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BRITISH IMPERIALISM.
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Discusses 2 different reasons for growth of Imperialism. 1) need to protect British trade routes & 2) relationship between negative balance of payments based on Britain's diminishing exports.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Discusses 2 different reasons for growth of Imperialism. 1) need to protect British trade routes & 2) relationship between negative balance of payments based on Britain's diminishing exports.
Paper Introduction:
How “Illiberal” Was British Imperialism from 1815 to 1914?
Introduction
A host of revisionist historians and scholars are having a field day repositioning Britain and the British Empire during its period of rampant expansionism. Much of this current discussion has been prompted by the recent publication of Dumett’s (1999) major compilation of debate concerning the real goals and effects of British Imperialism. Entitled Gentlemanly Capitalism and British Imperialism. The New Debate on Empire, the opus is, in many ways, a response to the 1993 publication of Cain and Hopkins work on British Imperialism that argued that the rampant imperialism was due to the intricate relationship between a negative balance of payments based on Britain’s diminishing exports, and the money generated by
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A glance at a globe would show how one- fifth of the world's land surface was coloured pink, home to nearly one-quarter of the world's population. Roberts quotescontemporary historian, Denis Judd's reaction to the Jubilee as "abrilliantly stage-managed act of defiance, a truculent assertion ofnational and imperial greatness in the face of a clutch of uncomfortablerealities" (Roberts, 1999, 46). The moment, however, that the liberal denies the right to existence ofan opposing point of view, then that "liberal" has become "illiberal."This, in turn, presents many troubling questions. Poggie, Jr.and Robert N. Can onesociety impose its standards on all societies? Thetrick here is that the societies that Britain had considered as"developing" all had quite rich histories of their own, well before Britaintook them over (Harley, 1988). The British were sent to ruleand to govern, while allowing the colonies to maintain the appearance ofself rule. 49, 45-51 It can be seen from ample evidence of British actions inIndia, the Middle East, Africa, Australasia, Canada and other colonies wasracist and preemptory. Exploitation and marginalization are implicitstructuring processes in developing societies" (Adams, 1974, 45). And the argumentthat owning one-fifth of the world was essential to maintaining the"gentlemanly" art of Capitalism is specious in the extreme. (1988) Maps, Knowledge and Power, Chapter in TheIconography of Landscape: Essays on the Symbolic Representation, Design andUse of Past Environments. However, it iswrong to assume or suggest was the only imperialist nation at this point intime. In discussing Britain, thequestions are more troubling because there is ample evidence that duringthe period from 1815 to 1914, that was the nature of British action. We shall handle this task by assuming thefollowing structure. (1993), British Imperialism : Innovation andExpansion 1688-1914, New York: Addison Wesley Dummett, R. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Among those realities, was the fact that there was growing unrestthroughout the world (Canada, Australia, India and other British colonies)and that the British rulers exhibited an arrogant denial of the possibilityof human rights. However, by marginalizing these nations -- usually byinstalling a governor or a prime minister who was representing QueenVictoria, a sham situation was established. The problem was, those social codes differed fromthose in Britain. Thus we have two separatearguments. There was much to celebrate. Far-called, our navies melt away; On dune and headland sinksthe fire: Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is one with Nineveh and Tyre! Argument 2: Imperialism Was Empirically Racist and Illiberal The racism that we shall accuse Britain of maintaining is a subtlesort of racism, one that can almost be compared to that discussion ofsocial misalignment that Richard Adams (1974) wrote about when he wasdiscussing the concept of "marginality." This basically sociological termrefers to the act of excluding indigenous peoples from participation incertain controls of the system. . But for clarity of argument, let us turn to a moment in BritishHistory when the kingdom was at its glory. Let us consider the two arguments mentionedabove under the shifting light of illiberalism. But such an admission isessential, as could be suggested by putting a new spin on Kipling's poem.The admission must be made "Lest we forget, lest we forget." References Adams, R.N. Conclusion It has been said of the Bourbon kings that they knew nothing, learnednothing and remembered nothing (Durant, 1918). As he states "Marginality is the processwhereby some human beings have their major controls over operation in aparticular system taken from them, so that their remaining autonomy ofaction does not apparently conflict with the dominant system (Adams, 1974,49). In partit read "The tumult and the shouting dies; The Captains and the Kingsdepart. The New Debate on Empire,the opus is, in many ways, a response to the 1993 publication of Cain andHopkins work on British Imperialism that argued that the rampantimperialism was due to the intricate relationship between a negativebalance of payments based on Britain's diminishing exports, and the moneygenerated by the growth of its financial services industry (banking,shipping, and insurance). As Roberts points out in his Salisbury discussion ...when Salisbury looked to the imperial future he saw French expansionism, which in Africa the next year would provoke a crisis on the Upper Nile at Fashoda; he saw the newly-unified Italian and German empires also starting to encroach; he saw a Russian empire refusing to accept stalemate in the Great Game and becoming increasingly aggressive in the Far East; he saw the growing, restless economic might of America and Germany; old scores were yet to be settled in the Transvaal and the Sudan and, most seriously of all, Germany was starting to build a High Seas Fleet (Roberts, 1999, 5 ). (1999), Gentlemanly Capitalism and BritishImperialism. Voltaire'sclassic "I disagree with what you say, but I shall defend to death yourright to say it" represents the epitome of liberal thinking. Glory and despair at the same moment. Argument 1: Imperialism Was Essential to Support the New Economy The scholars in the Dummett work do not state so directly, but atextual analysis of that work suggests that "illiberalism" was a part ofthe cause, if not the effect, of Imperialism. In Adams' view, marginalization is a key element in all expandingcomplex systems. Much of this current discussion has been prompted by therecent publication of Dumett's (1999) major compilation of debateconcerning the real goals and effects of British Imperialism. History Today, Vol. ,ed. Lynch, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Roberts, A. E. Britain, however, considered itself sufficiently different from theseother Imperialist nations and situations. One camp suggests that British Imperialism was necessary toreplace the incomes that had been generated from its dwindlingmanufacturing. Can one society separateother societies that deserve tolerance and societies that do not? Roberts is quick to point out that this golden moment did not lastlong. A Glance at Illiberalism If we define "illiberalism" purely semantically, it suggests anegative withdrawal from "liberal," which is also a highly suspect term foranalysis, since it is used in so many diverse ways by so many scholars. First, we will discuss the ambiguous term"illiberalism." Then we shall examine the two arguments side by side,holding off the final judgment until the conclusion, which will behighlighted by personal observations. Judgeof the Nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget -- lest we forget!" (Roberts,1999, 45). The "liberal" allows each person(or nation) to view life as he or she (or the nation) sees fit. This second argument suggests the concept of"illiberalism," a word of relatively recent coinage that suggests anattitude or point of view of superiority, and a disdain for all peoples andevents that were different from the established norm. 1), Salisbury: The Empire Builder Who NeverWas. The other camp suggests that the Imperialism was of aparticularly racist nature, and based on concepts of Britain's right torule the world. Such a statement could wellbe applied to the British during the heyday of Imperialism. "It occurs because a superordinate cannot both maximizeits own control and maintain equal distribution of control mechanismsthough the system. Almost at the same moment as the celebration, Rudyard Kiplingpublished his poem "Recessional" that decried the loss of Empire. Even the French newspaper Le Monde was jealously but favourably comparing Britain's imperium to that of Rome (Roberts, 1999, 51). In:Rethinking Modernization: Anthropological Approaches. Wassuch an attitude justified? EntitledGentlemanly Capitalism and British Imperialism. Only the most rosy-cheeked idealist (Kipling) could feel despair atthe fact that Britain's reigning power was declining. Such an attitude is "illiberalism" at its ugliest. John J. How "Illiberal" Was British Imperialism from 1815 to 1914? Introduction A host of revisionist historians and scholars are having a field dayrepositioning Britain and the British Empire during its period of rampantexpansionism. . At the naval review at Spithead, 21 battleships, 53 cruisers, 3 destroyers and 24 torpedo boats - - mile upon mile of beflagged floating confidence -- were assembled, just from British home waters alone. Inits most common political usage, "liberal" refers to a state of mind wheremany opposite views are allowed to exist. (1974), Harnessing Technological Development. It would be liberal ofthem to admit that they had been illiberal. B. This service sector could be called the "gentlemanly capitalism" ofthe Dummett work, even though Dummett does not completely agree with thatbeing the primary reason for the growth of imperialism. In fact, until 1914 and evenbeyond, when dealing with Gandhi for instance, the issues of race continuedto be more important than the issues of economy. We can find in Roberts' (1999)excellent study of Salisbury (a gentleman who is the subject of much of thedebate about the ethics and ideals of British Imperialism this descriptionof Britain at one of its golden moments, June 22, 1897, at Queen Victoria'sDiamond Jubilee, celebrating 6 years of dominance. Cain, P.J.; Hopkins, A.G. (The "norm" is thatposition held by the person who is in fact "illiberal." This paper willexamine those two arguments in a cursory fashion (after all, if Dummett,Cain, Hopkins and others cannot reach meaningful conclusions in some 7 pages of dense text, how can the challenging issues be covered in depth ina paper of this length. The New Debate on Empire, London/New York: Longman Harley, J. (1999, Oct. To Dummett, thegrowth was more connected with the need to protect British trade routes tothe East, to Africa and to the Middle East. India, Africa and the Middle East were allcountries that had rich economies, a sound infrastructure, and well-developed social codes.
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