Europeans' Concept of New Imperialism

In the late nineteenth century, with the majority of the globe under their control, the Europeans sought to dominate Africa and Asia through New Imperialism. The Europeans' concept of New Imperialism was constructed for the purpose of gaining access over the markets and resources that belonged to Africa and Asia. Desperate attempts from European powers to get as much resources from Africa as possible, left it in a tense and divided state. With European influences and technologies, Asia suffered from instability and loss of customs. Along with the presence of their colonies, the Europeans took away the culture and religions of the African and Asian peoples. It was through the system of New Imperialism and the thought that Africa and Asia were in dire need of Europe's guidance, that Africa and Asia were subject to major changes in their way of living and beliefs.

During the 1740s the Dutch developed a trading post in Cape Colony, that was used for the production of fresh food for the incoming vessels, but it was soon swiped by the British. The British were supportive of the native peoples, the Zulus, and sought to remove the Dutch, or the Afrikaners, from its current position. Tensions increased between the Afrikaners and the British, and eventually turned to war. The war resulted in the gaining of Afrikaner or Boer rights and the unification of the Boers within the British Empire. When the Boer nation emerged, a seemingly permanant policy of racial domination took over South Africa; corrupting it. In the 1870s the Congo of Central Africa became King Leopold II's area of conquest; using its inhabitants as laborers in the production of ivory, rubber, and minerals. Combined with the pressures of the Belgian government under Leopold's demand, there was a continuos fray over the division of Africa into the Two Congos between King Leopold II and the French, causing two seperate effects in the same area.

India was under the control of the British through the East India Company; causing more harm than actually improving. During their visit, the British affected India by introducing new customs and the European culture; it took away the productive streak that was embedded in India. Europeans believed that India was in need of a change, in beliefs and customs, and in result of encouraged change India's people suffered from an inability to recall past skills, such as textile making. When the Sepoy Mutiny appeared in 1857, the British were eager to change the way the natives lived and sought to weaken the natives' bond with their religion; to swap Hindu culture for European culture. The Sepoy who revolted in 1857, were in protest against European influences and fought against the binding forces of the British government as it tightened its control over the colony; only resulting in further ruling by British royal governors. During the mid-nineteenth century the Chinese Qing Empire was divided and fragile; and it became susceptible to the affairs of western influence and it was divided in the Spheres of Influence; as a way to increase the development of new markets and to selected needed resources. Along with unwanted western influences and behaviors, the British also introduced to China the trade of Opium; causing a widespread addiction to the drug in Southern China. Such a trade, between China and the British, caused tension in China and in the relations that occurred between China and the British were damaged because when the Emperor of China responded to the British by banning trade, and Britain's response was to wage war. The Opium Wars of 1840 to 1842, resulted in China's loss and the British's oppurtunity of new trade with China. China was not in control of itself and was subject to many foreign influences and changing customs.

Africa and Asia customs were in a constant battle to remain apart of its country but became prey to the colonial powers. The colonial powers like the French and Germany, as well as other powers, sought to extract resources from Africa and Asia, while implanting the ideas and the nature of the Europeans into the societies. In result of laborers extracting the materials, the Europeans forced a tax upon them and if it was left unpaid, the labor continued. The westerners division of boundaries began to conflict with the natives and separated them into various groups and tribes. The Europeans also sought to take the existing government that was in the African and Asian society, and manipulate and shape it into the desired form, to make it flexible to the ways of western ruling. In the end, the African and Asian societies acquired breaks in their migrations and the influences that manipulated the natives' religion and way of life, resulted in corruption that is still present in today's societies.