Burmese Imperialism
Attitudes of British Imperialists in Burma and the Burmese Response
The British began colonizing India and its surrounding countries during the early 1800’s and soon had several profitable colonies in the Eastern Hemisphere. The arrival of the British imperialists in the country had a profound effect on the native population. This interaction between dominators and dominated is perfectly illustrated In George Orwell’s Burmese Days. This novel highlights the imperial interactions in the country of Burma just to the east of India, which in the mid 1920’s was part of India. The British imperialists believed that they were better than the Burmese in every way and the Burmese would be nothing if they weren’t subservient to the English …show more content…
crown. This was the common imperialist view of the early 19th century. What Orwell points out in Burmese Days is that often the imperialists are no better than the natives, and the Burmese are not as helpless as they appear to be. The imperialists in Burma made sure to live a life above their native subjects. They were referred to by the natives as Pukka Sahibs and lived the code: “keeping up our prestige, the firm hand (without the velvet glove), we white men must hang together, give them an inch and they’ll take an ell, and espirit de corps” (191). Imperialists made sure not to give the natives an inch by censoring press and eliminating free speech and due process (69,75). This oppression was purely on a racial basis; it was common that “when a man is black, suspicion is proof” (12). The imperialists in Burma took hold of the common justification of racism at this time based on Darwin’s “survival of the fittest”. The natives were just an inferior species that were destined to fail and eventually die off. This intense oppression was fairly easy to implement for the imperialists because most of them had an intense hatred for the natives. Orwell highlights this racism through the character Ellis, who is by far the most racist of all of the British stationed in Burma. He frequently called the natives “niggers” because to him they were no better than African slaves, and he said that the British should “treat them like the dirt they are” (31). He even believed that the Burmese should not have a right to practice Christianity with him in church, which goes against basic Christian principles. This racism was ingrained in the British psyche seemingly from birth. The character Elizabeth is an example of this ingrained racism. Elizabeth moved to Burma from England after the passing of her parents (96) and embodied the typical British citizens mindset about colonization. She referred to the natives as “specimens” (123) and even likened them to Dutch dolls (87). To the British, the colonies were always to the benefit of the crown, and they looked at the natives often as a different species. The manifestation of British Imperial Power was the “European Club”, which was often in every Burmese village with British residents (17). In these clubs the British would attempt to recreate life in the mother country. They sat around, drank whiskey, debated and played tennis. But try as they might, it was never going to be exactly like the home country. Burma was a part of them whether they liked it or not, and they turned out to be just as savage as the Burmese. Orwell utilized the main character, Mr. Flory to point out the flaws of the British imperialists. Flory came to Burma as a young man and soon was engulfed in the Burmese lifestyle. He was very friendly with the natives and even admired their simple lifestyle and culture. The British Empire, in Flory’s opinion, was weakening. He even joked with his friend Dr. Veraswami, a high-ranking native official in Burma, that the British Empire was an elderly women that was slowly dying (37), which implied that imperialism in general was dying during the early 1900’s. He despised the Pukka Sahib lifestyle and believed the imperialists were living a lie. He stated that every officer in Burma is “ex-officio”; they were stationed in Burma because they had done something wrong. All of the imperialists preached their divinity and pureness, although they had lived a corrupt life prior to coming to Burma. He openly states that the British men may be no better than the Burmese (63) and that perhaps it’s an eccentricity to be white in this world (110). These public statements made Flory the goat of the club. He was called the “nigger Nancy boy” and was thought of as a Bolshie or communist. But it turned out that the British stationed in Burma were perhaps more savage than they appeared to be. One Englishman, Mr. Lackerstern, on multiple occasions tried to rape Elizabeth, his niece (175). This is an appalling action that the English public thought was only done by savage natives. The imperialists refused to believe that these people could ever be equal or even better than them. For example, when the butler at the European Club spoke to Ellis in proper English, Ellis snapped and demanded that he speak improperly to show his inferiority (26). The Europeans stationed in Burma had the natives think of them as gods, creatures that could do no harm, when in actuality they may have been just as savage as they perceived the natives to be. The natives of Burma initially received the Europeans in stride. They thought of the Europeans as heaven sent, and before the war basically worshipped them (29). Those natives who were servants even referred to their European masters as “most holy god” (51). Most of the natives were effectively brainwashed by the Europeans to accept the “divinity” of the Europeans. This is illustrated when Dr. Veraswami refused to believe that the Europeans were a bad influence on the natives, even when Flory provided ample reasons to prove otherwise. Veraswami, as an avid European defender, said that without the British the Burmese would be nothing and that the British were sacrificing themselves for the good of the Burma (40). He even went so far to say that “Burmese create all diseases, and Europeans cure them” (40). Veraswami’s reverence for British society exemplifies the essential brainwashing of the natives by the imperialists. Since the day they arrived, imperialists hammered into the minds of all the natives that the British culture was infinitely more advanced than the Burmese culture. Those natives that wished to remain relatively prosperous in this imperial society had to drop most Burmese cultural aspects, quickly westernize and defend the Europeans every chance they get to gain the imperialists favor. The Western influences brought by the imperialists engulfed Burmese culture. Westernization was a sign of high class amongst the Burmese. They went to great lengths to appear European such as by powdering their faces stark white (106). Additionally, Eurasian citizens, those with European fathers and native mothers went out of their way to show their “whiteness” in order to have some standing in society (122).
The majority of the Burmese people were subservient in the new imperial-influenced society, but there were those who went against this attitude and even turned the corruption of the Europeans back on them for their own benefit.
As time went on, the Burmese nationalist movement began to gain steam especially in the universities. As the Europeans would walk down the road, native schoolboys would often jeer at them and mock them (34). On one such occasion Ellis snapped and hit one of the schoolboys, blinding him. Favor was already against the Europeans, so that is all it took to start a massive revolt. The natives were sick of the Europeans taking advantage of them. One leader of the revolt stated that there was “no justice for us natives in your courts, so we must punish him ourselves” (247). The riot revealed a majority anti-colonial sentiment throughout the Burmese people, and that the natives had enough of being pushed around. While some natives, such as the rebels and nationalists went directly against the government, others used the European corruption to their own benefit. Orwell illustrated this happening through the characters of Ma Hla May and U Po Kyin. Hla May was Mr. Flory’s native mistress whom Flory dismissed upon meeting Elizabeth. Upon her dismissal May proceeded to blackmail Flory and effectively ruin his life for her personal gain. She saw the other natives who had not been in her position as savages and refused to live amongst them after her fairly privileged life as a mistress (155). So (with a little prodding from U Po Kyin) she continued to work Flory and the system until he was driven to suicide. U Po Kyin was a major example of working the system the imperialists created for his own gain. Kyin was a low level native officer who wished to move up in the ranks until he was honored and in great power. To get there he took bribes, blackmailed people, and ruined reputations in order to move up in the ranks. He claimed to “know the European mind”,
and how to manipulate it to his advantage (135). He set out an elaborate plan to ruin Dr. Veraswami and eventually Flory in order for him to become a member of the prestigious European Club. In order to ruin Dr. Veraswami, he sent out anonymous letters to play on the Europeans’ intense racism and distrust of the natives. He sent Ma Hla May to harass Flory and ruin his chances with Elizabeth. Both of his plans worked in the end, and Kyin got the power and prestige he desired, all by manipulating the same Europeans who thought the natives were never capable of such cunning. Orwell perhaps described European involvement in Asia best when Mr. Flory told Dr. Veraswami the real motives in Burma were for “the officials to hold the Burmese down, while the businessman goes through his pockets” (40). It was true; the British imperialists were only colonizing Asia to make money for the mother country. They never cared about the natives as much as they made the natives believe. Kind and subservient, the Burmese largely accepted the British domination. But contrary to general belief that all native populations were like this there came a point after the war where their subservience ended and they began to fight back, while others began to figure out the system and use it for their own gain. The novel also reveals the dying state of imperialism in the early 1900’s. More and more colonies were beginning to fight back against European influence and the mighty grip that imperialism seemed to have on the third world countries was no more. Overall, George Orwell’s Burmese Days brilliantly depicts the interaction between imperialists and natives in Southeast Asia. It highlights the fallacies in European attitude towards the natives as well as misconceptions about the natives’ response to this domination.
Bibliography
Orwell, George. Burmese Days. New York: Time, 1962. Print.
The British began colonizing India and its surrounding countries during the early 1800’s and soon had several profitable colonies in the Eastern Hemisphere. The arrival of the British imperialists in the country had a profound effect on the native population. This interaction between dominators and dominated is perfectly illustrated In George Orwell’s Burmese Days. This novel highlights the imperial interactions in the country of Burma just to the east of India, which in the mid 1920’s was part of India. The British imperialists believed that they were better than the Burmese in every way and the Burmese would be nothing if they weren’t subservient to the English …show more content…
crown. This was the common imperialist view of the early 19th century. What Orwell points out in Burmese Days is that often the imperialists are no better than the natives, and the Burmese are not as helpless as they appear to be. The imperialists in Burma made sure to live a life above their native subjects. They were referred to by the natives as Pukka Sahibs and lived the code: “keeping up our prestige, the firm hand (without the velvet glove), we white men must hang together, give them an inch and they’ll take an ell, and espirit de corps” (191). Imperialists made sure not to give the natives an inch by censoring press and eliminating free speech and due process (69,75). This oppression was purely on a racial basis; it was common that “when a man is black, suspicion is proof” (12). The imperialists in Burma took hold of the common justification of racism at this time based on Darwin’s “survival of the fittest”. The natives were just an inferior species that were destined to fail and eventually die off. This intense oppression was fairly easy to implement for the imperialists because most of them had an intense hatred for the natives. Orwell highlights this racism through the character Ellis, who is by far the most racist of all of the British stationed in Burma. He frequently called the natives “niggers” because to him they were no better than African slaves, and he said that the British should “treat them like the dirt they are” (31). He even believed that the Burmese should not have a right to practice Christianity with him in church, which goes against basic Christian principles. This racism was ingrained in the British psyche seemingly from birth. The character Elizabeth is an example of this ingrained racism. Elizabeth moved to Burma from England after the passing of her parents (96) and embodied the typical British citizens mindset about colonization. She referred to the natives as “specimens” (123) and even likened them to Dutch dolls (87). To the British, the colonies were always to the benefit of the crown, and they looked at the natives often as a different species. The manifestation of British Imperial Power was the “European Club”, which was often in every Burmese village with British residents (17). In these clubs the British would attempt to recreate life in the mother country. They sat around, drank whiskey, debated and played tennis. But try as they might, it was never going to be exactly like the home country. Burma was a part of them whether they liked it or not, and they turned out to be just as savage as the Burmese. Orwell utilized the main character, Mr. Flory to point out the flaws of the British imperialists. Flory came to Burma as a young man and soon was engulfed in the Burmese lifestyle. He was very friendly with the natives and even admired their simple lifestyle and culture. The British Empire, in Flory’s opinion, was weakening. He even joked with his friend Dr. Veraswami, a high-ranking native official in Burma, that the British Empire was an elderly women that was slowly dying (37), which implied that imperialism in general was dying during the early 1900’s. He despised the Pukka Sahib lifestyle and believed the imperialists were living a lie. He stated that every officer in Burma is “ex-officio”; they were stationed in Burma because they had done something wrong. All of the imperialists preached their divinity and pureness, although they had lived a corrupt life prior to coming to Burma. He openly states that the British men may be no better than the Burmese (63) and that perhaps it’s an eccentricity to be white in this world (110). These public statements made Flory the goat of the club. He was called the “nigger Nancy boy” and was thought of as a Bolshie or communist. But it turned out that the British stationed in Burma were perhaps more savage than they appeared to be. One Englishman, Mr. Lackerstern, on multiple occasions tried to rape Elizabeth, his niece (175). This is an appalling action that the English public thought was only done by savage natives. The imperialists refused to believe that these people could ever be equal or even better than them. For example, when the butler at the European Club spoke to Ellis in proper English, Ellis snapped and demanded that he speak improperly to show his inferiority (26). The Europeans stationed in Burma had the natives think of them as gods, creatures that could do no harm, when in actuality they may have been just as savage as they perceived the natives to be. The natives of Burma initially received the Europeans in stride. They thought of the Europeans as heaven sent, and before the war basically worshipped them (29). Those natives who were servants even referred to their European masters as “most holy god” (51). Most of the natives were effectively brainwashed by the Europeans to accept the “divinity” of the Europeans. This is illustrated when Dr. Veraswami refused to believe that the Europeans were a bad influence on the natives, even when Flory provided ample reasons to prove otherwise. Veraswami, as an avid European defender, said that without the British the Burmese would be nothing and that the British were sacrificing themselves for the good of the Burma (40). He even went so far to say that “Burmese create all diseases, and Europeans cure them” (40). Veraswami’s reverence for British society exemplifies the essential brainwashing of the natives by the imperialists. Since the day they arrived, imperialists hammered into the minds of all the natives that the British culture was infinitely more advanced than the Burmese culture. Those natives that wished to remain relatively prosperous in this imperial society had to drop most Burmese cultural aspects, quickly westernize and defend the Europeans every chance they get to gain the imperialists favor. The Western influences brought by the imperialists engulfed Burmese culture. Westernization was a sign of high class amongst the Burmese. They went to great lengths to appear European such as by powdering their faces stark white (106). Additionally, Eurasian citizens, those with European fathers and native mothers went out of their way to show their “whiteness” in order to have some standing in society (122).
The majority of the Burmese people were subservient in the new imperial-influenced society, but there were those who went against this attitude and even turned the corruption of the Europeans back on them for their own benefit.
As time went on, the Burmese nationalist movement began to gain steam especially in the universities. As the Europeans would walk down the road, native schoolboys would often jeer at them and mock them (34). On one such occasion Ellis snapped and hit one of the schoolboys, blinding him. Favor was already against the Europeans, so that is all it took to start a massive revolt. The natives were sick of the Europeans taking advantage of them. One leader of the revolt stated that there was “no justice for us natives in your courts, so we must punish him ourselves” (247). The riot revealed a majority anti-colonial sentiment throughout the Burmese people, and that the natives had enough of being pushed around. While some natives, such as the rebels and nationalists went directly against the government, others used the European corruption to their own benefit. Orwell illustrated this happening through the characters of Ma Hla May and U Po Kyin. Hla May was Mr. Flory’s native mistress whom Flory dismissed upon meeting Elizabeth. Upon her dismissal May proceeded to blackmail Flory and effectively ruin his life for her personal gain. She saw the other natives who had not been in her position as savages and refused to live amongst them after her fairly privileged life as a mistress (155). So (with a little prodding from U Po Kyin) she continued to work Flory and the system until he was driven to suicide. U Po Kyin was a major example of working the system the imperialists created for his own gain. Kyin was a low level native officer who wished to move up in the ranks until he was honored and in great power. To get there he took bribes, blackmailed people, and ruined reputations in order to move up in the ranks. He claimed to “know the European mind”,
and how to manipulate it to his advantage (135). He set out an elaborate plan to ruin Dr. Veraswami and eventually Flory in order for him to become a member of the prestigious European Club. In order to ruin Dr. Veraswami, he sent out anonymous letters to play on the Europeans’ intense racism and distrust of the natives. He sent Ma Hla May to harass Flory and ruin his chances with Elizabeth. Both of his plans worked in the end, and Kyin got the power and prestige he desired, all by manipulating the same Europeans who thought the natives were never capable of such cunning. Orwell perhaps described European involvement in Asia best when Mr. Flory told Dr. Veraswami the real motives in Burma were for “the officials to hold the Burmese down, while the businessman goes through his pockets” (40). It was true; the British imperialists were only colonizing Asia to make money for the mother country. They never cared about the natives as much as they made the natives believe. Kind and subservient, the Burmese largely accepted the British domination. But contrary to general belief that all native populations were like this there came a point after the war where their subservience ended and they began to fight back, while others began to figure out the system and use it for their own gain. The novel also reveals the dying state of imperialism in the early 1900’s. More and more colonies were beginning to fight back against European influence and the mighty grip that imperialism seemed to have on the third world countries was no more. Overall, George Orwell’s Burmese Days brilliantly depicts the interaction between imperialists and natives in Southeast Asia. It highlights the fallacies in European attitude towards the natives as well as misconceptions about the natives’ response to this domination.
Bibliography
Orwell, George. Burmese Days. New York: Time, 1962. Print.