Impact of European Imperialism on China, India, and Africa

Hong Xiuquan led the Taiping Rebellion from 1850 to 1864, with goals such as abolishing private property, promoting communal wealth sharing, providing free education for all, eliminating concubinage, and advocating for gender equality. Despite capturing Nanjing, the rebellion was ultimately suppressed by British and French forces.

2. European imperialists took control of Peking (Beijing) during the Second Opium War in 1860 and proceeded to loot and destroy the Old Summer Palace, also known as the Qing Chinese national museum.

The British started selling Opium to the Chinese in order to make money and exert control over them through addiction, leading to the outbreak of the Opium War.

Founded in the 1700s by Queen Elizabeth I of England, the British East India Company's goal was to make money for shareholders by exploiting natural resources and gaining entry into Indian markets.

The British East India Company employed tactics of "divide and conquer" to increase their power in the Indian subcontinent, by intensifying religious divides between Muslim and Hindu communities and taking advantage of political disputes among indigenous leaders.

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During the 1830s, the British government assumed control of the East India Company. This led to the prohibition of practices like sati, construction of infrastructure such as schools and railroads, and promotion of Christianity through missionary efforts.

4. The British controlled both the political and economic sectors and utilized their power to limit Indian-owned industries, particularly in cotton textiles. As a result, many locals lost their self-sufficiency, leading to a severe famine in India during the late 1800s.

C- Africa
1. The salaries of the population working for the imperialists are extremely low. When you subtract the money spent on foreign managers, purchases from the company store, and company-provided housing, the overall amount left is very small.

2. The underdeveloped country's workers often experience worsened nutritionally due to the intervention of the imperialist country. Despite consuming bulkier food to increase productivity, the diet is typically lacking in essential nutrients.

A- India
1. Resentment against the British grew in the mid-1800s, particularly in southern India where the British and French formed alliances with conflicting political groups to acquire Indian goods. A strong sense of nationalism emerged as Indian Sepoys suspected that the rifle cartridges were greased with pork and beef fat in 1857. This suspicion was significant as biting off the ends of the cartridges was required to use them.

Religious beliefs regarding consuming certain meats played a significant role in the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, involving Hindu and Muslim soldiers. Approximately 85 individuals who refused to use cartridges containing these meats were detained by the British authorities. The uprising commenced on May 10, 1857, as the Sepoys advanced towards Delhi and seized control of the city, with more troops rallying to their cause.

The Sepoy Mutiny, a major rebellion in northern India, led to a violent clash between British forces and Indian troops. The East India Company faced challenges for more than a year trying to suppress the revolt, weakening Britain's control in the region. This event sparked patriotic feelings that led to the establishment of the Indian National Congress in 1885 and later gave birth to the Muslim League in 1906.

B- China

1. Self-Strengthening Movement: an effort to revitalize the country, with a focus on incorporating Western technology and knowledge. This involved domestic and international students studying Western disciplines such as philosophy, languages, and sciences. Additionally, infrastructure like factories, shipyards, and arsenals were developed using Western approaches.

2. The division of the Empire was avoided due to the evenly matched Great Powers, preventing any one from gaining an advantage. Instead, they obtained concessions, "unequal treaties," and extraterritorial rights from China. Great Britain set the example by going to war with China to compel acceptance of Indian opium imports.

France and Germany engaged in intrigues in North Africa while Britain and Russia vied for control in Persia and Afghanistan during the decline of the Turkish Empire.

2. The finding of gold in the Transvaal and diamonds in Kimberley brought British explorers to South Africa, leading to disputes with the Boer settlers. As a result, the Imperial Government became engaged in a war in 1899 that ended with a somewhat disappointing triumph two years later.

Interaction

A- China

1.

Cultural
A- India
1. British dominance in political and economic aspects resulted in limitations on Indian-owned industries, particularly cotton textiles, leading to a loss of self-sufficiency. The consequences were severe, with India facing a widespread famine in the late 1800s.

2. The British maintained a somewhat non-interfering stance towards religious and social practices in India, but the number of British missionaries grew during the imperial period in an attempt to promote Western Christianity. The presence of racist British officials in India had a significant influence on the political environment, as many Indians working with these officials for administrative reasons were often branded as unfaithful or dishonest towards their fellow Indians by the British.

B- Africa
1. The division of African territory by the Europeans during the Berlin Conference trapped past enemies within the new political units, forcing them to coexist with both old and new foes. This led to conflicts such as the massacres in Rwanda and Burundi in the mid-90's, where 600,000 people lost their lives due to revived tensions stemming from historical rivalries.

C- China
1. The influence of Chinese culture and art on a global scale has significantly diminished. Western populations have begun to prioritize their own culture and art, while Japan has fully embraced Western influences. Western products, beliefs, and styles have become more highly regarded than Chinese counterparts in various aspects, leading to widespread discrimination against Chinese individuals worldwide, which continues to persist today. The shared traditions and customs of the Chinese people are frequently targeted and maligned due to deeply ingrained prejudices.

2. Prior to the emergence of 19th century imperialism, China was idealized by Westerners and people worldwide as a utopia, lauded for its society and principles. However, following defeat by Western military power, this perception drastically shifted.

Economic
A- Africa
1. Workers in Africa are educated in concepts like free enterprise economics, leading to a small group of wealthy opportunists who benefit from maintaining the current system. This elite group uses various forms of government, such as monarchy, dictatorship, or fascism, to suppress the majority of the population.

2. The US backs regimes that quash popular movements for social and national liberation, stifling economic and social progress and perpetuating exploitation. This support enables top leaders in underdeveloped nations to extravagantly spend on personal pleasures while also heavily funding military and internal security forces for dictatorial rule.

B- India
1. The value of India to British interests grew with the construction of a railway network, which facilitated the transportation of raw materials from the interior to the ports. These materials, sourced mainly from plantations, such as tea, cotton, opium, and coffee, were used to manufacture goods at the ports and then sent back to the interior regions.

During the 19th century, the British engaged in a trade where they exchanged opium for tea in China and saw significant consequences for Indian politics. The Crimean War in the 1850s disrupted the flow of Russian exports to Scotland, leading to an increase in exports from Indian Bengal. Additionally, the Civil War in the U.S. resulted in a rise in cotton production in India. As a result, the British implemented a bureaucratic military system in India which reduced fiscal expenses but also stripped away self-governance rights and natural resources from the Indian people.

C- China
1. Opium had been cultivated in Asia for centuries. In 1729, the Chinese emperor prohibited the distribution of opium. However, British merchants had been smuggling Indian-grown opium into China for some time. As the British needed trading revenue from China urgently, the British East India Company began to overlook opium smuggling. (The British government granted the British East India Company a monopoly on British trade to and from India).

2. British traders took advantage of China's attempt to crack down on illegal opium trading in 1839 by sending warships to Canton harbor, defeating Chinese forces and forcing additional ports to open to western traders. Despite opium remaining illegal, the country was inundated with the drug, leading to widespread addiction among government officials, soldiers, and citizens. Efforts by China to combat the issue were thwarted again when British traders provoked a second Opium War in 1860, ultimately forcing China to legalize opium and make other concessions.

3. Addiction in China worsened as workers and peasants became victims of the drug, coinciding with the country's decline in economic, technological, and political structures. Chinese cultivation of opium exceeded that of India, causing a decrease in British trading profits and an increase in moral opposition to the practice. Eventually, by approximately 1910, the British government halted the repugnant trade.