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Title: Consequences of New Imperialism
Nationalism and the Industrial Revolution shaped most of the European society in the 19th century, however, imperialism dramatically changed the entire world during the last half of the 19th century. Imperialism is the process where strong countries, kingdoms, or states extend their power into foreign regions typically to benefit economically. Imperialism is an advocacy of the acquiring of more territory for a country, for example, notable empires throughout history including the Romans, the Mongols, the British and the Portuguese. Reasons, why a country devotes itself to the pursuit of land include wealth, prestige (at least perceived) and power. Empires are either continuous, like the Mongols, where the conquered areas are all right next to each other, or colonial, like the Portuguese, whose empire was dotted about all over the world.
It did not commence in the 19th century; an era from the 16th century to the early 19th century is characterized by European nations seeking trade routes with the Far East, discovered the New World. They got settled in North and South America as well as in Southeast Asia, this event is now referred to as Old Imperialism. European nations set up trading posts in China, Africa and India; they set up tides with the local rulers to ensure the protection of their economic interests. Kingdoms like Britain, Spain, and Portugal established financial colonies to acquire trade items. Gold, spices, and tea were major driving forces behind the Age of Imperialism between the late 19th century and early 20th century. During this period, large countries thrived, whereas, smaller countries suffered. Each country was targeted due to the specific reasons; though, their impact was limited in those nations. Some of the Imperialistic countries such as England, Germany, Russia, and Japan had racism in common ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"smhUGnfb","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Smith)","plainCitation":"(Smith)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":219,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/8N352R84"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/8N352R84"],"itemData":{"id":219,"type":"book","ISBN":"0-19-923739-5","publisher":"Oxford University Press on Demand","title":"The Oxford handbook of modern German history","author":[{"family":"Smith","given":"Helmut Walser"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2011"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Smith). Most of the countries paid no regard to the citizens of their colonies. They went to extremes to extract their natural resources to accumulate. Because of this poor treatment by the imperialistic countries, the Age of Imperialism did not last long, and it eventually fell due to rebellions.
The old Imperialism was based on a monopoly of trade (the colonies were not allowed to manufacture; they were sole providers of raw materials). The new Imperialism is different: is based on the monopoly of pairing hi-tech and finance. It means that former colonies are unable to keep up with the hi-tech race, and they are relegated to the role of mere manufacturers, due to the cheap labor force. For instance, in the case of China, even after so long, it manufactures a lot of parts for the car industry but is unable to manufacture its own brands of cars (South Korea did better, started earlier and followed the Japanese model). It did better for smartphones, but until they reached the US, South Korea, and Japan, these competitors of China were already making forward leaps. The BRIC countries are more affected by crises due to their classic style economies, and some are still raw material providers.
The new imperialism transformed Western society and its colonies in various different ways. It was the time when Western countries started to establish their global economy; the transfer of money, resources, and goods was regulated in an organized way so as to protect the economic interests of the Western world by assuring a continuous flow of cheap resources to the industrialized world. Due to this, the colonies were corrosively impacted; the local culture was destroyed under the foreign rule as well as the local industries. Local craft industries were replaced by foreign imported goods. The colonials' powers while using the colonies as markets for manufacturing goods, and for the purpose of raw materials, constrained colonies from developing their own industries. The natural wealth of those colonies had been siphoned to the mother countries leaving the colonies in poor economic conditions and low living standards.
Another major impact of imperialism was the confrontation between the cultures. By the 20th century, most of the globe was occupied by Western nations. They forced people to adapt to their modern or Western culture, portraying it superior and higher to the indigenous culture. This pressure by the westernize forces made the colonial people reconsider their cultures and traditions and made efforts in discouraging the newly adopted customs. Besides, they were also introduced to the new culture that made them question some senseless customs as well; examples are Sati in India and Footbinding in China. Though colonial people were exploited and abused by the Imperialists; they also introduced modern methods and techniques such as modern medicine, the use of vaccines and sanitary hygiene, etc. The modern medicinal techniques helped increase life expectancy and saved many lives.
Besides, many political problems were also associated with imperialism. Several local political units were destroyed and united the rivals under a single government that imposed order and stability in order to eradicate local conflicts that existed for so many years, such as Rwanda and Nigeria ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"lW3IgYvw","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Johnson)","plainCitation":"(Johnson)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":221,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/R69GFAMS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/R69GFAMS"],"itemData":{"id":221,"type":"book","ISBN":"1-4039-4031-2","publisher":"Macmillan International Higher Education","title":"British imperialism","author":[{"family":"Johnson","given":"Rob"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2002"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Johnson). The imperial policies resulted in many conflicts in the latter half of the 20th century. The tension between various Western powers can also be traced back to imperialism. Conflicts between Great Britain and France over Sudan, and the tensions between Germany and France over Morocco and the Ottoman Empire are also the outcomes of imperialism. These political tensions contributed to World War I in 1914.
In South Africa, Imperialism brought about the worst outcomes in the 19th century in the form of economic exploitation, segregation, and discrimination. By the turn of the 19th century, the British were also able to impose a more formal style of imperial rule on Africans after they established themselves at the Cape. The long-term impacts of British desire of political dominance, slave labors and free access to the natural resources brought significant corrosive impacts on South Africa. Racial discrimination was the most common of all these negative impacts along with economic exploitation. Apartheid was applied by the National Party Government in the form of policies and laws. Apartheid had systematically denied equal rights and freedom to millions of undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers. It also denied equality and freedom to the Africans ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"LSKxCLnp","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Carter and May)","plainCitation":"(Carter and May)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":217,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/WA4NHJ6Y"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/WA4NHJ6Y"],"itemData":{"id":217,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"World development","issue":"12","page":"1987-2006","title":"One kind of freedom: Poverty dynamics in post-apartheid South Africa","volume":"29","author":[{"family":"Carter","given":"Michael R."},{"family":"May","given":"Julian"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2001"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Carter and May). It was similar to that of apartheid currently in Europe, which denies equality and freedom to Syrian refugees; and in any number of other nations around the globe. The gold mining industry was an example of extreme segregation; mining companies established discriminatory policies of staffing, compensation, and treatment to keep revenues high and cost low. Different Acts were made that also prohibited Africans development and progress, one example is the Natives Land Act.
The impacts of Imperialism on China were also not very favorable for the Chinese nation in terms of their economy in the form of public instability and trade disadvantages. Taiping Rebellion withered 17 provinces and killed 20 million people. It was a rebellion against unfair foreign influence. In addition, the Boxer Rebellion was very destructive to the Qing economy and it resulted in making China into a republic. The unequal treaties that gave leased ports to Britain created spheres, resulted in the loss of China's sovereignty to Britain ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"lW3IgYvw","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Johnson)","plainCitation":"(Johnson)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":221,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/R69GFAMS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/R69GFAMS"],"itemData":{"id":221,"type":"book","ISBN":"1-4039-4031-2","publisher":"Macmillan International Higher Education","title":"British imperialism","author":[{"family":"Johnson","given":"Rob"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2002"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Johnson). China was at a great disadvantage owing to the unfair trade policies of Britain, however, the national sovereignty of China was restored. The free trade of Opium produced addicts and disrupted social stability. The opium war resulted in the loss of trade rights in Hong Kong. Industrialized China also lost its beauty and was ruined due to pollution. China also had to face a cultural dilemma under the political and cultural influence of Britain, the complexities of such conflicts were highlighted by the author in his book ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"lDwB5HY0","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Pan)","plainCitation":"(Pan)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":216,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/YQESGGXJ"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/YQESGGXJ"],"itemData":{"id":216,"type":"chapter","container-title":"Socio-biological Implications of Confucianism","page":"63-69","publisher":"Springer","title":"The Problem of the Cultural Hybrid","author":[{"family":"Pan","given":"Guangdan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Pan). Some of these cultural conflicts were communication due to a language barrier, adaptation of the Western system of Jury in Hong Kong, etc. ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"trPf1ywR","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Pan)","plainCitation":"(Pan)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":216,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/YQESGGXJ"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/YQESGGXJ"],"itemData":{"id":216,"type":"chapter","container-title":"Socio-biological Implications of Confucianism","page":"63-69","publisher":"Springer","title":"The Problem of the Cultural Hybrid","author":[{"family":"Pan","given":"Guangdan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Pan). Overall, people were furious due to the foreign policies and influence, China suffered from great economic disadvantage and caused public instability due to opium addiction.
The similar impacts were also noticed in India as well. India, like other nations also resulted in the loss of national resources, people and money in wars with Britain. The East India Trading Company caused major economic losses to the nation. The local industry of India was also destroyed as they were bound to purchase from British brands and industries. Local, especially handmade industries fell. Other negative impacts were famine, ‘sepoy mutiny’, and racism. The only positive impacts that have been witnessed in the colonial states were advances in agriculture, the development of different industries and advances in the mining industries alongside better education. These nations were introduced to modern technologies, better living standards, modern communication systems, better transportation systems and advanced machines for manufacturing goods, producing electricity, guns, vaccines, cars, steel, steam engines, etc.
To sum up, imperialism allowed the colonized nations to progress and advance technologically. To some extent, it also allowed the colonies to get rid of obsolete and stupid traditions ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"lW3IgYvw","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Johnson)","plainCitation":"(Johnson)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":221,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/R69GFAMS"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/R69GFAMS"],"itemData":{"id":221,"type":"book","ISBN":"1-4039-4031-2","publisher":"Macmillan International Higher Education","title":"British imperialism","author":[{"family":"Johnson","given":"Rob"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2002"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Johnson). However, despite the positive outcomes in the form of economic and technological benefits, it is very hard to justify the means. Such development at the cost of loss of lives, money, culture and national resources was unjust and not appreciable.
Works Cited
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Carter, Michael R., and Julian May. “One Kind of Freedom: Poverty Dynamics in Post-Apartheid South Africa.” World Development, vol. 29, no. 12, 2001, pp. 1987–2006.
Johnson, Rob. British Imperialism. Macmillan International Higher Education, 2002.
Pan, Guangdan. “The Problem of the Cultural Hybrid.” Socio-Biological Implications of Confucianism, Springer, 2015, pp. 63–69.
Smith, Helmut Walser. The Oxford Handbook of Modern German History. Oxford University Press on Demand, 2011.
