Was colonialism in Asia Inevitable?
Were Asian countries doomed to be colonized?
One undeniable characteristic of colonialism in Asia between the 1800s and mid-1900s was the immense control it had over the economies and politics in Asia. Trade and production were tailored to serve colonial needs, and opposition to colonial rule was suppressed easily. In this context, claiming that colonialism was inevitable seems valid as Asian countries could neither resist colonial expansion, nor throw off the colonial yoke. However, when one considers the wider history of Asia, this claim falls apart. This is because there were time periods where colonialism was unachievable, notably during the seventeenth century when Asian empires were at their peak. This essay will argue that Asia was only “doomed to be colonised” between the 1800s and 1940. I will briefly explain what conditions in Europe and Asia allowed colonisation to be inevitable or impossible over the years.
Definitions
The scope of this essay will be from the 16th century to the advent of World War Two. I will be using Jürgen Osterhammel’s definition of colonialism; which is when “an entire society is robbed of its historical line of development, externally manipulated and transformed according to the needs and interest of the colonial rulers.”1
“Pre-doomed” Asia
The extent of western penetration between the sixteenth century and the eighteenth century was limited compared to later years. Almost all western outposts in East and South Asia were there at the sufferance of the local kingdoms and were heavily regulated, as was the case for Guangdong in China2. Although several territories in Southeast Asia, like Melaka and Jayakarta3, were taken by force, two things differentiate this kind of expansion from later colonial ambitions. Firstly, they were taken as trading posts, not as part of a larger territorial aggrandizement campaign4. Secondly, economic gains were the motivating factor, not political or social control5. To say Asia was
One undeniable characteristic of colonialism in Asia between the 1800s and mid-1900s was the immense control it had over the economies and politics in Asia. Trade and production were tailored to serve colonial needs, and opposition to colonial rule was suppressed easily. In this context, claiming that colonialism was inevitable seems valid as Asian countries could neither resist colonial expansion, nor throw off the colonial yoke. However, when one considers the wider history of Asia, this claim falls apart. This is because there were time periods where colonialism was unachievable, notably during the seventeenth century when Asian empires were at their peak. This essay will argue that Asia was only “doomed to be colonised” between the 1800s and 1940. I will briefly explain what conditions in Europe and Asia allowed colonisation to be inevitable or impossible over the years.
Definitions
The scope of this essay will be from the 16th century to the advent of World War Two. I will be using Jürgen Osterhammel’s definition of colonialism; which is when “an entire society is robbed of its historical line of development, externally manipulated and transformed according to the needs and interest of the colonial rulers.”1
“Pre-doomed” Asia
The extent of western penetration between the sixteenth century and the eighteenth century was limited compared to later years. Almost all western outposts in East and South Asia were there at the sufferance of the local kingdoms and were heavily regulated, as was the case for Guangdong in China2. Although several territories in Southeast Asia, like Melaka and Jayakarta3, were taken by force, two things differentiate this kind of expansion from later colonial ambitions. Firstly, they were taken as trading posts, not as part of a larger territorial aggrandizement campaign4. Secondly, economic gains were the motivating factor, not political or social control5. To say Asia was
Bibliography: 1. Church, Peter. A short history of Southeast Asia. Sydney: Asean Focus Group pty Ltd, 1999. 2. Duiker, William J.; Spielvogel, Jackson J., The essential world history 3rd ed.. California: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008. 3. Heidhues, Mary Somers. Southeast Asia: A concise History. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000. 4. Mason, Colin. A short history of Asia 2nd ed.. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. 5. Murphey, Rhoads. A History of Asia 5th ed.. New York: Pearson Education Inc, 2006. 6. Osbourne, Milton. Southeast Asia: An introductory history, 9th ed.. New South Wales: Allen and Unwin, 2004. 7. Osterhammel, Jürgen. Colonialism. New Jersey: Markus Weiner Publishers, 1997. 8. Simpson, William; Jones, Martin. Europe 1783-1914. London: Routledge, 2000. 153887890