Imperialism in Asia

As in Africa so in Asia, the Europeans started colonising here also. The British and the French did not like the prosperous trade carried on by Portugal and Holland, whom they ultimately threw out from India. Soon the English and the French Companies made settlements here.

In 1763, the British ended the French influence in India and established their own control. Countries like Japan and China refused to accept the western culture and way of life because of their belief in their traditional ways. The Boxer Rebellion and the Opium War gave the power to the industrialised countries to get involved in China. Gradually they accepted industrialisation and western influence.

China

Chinese goods were in great demand in European countries but there was no demand for European goods in China. This one-sided trade was not profitable for European merchants so they started smuggling opium to China to demoralise the Chinese youth and exchange Chinese goods. This led to the First Opium War between China and Britain in which China was easily defeated and Britain gained many concessions for herself.

She succeeded in getting all five ports of China opened for British traders. The Chinese government could not impose any tariff on foreign goods. They could not carry out any trial against British subjects in Chinese courts. The island of Hong Kong was handed over to Britain.

The Second Opium War was fought to revenge against the insult of British flag and the murder of a French missionary. China was defeated by the two European powers and was forced to concede extra territorial rights.

The Boxer’s Rebellion was an organised terror against the Christian missionaries and exploitation of China after the division of China into spheres of influence. Chinese youth tortured ‘foreign nationals’ with their fists. They had the secret support of the royal court.

Japan

The Meiji Restoration began in 1868 with an era of ‘enlightened rule’ which transformed Japan from a closed feudal society to the first industrialised nation. She had little natural resources of her own and needed both overseas markets and sources of raw materials.

In 1871, a group of Japanese politicians toured Europe and US. Japan framed a state led industrialisation policy. In 1877, the Bank of Japan was founded. Many steel and textile factories were set up, education was popularised and Japanese students were sent to study in the West.

By the year 1905, under the slogan of ‘Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military’, Japan rose as a formidable industrial and military nation. She was successful in conquering Formosa, Southern Sakhalin, Korea, Manchuria, Indo-China, Burma, Malaya, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Imperialism in South and South-East Asia

South and South-East Asia includes Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka, Malaya, Indonesia, Indo-China, Thailand, Indo-Philippines. Even before the rise of the New Imperialism, many of these countries were already dominated by the Europeans.

Sri Lanka was occupied by the Portuguese then by the Dutch and later by the British. England introduced tea and rubber plantations, which came to form 7/8ths of Sri Lanka’s exports.

Other countries of South East Asia also suffered under Imperialism. French troops attacked Vietnam claiming that they were protecting the Christians of Indo-China. Gradually Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were added to the French Colonial Empire.

The British added Burma and the port of Singapore to gain control over the Malaya states.