Essay On Ccot Imperialism

Prompt: CCOT Imperialism
Evaluate the growth of Imperialism; its causes, expansion and effects on Europe, Asia, and Africa

Essay: During the 19th-20th centuries European powers extended their domains over Asia and Africa in a race for power. This expansionism changed people’s lifestyle in satellite countries of the new empires, and also imposed on them a role in the world market. On the other hand, it reinforced Europe’s leadership in manufacturing and economic development, and created a strong economic status quo in the world that it took a long time to change. The Age of Imperialism brought about many important changes to the way societies worked in conquered territories and in the way Europeans viewed themselves and others. For example, the British imposed English as
the official language in India, and worked to make the Indians adopt western culture and costumes over Indian ones. In fact, the British had such a strong impact on Indian culture that to this day the official language in India is English and the British costume of drinking tea is practiced in India.
In a similar, but much more dramatic case, the opening of international ports in China, introduced modern ideas to an age-old culture. The most noticeable direct effect of this is the Opium Wars, fought over the selling of opium by Western powers to the people of China. This conflict ended with the Treaty of Nanking, which ceded Hong Kong to the British and opened more ports to European trade. Most importantly, this conflict brought civil strife to China as supporters of opium trade turned against the emperor during the war, causing a break with traditions. Besides affecting the way people lived in Africa and Asia, Imperialism brought Europe tremendous amounts of wealth and power. While before obtaining natural resources, raw materials, and an agricultural surplus in quantities large enough to sustain the Industrial Revolution had been a great problem for the European powers, with the conquering of Asia and Africa a steady supply of all of these was brought to Europe by an infinitely cheap labor force, making it
possible for Europeans to focus on manufacturing. This resulted in another of the great changes Imperialism brought with it, the establishing of a role for the satellite countries and the imperial powers in the world economy. It is not coincidence that countries of Africa, the Middle East, and many countries of East Asia are still “developing” countries. Iran, Angola, and Burma are all examples of this. In fact, European powers would use force to make sure these countries remained dependent on European-manufactured goods and so exported raw materials to European countries. An example of this is the way the British put down Egypt’s efforts to develop a domestic cotton industry. This event is also tied to the third major change Imperialism brought about, which is Social Darwinism. This idea, which stated that Europeans were more fit for survival than people of other ethnicities and therefore superior, served to justify the economic relations between conquered and conquerors during the 19th and 20th centuries. Because the native people of satellite countries were considered inferior, the European powers professed they were civilizing them and so it was only fair that Imperial powers took control of the natural resources of the conquered lands. This concept, known as the “White Man’s Burden” is probably the best way to summarize the social and economic changes that the Age of Imperialism brought with it. Despite all these changes, many of the institutions established during the Age of Imperialism lasted for a long time and preserved aspects of previous time periods. The main aspects that remained the same throughout the Age of Imperialism can be found in the daily life of Europeans and in the new institutions that developed during this period that have influenced the world up to the present. First off, it is important to point out that expansion was an undertaking meant to support Europe’s growing economies. In this matter, Absolutism allowed the Industrial Revolution and the expanding of markets to continue through the 19th and 20th centuries up to the present. Because Europe’s economy continued to develop along the same trends set by the Industrial Revolution, so did many of the social aspects of European countries. The growth of cities continued as well as that of the middle class, for example. In England, the Reform Bill gave more chairs to urban representatives in response to this trend. In Asia, the Japanese were able to retain their autonomy, becoming an exception to the changes mentioned before and displaying a continuity of its government into the Modern Era until the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Moreover, the Japanese retained many important cultural aspects during this period, like the imperial family, which has remained the same until present times. In Africa, it can be said that Imperialism worked to make the conflicts between its native people (which had been escalating since the times of colonization) continue. These confrontations are still present in modern times in conflicts such as the civil war in Somalia, and the recent genocide in Rwanda. Finally, Imperialism created economic ties and relations in the world that affect people even now. For example, African and Middle Eastern countries are the greatest exporters of resources like oil, rubber, and metals, but have to import most of the machinery these resources are used in. To conclude, Imperialism created a more globalized trade network and imposed roles in economic relations to the conquered and the conquerors. Also, it exposed other societies of the world to European culture, changing the lives of people in satellite countries, but at the same time creating aspects of the Modern World that have lasted to this day.