A.
The British Empire in India
1.
Company rule
a.
B.
C.
D.
EIC took advantage of decline of Mughal state,
began conquest of India, 1750s
b.
Won right to rule from the emperor, ruled India
with a small British army and Indian troops
called sepoys
c.
The sepoys revolted in 1857, led to direct British
imperial rule in India
2.
British imperial rule
a.
Appointed a viceroy, British officials formulated
all domestic and foreign policy
b.
Reconstructed Indian land holdings, encouraged
cultivation of commercial crops
c.
Built extensive railroads and telegraph networks,
new canals, harbors...
d.
Established English-style schools, suppressed
Indian customs (e.g., sati)
Imperialism in Central Asia and Southeast Asia
1.
The Great Game
a.
Russian expansion in central Asia reached illdefined northern frontiers of British India, 1860s
b.
Russian and British explorers pursued various
parts of central Asia as a "Great Game"
c.
Russians maintained their hegemony over
central Asia until 1991
d.
Competition between Spanish and Dutch led to
further imperialism in southeast Asia
2.
British colonies in southeast Asia
a.
Established colonial authority in Burma, 1880s
b.
Thomas Raffles founded port of Singapore,
1824
c.
Conquered Malaya, 1870s
3.
French Indochina
a.
Consisted of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos,
established between 1859 and 1893
b.
French officials encouraged conversion to
Christianity in colonies
The Scramble for Africa
1.
The "scramble for Africa" took place between 1875 and
1900
a.
Geographical information compiled by explorers
and adventurers held great interest for European
imperialists
b.
Henry Stanley of Belgium established a colony
called Congo Free State, 1870s
c.
Taking advantage of Egypt's unrest, Britain
occupied Egypt , 1882
2.
The Berlin Conference (1884-5)
a.
European powers agreed upon carving Africa
continent into colonies
b.
European armies sent to consolidate their claims
and impose colonial rule in Africa
c.
European colonies embraced all of Africa except
Ethiopia and Liberia
European Imperialism in the Pacific
1.
Settler colonies in the Pacific
a.
III.
Captain James Cook arrived in Australia,
reported it suitable for settlement, 1770
b.
In 1788 one thousand setters arrived,
established colony of New South Wales
c.
Discovery of gold in 1851 brought surge of
European migration to Australia
d.
Fertile soil and timber of New Zealand attracted
European settlers
e.
Europeans brought in diseases, dramatically
reduced aboriginal populations
f.
Large settler societies violently pushed
indigenous peoples to marginal lands
2.
Imperialists in paradise
a.
Early visitors of the Pacific were mostly whalers,
merchants, and missionaries
b.
In the late 19th century, European states began
to establish protectorate states and direct
colonial rule in the Pacific
c.
By 1900 only the kingdom of Tonga remained
independent
d.
The Pacific islands served as ports and coaling
stations, also offered economic benefits to
imperial powers
The Emergence of New Imperial Powers
A.
U.S. Imperialism in Latin America and the Pacific
1.
The Monroe Doctrine
a.
Issued in 1823 by President Monroe, claimed
the Americas as a U.S. protectorate
b.
Purchased Alaska in 1867, took Hawaii as a
protectorate in 1875
c.
Acquired Hawaiian islands as U.S. possessions
in 1898
2.
The Spanish-American War (1898-99)
a.
In Cuba and Puerto Rico, U.S. defeated Spain
and took over the regions
b.
In Philippines U.S. defeated Spain, paid Spain
20 million dollars for rights to the colony
3.
The Panama Canal
a.
U.S. request of building a canal was rejected by
Colombia government
b.
U.S. helped rebels of Colombia to establish the
state of Panama, thereby won the right to build
the Panama Canal
B.
Imperial Japan
1.
Early Japanese expansion
a.
Consolidated hold on Hokkaido and Kurile
islands, established hegemony over Okinawa
and Ryukyu Islands, 1870s
b.
Imposed unequal treaties on Korea, 1876
2.
The Sino-Japanese War (1894-95)
a.
An antiforeign rebellion broke out in Korea, Qing
rulers dispatched an army to restore order and
reassert Chinese authority
b.
Meiji leaders declared war against China, and
easily demolished Chinese fleet
c.
IV.
China recognized independence of Korea,
ceded Taiwan, the Pescadores Islands, and
Liaodong peninsula
3.
The Russo-Japanese War (1904-5)
a.
Russia also had territorial ambitions in Liaodong
peninsula, Korea, Manchuria
b.
Japanese navy destroyed Russian Baltic fleet,
became a major imperial power
Legacies of Imperialism
A.
Empire and Economy: Two patterns of changes
1.
Colonial rule transformed traditional production of
subject societies, e.g., Indian cotton and textile
production
2.
Colonial rule introduced new crops that transformed
subject societies, e.g., tea in Ceylon, rubber trees in
Malaya and Sumatra
B.
Labor Migrations
1.
European migration
a.
Some 50 million Europeans migrated during
1800-1914
b.
More than half went to U.S., the rest went to
Canada, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand,
South Africa
c.
Most European migrants became cultivators,
herders, and skilled laborers
2.
Indentured labor migration
a.
About 2.5 million indentured laborers from Asia,
Africa, and the Pacific islands during 1820-1914
b.
Most migrants worked as contract laborers in
plantations of tropical and subtropical regions
3.
Empire and migration
a.
The above patterns of migration reflected global
influence of imperial powers
b.
The 19th century migrations profoundly
influenced societies around the world
C.
Empire and Society
1.
Colonial conflict
a.
Imperialism means domination of imperial
powers and resistance of subject peoples
b.
Many rebellions drew strength from traditional
religious beliefs, e.g., Meiji Meiji rebellion (19056) in east Africa
c.
Other forms of resistance: boycotting European
products, organizing political parties, publishing
anticolonial newspapers and magazines...
d.
Colonial rule also led to conflict among different
ethnic groups
2.
Scientific racism
a.
Gobineau divided humanity into four main racial
groups, each had peculiar traits
b.
All racist thinkers agreed that Europeans were
superior to other peoples
c.
Spencer used Darwin's theory of evolution to
justify European domination
d.
Racism was taught and reinforced by routine
practices of colonialism
D.
e.
Racist views also prevailed in U.S. and Japan
Nationalism and Anticolonial Movements
1.
Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833)
a.
"Father of modern India," sought to build an
Indian society on European science and
traditional devotional Hinduism
b.
After midcentury Indian reformers increasingly
called for self-government
2.
The Indian National Congress
a.
Founded in 1885, a forum for educated Indians
to discuss public affairs
b.
The Congress aired Indian grievances, openly
sought Indian self-rule
c.
In 1919 colonial authorities allowed wealthy
Indians to elect representatives to local
legislative councils
d.
Nationalism became a powerful movement that
would bring independence in 1947
e.
India served as a model for anticolonial
campaigns in other lands
SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUALS
Emilio Aguinaldo (p. 864) — Leader of the Filipino revolt against the United States
Aurangzeb (p. 854) — Emperor of the Mughal state in India. His death in 1707 precipitated the expansion and growth of
the East India Company.
Rudyard Kipling (p. 851) — British author of the poem "The White Man’s Burden," the theme and justification for British
imperialism and racism.
King Leopold II (p. 858) — Belgian ruler (reigned 1865-1909) who employed Henry Morton Stanley to develop a colony
called the Congo Free State.
Queen Lili’uokalani (p. 863) — Last monarch of the Hawaiian kingdom overthrown by U.S. businessmen and sugar
plantation owners in 1893.
Dr. David Livingtstone (p. 858) — Scottish minister who traveled through much of central and southern Africa in search
of suitable locations for mission posts.
James Monroe (p. 863) — U.S. president (in office 1817-1825) who issued a proclamation that warned European states
against imperialistic designs in the western hemisphere.
Thomas Stamford Raffles (p. 857) — British founder of the southeast Asian port of Singapore
Cecil John Rhodes (p. 847) — British citizen who built an African empire supported by the diamond mines of South
Africa. Promoted the superiority of the British "race" and worked towards global domination of the British empire.
Ram Mohan Roy (p. 872) — Influential Indian elite who helped forge a sense of Indian identity and nationalism.
Henry Morton Stanley (p. 858) — American journalist who undertook a well-publicized expedition to Africa to find Dr.
Livingstone and report on his activities.
Queen Victoria (p. 855) — British monarch (reigned 1837-1901) who supplanted the authority of the East India company
with direct rule in India.
CHAPTER GLOSSARY
Berlin Conference (p. 860) — Meeting proposed by German chancellor Otto von Bismarck to devise ground rules with
fourteen European states for the colonization of Africa
East India Company (p. 854) — Joint stock company that had a monopoly on English trade with India and China.
"Great Game" (p. 856) — The British name for the period of risky pursuit of influence and intelligence engaged in by
British military officers and imperialist adventurers.
imperialism (p. 849) — The policy of expanding a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or the establishment of
political and economic hegemony over other nations.
Maori (p. 862) — The indigenous population of New Zealand.
maxim gun (p. 852) — Rifled machine gun used by Europeans capable of shooting eleven bullets per second.
Monroe Doctrine (p. 863) — U.S. foreign policy used as justification for intervention in hemispheric affairs.
Panama Canal (p. 865) — U.S. engineering project that built a canal across Panama, connecting the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans.
Russo-Japanese War (p. 866) — Surprise victory of Japanese Navy over Russian Navy in the fight for authority over
Korea and the Liaodong peninsula fought in 1905.
scientific racism (p. 870) — Nineteenth century theory that race was the most important factor in determining human
potential.
"Scramble for Africa" (p. 858) — Prospects of exploiting African resources that resulted in nationalist rivalries between
European empires for control of Africa
Sati (p. 855) — Indian custom of burning widow on the husband’s funeral pyre practiced by Hindus
Sepoys (p. 854) — Indian troops supervised and maintained by the British Army.
Social Darwinist (p. 871) — Name given to proponents of theories of evolution applied to cultural and social factors.
Spanish-American War (p. 864) — Anti-colonial war (1898-1899) against Spain. As a result the U.S. claimed
possession of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS
1. Discuss the motivations for nineteenth century imperialism. What does the term imperialism mean? How is it different
from colonialism? Discuss the political, economic and cultural argument used to justify imperialist rhetoric.
2. How did Britain initiate its global expansion? How did economic trade networks develop into the expansion of the British
empire? Compare Britain’s method of imperial expansion with that of other European states.
3. What was the impact of the Berlin conference on the growth and development of Africa during the industrial era? What
factors prevented Africans from experiencing the economic, political and technical growth the European states enjoyed?
4. Consider the development of Japan and the United States as new imperial powers. How was their development similar?
How was it different? Were their motivations and strategies the same as those of the European states that had
preceded them?
5. Define scientific racism and place it within the context of popular intellectualism of the period. How was Darwin’s theory
of biologic evolution used to justify social Darwinism? How was this scientific theory misused?
Review Questions: (answer these questions)
1. Summarize the economic, political, and cultural motives of 19th century imperialists.
2. What were the principal tools of empre—the various technologies that gave Europeans such an advantage?
3. How did the British establish control over India in the early 19th century? How did the Sepoy Rebellion
continue this process?
4. which Asian states managed to maintain their sovereignty? Why these states?
5. Who were the major players in the scramble for Africa? What was their objective?
6. Compare the British conquest of South Africa with that of Egypt and Sudan?
7. Why were the great powers less interested in the Pacific Islands? What did they want from these islands?
8. What did the US gain from the Spanish American War?
9. Where did the Japanese direct their ambitions as a new imperial power? How successful were they?
10. How did the imperial powers transform the economies of their colonies? Consider especially India and
Ceylon.
11. Summarize the significant migrations of the late 19 th century.
12. How did Subject peoples resist colonial rule? How did Imperialism foster conflicts within these societies?
Connections:
In fifty words or less explain the relationship between the following pairs. How does one lead to the other? Be
specific…

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

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Capitalism and Colonialism
Berlin Conference and battle of Omdurman
Commodore Perrry and the Russo-Japanese War
White Mans Burden and Social Darwiniism
Suez Canal and the Indian National Congress
OE Activity: (1 % point OE)
Rent the film Zulu (Michael Caine, Stanley Parker)-1965 and reflect on how this film portrays the events of
imperial struggle in the colonial world. (1 page minimum)
Rent the film Lagaan (Once upon a time in India)-2001 and reflect on the burden that imperialism placed
upon the inhabitants of India. (I page minimum)