Transcript Colonialism

Colonialism
Definitions 1
 Imperialism: process through which a state attempts to control the economic
and/or political and cultural makeup of another state.
 Colonialism: the most developed form of Imperialism whereby the controlling
state invades another state/region so as to exploit its resources and/or for the
purposes of large-scale immigration
 Colonialism: extension of territorial control
 through either settler colonies or administrative dependencies: indigenous pop. (in)directly
ruled or displaced
 Imperialism: extension of political control
 policy of extending control over foreign entities to acquire and/or maintain empires
 Colonialism is one way of achieving more general goal of imperialism
Definitions
2
 Colony
 Territory under direct political control through the extension of a state’s
sovereignty over territory beyond its original borders.
 Cf. Dependent Territory: formally cedes part of its sovereignty
 Protectorate
 P. established through formal agreement placing one state in an unequal
relationship with another. The latter ‘protects’ the former (diplomatically,
militarily), which accepts specified obligations.
 N.B.: UK often also controlled local government.
 Condominium
 Arrangement in which two (or more) states share sovereignty over a third.
E.g. Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1899-1956)
Definitions 3: Mandates & Trusts (20th
Century)
 Mandates (post WWI)
 Def.: League of Nations Covenant (Art. 22) disposes of territories of
Ottoman & German Empires defeated in WWI.
 Mandates justified with necessary transitional period to ‘prepare’ for
independence.
 Only Mandatory territory still not independent: Palestine
 Trusts (post WII)
 UN Charter (ch. 11-13) establishes control of “non self-governing
territories” intended to “promote the welfare of the native inhabitants, and
advance them toward self-government.”
 N.B. Justification for Trusts virtually identical to that for Mandates!
 Process
was both extensive
many‘Imperial
parts of the world)
Colonialism
and(inthe
Age’ and
intensive
 Where: European Empires in the Americas, South and South East
Asia, and Africa
 Who: Spain, Portugal, Britain, France, Holland, Belgium and to a
certain extent Germany and Italy
 When: era of exploration from the late 15th Century - colonial
empires reach their peak in the 19th Century, formal
independence comes mostly after WW2.
 How: underpinned by superior military might and apparatus for
control – threat and use of violence never far from the surface
 Why: motivated by economic interests (new materials to be
exploited)
Types of Colonial Rule
 1. Economic Companies: East India Trading Co./VOC/
French trading co.
 European nations allowed the establishment of private companies that
were granted large territories to administrate in the target country
 Companies set up own systems of taxation & labour recruitment.
 European powers who provided charters for these companies
 companies took responsibility for all of the expenses related to
establishing & administering the colonies.
 European countries political benefit of having additional colonies, but
not the expense
Types of Colonial Rule
1. Economic Companies (cont.)
 Companies took responsibility for all of the expenses related
to establishing & administering the colonies.
 European countries: political benefit of having additional
colonies in Africa, but not the expense
 companies were eventually unsuccessful in that they were
unable to generate consistent profits for their shareholders.
Governing a colony was expensive.
 By 1924, all Company rule was replaced by various forms of
European colonial governance
Types of Colonial Rule
2. Direct Rule
 French, Belgians, Germans, & Portuguese in governing African
colonies.
 Centralised administrations (usually in urban centres) , that stressed
policies of assimilation.
 Colonialists’ intention of "civilising" African societies so they would be
more like Europe.
 As part of this strategy, colonialists did not try to negotiate governance
with indigenous rulers & governments.
 Indigenous authorities- subordinate place in these administrations.
 Direct rule also used the strategy of "divide and rule" by implementing
policies that intentionally weakened indigenous power networks &
institutions
Types of Colonial Rule
3. Indirect Rule
 British used indirect rule to govern their colonies.
 This system of governance used indigenous rulers within the
colonial administration, although they often maintained an
inferior role.
 More cooperative model than direct rule
• Indirect rule increased divisions between ethnic groups & gave
power to certain "big men" who had never had it before in precolonial history.
 Consequences of these significant changes in social organisation
& identity are still being felt today
 Settler rule refers to the type of colonialism (mainly
in southern Africa) in which European settlers
imposed direct rule on their colonies.
 Settler colonies differed from other colonies- a
significant number of immigrants from Europe settled
in these colonies.
Types of Colonial Rule
4. Settler Rule (continued)
 To thrive in the colonies, settlers demanded special political
& economic rights, & protection.
 Security & prosperity for settlers depended on economic
exploitation & political oppression of the population that
vastly outnumbered the settlers.
 Consequently, settler rule was characterised by its harsh
policies toward indigenous populations.
Types of Colonial Rule
4. Settler Rule (continued)
 Southern Africa: South Africa, Southern & Northern
Rhodesia (Zimbabwe & Zambia), Angola, Mozambique, &
South West Africa (Namibia).
 Settlers from Holland, Britain, Germany, & Portugal
colonised these areas.
 in Algeria, French colony in North Africa.
 Australia, New Zealand, North America
Chronology: 15th-17th Century
 Spain & Portugal divide world: Treaty
of Torsedillas (1494)
 Portugal: trader colonialism
 Informal, settlements/outposts
 coast of Africa & Asia;
 1st & longest-lived global empire (1415-
Portuguese Empire at height, 16th C
1999).
 Spain: settler colonialism
 try to assimilate local cultures  deeper
impact
 South & Central America
 Debate: Do Amerindians have
souls…?…or rights? (slavery!)
Spanish Empire at height, 1790
Chronology: 18th Century
 The Netherlands
 trader C: Dutch Indies Trading Cos.,
followed by state
 Rise in patriotism (struggle against
Spain)
 Britain
 Migration: wars of religion  start ‘afresh’




(N.Am.)
Slave trade: agricultural economies (sugar,
cotton, tobacco)
Gain: New France (1760), Aus. (1788), NZ
(1840)
Lose American colonies (1776-83)
1757: UK E. India Co. conquers Bengal
Dutch Empire, 18th Century
 France: Fall of 1st Empire
 …Rise of Nationalism
(1789+)
 Industrial Revolution
‘First’ British Empire, 1760
Chronology: 19th Century
 Scramble for Africa
‘Long Depression’ (1873-96)
+ protectionism↑
African markets solve deficits
Increasing strategic rivalries
British Empire, 1921
…Informal  formal col.  Britain: mass migration
 India: 1857 ‘Mutiny’  direct rule
 Africa: ‘Cape to Cairo’
 Divide & Rule: Ireland, India, Zimbabwe,
Uganda, Iraq
 France
 Algeria 1830 (settler/assimilation)
 Indochina, French Africa
French Empires: First Empire (■15th18th C) and Second (■19th-20th C)
Chronology: 20th Century
 UK, France, and WWI
 Ottoman fall: Sykes-Picot, 1916
 League of Nations:
 Liberal discourse, Colonial Practices…
 …Revolutionary consequences (soon)
 Italy: Libya, Eritrea, Somalia
 Fascism & Roman Empire
 Japan: ‘Co-Prosperity Sphere’
 Econ. & ideological reasons
 ‘anti-imperial imperialism’
 WW2…beginning of end…
 United Nations Trusteeship Council
League of Nations Mandates, 1920
Military dimensions of Empire
•
Superiority in military technology is vital, as it allows
force projection, and thus leverage:
–
–
•
Naval technology: Control of the seas: Spain & Portugal (1517th C); Ned., UK, France (18thC)
–
•
extract and enforce favourable terms of trade (e.g. ‘Capitulations’)
control vastly superior numbers of native inhabitants.
e.g.: importance of Suez Canal
Industrial revolution  military technology (cannons,
repeat rifles, coal- & oil-powered commercial & military
navies) & mass production capacity
–
UK, France
Economic role of Colonies
 trader colonialism: metropolitan states drawn in to protect ‘terms of
trade’ (i.e. trading companies’ profits)
 Slavery: settler colonialism relied on ‘cheap’ labour, either subjugated locals or
‘imported’ slaves
 Trading companies: Granted monopolies by metropole, had own armed forces and
independent foreign policy
 E.g.: UK’s East India Trading Company
 re-structuring local economies
 provide raw materials (e.g. Egyptian & American cotton, Caribbean sugar) or luxury
goods (S. American gold, Chinese opium)
 provide markets for metropolitan economies (Sheffield textile mills)
 fund local elites’ reform (Muhammad ’Ali’s new Egyptian army)
 Economics, poverty and revolution
 industrialisation  (urbanisation & pauperisation) = increase in inequality  social
& political tensions
 E.g.: Egypt 19-20C, Iran under Shah
Religion: Missionaries in 19th century
 Relationship between colonialism & religion:
 Missionaries opposed the more cruel aspects of colonialism
but they did support their country’s role in target country.
 This legitimised colonial rule
 To spread Christianity
 To civilise natives
British Colonial Structures
Parliament
Treasury
Secretary of
State for
Colonies
Colonial Office
London
Secretary for
Foreign and
Dominion Affairs
Structure of British Colonialism
Colonial Office
London
Ghana
Tanganyika
Uganda
Governor or
High Commissioner
Executive Council
Legislative Council
Colonial Administration
Governor
Government Secretary/
Secretariat
Provincial
Commissioner
Provincial
Commissioner
Provincial Officer
Provincial
l Commissioner
Provincial Education Officer
District Commissioner
“Tribal” Administration
Paramount Chief
Sub-Chief
Sub-Chief
Head Man
Village
Leader
Sub-Chief
Traditional Government
Two Structures
National Systems
Paramount
Chief (King)
Advisors
Native Councils
Traditional Meeting
Place
Sub-Chiefs
Headmen
Judicial System
Imperial Systems
King
King’s
Representative
Inner Council
Outer Council
Chief
Chief
Sub-Chiefs
And Headmen
Chief
Indirect Rule System
Chief
Council
Sub-Chiefs
Headmen
Tribal
Secretary
Clerks
Treasury
Court
Police
French Colonialism
 Meaning of Assimilation
 Direct Rule
 Use of Traditional Authorities as French Administrators
 Replacement of Traditional Authorities by Soldiers
 In Practice Assimilation was Association
 British and French administrative Practice not that different in rural
Africa
French Colonialism
 The Concept of Permanent Association
 Goal a French Language Union (Political Economic and
Social)
 Paris and A Single, highly centralized system-World
Wide
 Facade of Direct Rule
French Colonial Structures
France Overseas: Indochina, Caribbean
North Africa: Tunisia, Morocco, the Department of Algeria
L’Afrique Occidentale Francaise (AOF)
L’Afrique Equitoriale Francaise (AEF)
The Mandates: Togo, Cameroons
French Colonial Structures
French Executive
And Cabinet
French National
Assembly
( Nominal African
Reps.
Ministry of
Overseas Affairs
French Civil and
Colonial Services
French Colonial Structures
Governor General
Of the Federation
Old Communes:
Territorial
Governor
Secretariat
and Staff
St. Louis
Rep. in French
Assembly
French Colonial Structures
Governor
Commandant
(Prefect)
Commandant
De cercle
Chef
de subdivisions
District Chiefs
Sub-Chiefs
And Headmen
Commandant
French Decolonisation
 The Concept of the French Union
 France and World War II: French Africa
and Vichy
 Socialist Governments and Socialist Empires
 Collapse of Federation, the Loi Cadre of 1956
 DeGaulle and the 1958 Referendum
Political impact of Colonialism
 Arbitrary boundaries: historically separate, if not antagonistic cultures,
languages, ethnicities and political systems
 E.g.: Lebanon, Nigeria, Maghreb, Afghanistan –cf. Kurdistan’s split
 Loss of ‘experience’: robbed of organic political development
for centuries
 Strategies of rule
 divide & rule  internal divisions both before and after independence
 India, Iraq
 Assimilation (settler colonialism, longer-term effects on indigenous
cultures)
 Algeria, North & South America, Australia, Southern Africa
 Association (trading outposts, shorter-term effects)
 Macao
Dilemmas/ambiguities of ‘modernity’
 How to separate ‘modernity’ from Westernisation and
‘Westoxification’ (cultural imperialism)?
 Loss of language and values – can they be retrieved after
centuries?
 ‘Modernisation’ equated with ‘Westernisation’, and used
as excuse for domination by colonial powers and local
elites…
 E.g. Iranian Revolution, ‘Beijing consensus’
How was colonialism justified by invaders in
‘moral’ terms?
 Racial arguments: were native populations subhuman/less
human? No moral obligations (e.g.slavery)
 Religious arguments: non-Christians were worth less in the
eyes of God and they had less moral worth
 Cultural arguments: inferior cultures would benefit from
influence of superior ones: colonialism carried a ‘civilising
mission’
Conclusion
• Timeline
– From trade to settlement and industry
– Self determination (UN) is a recent concept
• Hidden world history?
– History written by the victors of colonialism, myths of the benefits
of colonialism, silenced voices of the colonised
• Aspects & Consequences
– Military, Economic, Political legacies are clear: will become
apparent in later parts of the course
• The Contradictions of Decolonisation...
– Decolonisation is successful but emancipation is partial
– Is colonialism replaced by a more subtle form of Neo-Imperialism?
IR1001 – Week 2
Colonialism
Dr. C. Heristchi
F43 EWB, [email protected]
Consultation times: Wednesdays 10am-noon