The history of mankind has always been the history of imperialism in myriad of its forms. In this context it must be said that the history of the modern world, to a large extent, is a history of European/Western expansion, colonization, and its decline. It is noteworthy that the expansionist policies that were implemented by the colonial powers eventually paved the way for the emergence of globalization and the decline of the process of colonialism made it possible for the emergence of capitalism as a new form of economic domination. However, irrespective of the types and forms, the history of the rise and decline of the Western global colonial empire must be known in order to know the history of the modern world thoroughly.
The imperialist …show more content…
The seed of colonialism was sowed actually in the 18th century when European powers like England, France, Netherlands, etc, started looking for resources that could help them compensate the financial losses incurred through the wars they participated in. It was the involvement in the Seven Years War which forced some major European powers to turn their attention towards Africa and Asia to gain access to the resources of the two continents and to rejuvenate their economic and political status (Bulliet et al., n.d.). Domination of England as the supreme colonial power became sharply visible after the nation gradually spread its hegemony in Asia through countries like India and China. Though the Dutch and the French also contested in the region and challenged the British authority over the colonies in Asia, the latter survived in most of the cases. After the Batlle of Plassey in 1757, the British domination was established for a longer term in India. The British East India Company (EIC) seized the opportunity of the fading power and glory of the Mughal Emperors …show more content…
The British East India Company eyed for the wealth and resources of China and it was waiting for an opportunity to gain control over China at any cost. From the very beginning, the Chinese turned down the concept of large-scale foreign trade because China’s economy was self-sufficient. This was problematic for the European powers that were looking for opportunities to penetrate into mainland China, establish trade and commerce, and gradually take control over the land’s resources and wealth. The British East India Company waited more eagerly than the others and the Opium War paved the way for such penetration. To instigate the Chinese to get entrapped within the expansionist strategies of Britain, the EIC started trading opium in China, but as opium was banned in China, this practice on the part of the EIC enraged the Chinese. India was the opium hub and from India, in a profitable manner, the EIC imported opium into China and enjoyed earning more profit through the trade. For the Chinese, the opium trade not only led to outflow of silver but also it did endanger the Confucian tradition. In 1839, the Chinese government destroyed about 30,000 chests of opium providing the British
The imperialist …show more content…
The seed of colonialism was sowed actually in the 18th century when European powers like England, France, Netherlands, etc, started looking for resources that could help them compensate the financial losses incurred through the wars they participated in. It was the involvement in the Seven Years War which forced some major European powers to turn their attention towards Africa and Asia to gain access to the resources of the two continents and to rejuvenate their economic and political status (Bulliet et al., n.d.). Domination of England as the supreme colonial power became sharply visible after the nation gradually spread its hegemony in Asia through countries like India and China. Though the Dutch and the French also contested in the region and challenged the British authority over the colonies in Asia, the latter survived in most of the cases. After the Batlle of Plassey in 1757, the British domination was established for a longer term in India. The British East India Company (EIC) seized the opportunity of the fading power and glory of the Mughal Emperors …show more content…
The British East India Company eyed for the wealth and resources of China and it was waiting for an opportunity to gain control over China at any cost. From the very beginning, the Chinese turned down the concept of large-scale foreign trade because China’s economy was self-sufficient. This was problematic for the European powers that were looking for opportunities to penetrate into mainland China, establish trade and commerce, and gradually take control over the land’s resources and wealth. The British East India Company waited more eagerly than the others and the Opium War paved the way for such penetration. To instigate the Chinese to get entrapped within the expansionist strategies of Britain, the EIC started trading opium in China, but as opium was banned in China, this practice on the part of the EIC enraged the Chinese. India was the opium hub and from India, in a profitable manner, the EIC imported opium into China and enjoyed earning more profit through the trade. For the Chinese, the opium trade not only led to outflow of silver but also it did endanger the Confucian tradition. In 1839, the Chinese government destroyed about 30,000 chests of opium providing the British