British Influence On East Asia

A question toiled over for centuries by historians. What was the effect of British imperialism on india? Was it negative or positive? We delve into such a topic today, but first, how did the British get to India? While the Mughal empire was collapsing (the last seat of power before the British came) The East India Company came Hailing from the great British empire to seek out India’s potential and profit. After the sepoy rebellion in 1857 the British government came at the beck and call of the company to take over. India was no longer a trade partner, it was now a colonie. The British government made the political piece of their rule as efficient as possible, dividing the country against each other

The spread of Islam and China greatly contributed to world development during the 1500’s. Christendom in Europe enhanced Christianity throughout the Byzantine Empire. The European forces of Christendom established new colonies, but Muslims easily invaded them. The European’s technological advancements were inferior to Chinese and Islam officials. European civilizations expanded trade routes throughout China and Islam. They borrowed many goods such as gunpowder and wheelbarrow from China. However, Chinese and Muslim societies advanced farther. (Strayer, 490). The European advancements originated from Chinese accomplishments, but they slowly adopted advanced technologies. However, China advanced highly in cannons, ship, navigation and compass.

1. What motivated and sustained the long-distance commerce of the Silk Roads, Sea Roads, and Sand Roads? Why did the peoples of the Eastern Hemisphere develop long-distance trade more extensively than did those of the Western Hemisphere?

In the 19th and 20th centuries, various powerful nations sent colonizers to dominate weaker nations and expand their influence. This domination is called imperialism, which is still practiced today in moderation. Among the many countries shaped by imperialism were India and China. These two large countries were both colonized by the British who were one of the greatest imperialistic powers at that time. Although both India and China were colonized by the British, there were many differences between the two countries and the effects imperialism had on them.

All societies, states and companies tried to build domination on their weaker neighbors or opponents. The main motivations for building imperialist institutions were generally same. Conquering societies which were danger for them, getting natural resources, being imperially powerful and getting economical power to their hands were the main motivations for societies to establish these institutions. The domination of a country’s or region’s political, cultural, or economic life by one country is called imperialism. (Esler, 2010) Despite the factors that I mentioned above, the main factor for certain countries was gaining economical power. If we look through to the world

The British made about 10,000 miles of railroad and about 136,000 bridges that benefited the Indians because they provided the necessary transportation to/from jobs and home. But, the British used the railways to transport goods to Britain to be sold there. Not only that ,but they also started mass production and sold goods for less(Doc 4). Goods like Indigo were very commonly grown in India(Gandhi + Doc 4). Indians were doing tons of manual labor to get raw materials for the British to use, while getting very little to no

Japan and Korea were able to advance their way of life due to the broad acceptance of the Chinese culture. The cultural exchange resulted from immigration and trade within the region of East Asia. Japan and Korea were very assertive in maintaining the relationship among countries within the continent which assisted in maintaining strong and consistent trading. Trade originated in East Asia as early as the first century. Trade in China began in the regions of Han; the downfall of the Han dynasty resulted in regional division within East Asia. This division produced political maturity within the regions of East Asia. In 589, the Sui dynasty was established; this dynasty's goal was to reunite China with the other regions. As a result, the Chinese were then able to trade with other regions which made them become a successful model later on. After achieving a long history of success, China’s cultural methods greatly influenced Japan, Korea, and also acted as a good example for many other countries in the world. China influenced Japan and Korea through religion, art, government, architecture, and much more. When China's influences took place with both Korea and Japan, the practices created similar/different societies using the same techniques. China had strong ties with Japan and Korea due to regional trading; it's apparent that the Chinese culture had a significant impression upon the cultures of both

The Mongol Empire had created a single economic and cultural world system. In 13 century, the the Mongols had seized nearly the whole Eastern Europe, including now Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. Scholars regard the Mongol conquest as one of the most deadliest invasions in human history. The Mongols also called the Tatars, which means Hell in Roman. Historian Brian Landers stated in his book that "The Mongols brought terror to Europe on a scale not seen again until the twentieth century." Despite of their ruthless, the Mongol Empire did has positive impacts on the development of Europe in five different areas, namely political, economic, social, weapons advancement and spread of Christianity due to the Mongol exchange.

From 1450 to 1750, global networks began to expand. Though not every part of the world was involved in these expanding global networks, countries like China were. This was the time period of the Ming and the Qing Dynasties. There were changes and continuities with China’s participation in the global networks around this time period. During the time period between 1450 and 1750, China limited outside influence and their participation in the Silk Road Trading remained constant in global network trading, while there were significant changes in China’s participation in global networks such as Chinese converts to the Christian religion and China’s demand for an alternative medium of exchange.

After 90 years under imperial rule, India gained its independence from the British in 1947. How could they be under this rule for so long? In 1707, the Mughal Dynasty, the ruling power in India, started to collapse. The East India Company, a British company, took advantage of this opportunity and became the leading power in India. In 1875, the British government took full control after the Sepoy Rebellion. The British valued India for their raw materials and potential market for their products, calling them the “jewel of the crown.” The British rule was effective, setting up a framework for India’s government, building new infrastructure, and spreading the English Language. Although they did this, the British

In addition, British allowed Indians to practice their religion. But they did some stuff that was against their religious beliefs. British created an army that was called Sepoy rebellion which was a native troop. They trained this troop to use their weapons and equipment to be ready for a fight. Soon this troop became larger and the British became more powerful to take over more parts of India. Enfield rifle was a gun and its cartridges made of beef and pig fat to be bitten off before using it. This gun was made in Britain and they wanted Sepoy rebellion to use it. Cows are sacred for Indians and pig is unclean for Muslims so they didn’t want to use this gun. The British knew these stuff but they didn’t care. If somebody refused to use it they went to jail. It was disrespecting and destroying Indians believes and culture (Cleary).

They also have a higher standard of living, better sanitation, and a better means of transportation (Doc4). In addition, the coming of the British brought an end to the slave trade, infanticide, and brought the value of India’s exportation trade up (Doc5). The British used the idea of “White Man’s Burden” in order to bring civilization and justice to the “barbarians” and westernize them in a way. The British also brought free trade into India and while they were there became one of the wealthiest countries because of everything being extracted out of it. Lastly, the British kept peace on the region and introduced Western technologies. Likewise, the British were also positively affected by India by extracting resources such as opium, cotton, silk, tea, and coffee. The millions of acres under cultivation have added to the immense wealth of the country and have brought the skills and industry of the British to flourish (Doc 4). India has given raw materials and has put up markets in order to sell British goods, as well as becoming an agricultural colony (Doc6). The British, by having such an important colony they became wealthier and India was called the Jewel of the Crown. In addition,

In the sixteenth century British ships set out to conquer the world. They were amongst the countries to colonize the newfound America. Like many other European countries they entered a foreign country and claimed it as theirs with no regards of the people already living there. When we talk about the British Empire, we actually have two different Empires. The first Empire was from 1450-1800, and the main focus was on America. The colonies were then seen as places to trade, not as markets which produced raw materials. The second Empire came after the industrial revolution and lasted from 1800-1945 with the main focus on India and the Far East. In this period there was a huge need for raw materials, and the colonies were

How was the world interconnected in the early modern period, according to the introduction by Pomeranz & Topik? In what ways did the non-Western “peripheries” still have influence in their economic roles?

The central features of European imperialism; monopolistic Capitalism, the Civilizing Mission, and competition amongst Imperial powers all lead to a shrinking community and globalization of the world’s population. These features helped to create complex trade routes connecting communities around the globe while also introducing interaction between indigenous populations with European colonists. However these relations were not always equally beneficial. Creating linkages between peoples for interaction is the key that each of these features have in common and is the main factor in helping to spread culture and ideals to bring about a globalized world population.