British Empire Key terms

key words/ terms & people

Condominiums

a place under rule from different colonial powers

E.g., Sudan = Egypt & Britain

Mandate

Former Colonies from Germany and Ottoman Empire transferred to Britain and other European powers at the end of WW1 ( Treaty of Versailles)

E.g, Iraq

Dominions

Predominantly local society (largely autonomous) with local autonomous government made most decisions. Soft control, local indigenous involvement

E.g, Australia, Canada, New Zealand

Colonies

Formal British Rule; not white system of government, Native rule subordinate, Military presence.

E.g. India (Pre-partition)

Treaty-based Client States

States which signed treaty giving control to the British, Economic, Defence/ Foreign Policy

E.g., Egypt

Informal Empire

Economic influence/ No government

E.g., China, Latin America

Entrepôt Settlements

a port city

Metropole-peripheries

a pronouncedly one-way, metropole-directed chain of command, communication, and control proceeding outward from the centre

"Swing to the East”

Symbolic of change in British Imperial priorities from Western expansion to Eastern expansion.

Royal Charter

a document issued by the monarch that gives independent legal standing to an organisation, it allowed companies to;

• Retain a private army

• Levy taxtes

• Annex territory

Annexation

taking possession of a piece of land or a country, usually by force or without permission

‘Jewel in the British Crown’

Refers to India, largest of all controlled colonies - most important part of Empire & provided wealth

Coloniel Office

• founded 1801

• run by William Pitt the Younger

• Combined with War Office, functioned separately & was divided into 5 departments

• Oversaw & made decisions about Empire

War Office

• Founded as separate office in 1857

• Originally headed by Cabinet Minister, then by Secretary of state for war

• Administrated British Army

  • temporary office - only needed during war effort

Foreign Office

• founded 1868

• run by Foreign Secretary

• Managed government relations with other countries

East India Company

• Founded 1600

• run by the company Director/ CEO

• Ran the company, organised revenue

India Office

• Founded 1858

• Headed by Secretary of State for India

• Oversaw governing of India from UK

• Enacted by Viceroy

Effective Occupation

• Local treaty agreement

• Active administration

• Can police the territory → accept that they can control the territory

• Increase the extent of European Intervention of Africa

Cecil Rhodes

Trader + PM of the Cape Colony until 1896

William Gladstone

Liberal Prime Minister

• Opposed trade protectionism

• Moral leader, wanted peace

• Forced to pick up Disraeli’s policies

Benjamin Disraeli

Conservative Prime Minister

Bought shares in the Suez Canal

Opposed Irish Home Rule

Took credit for Gladstone’s successful policies

Bantu

General label for 3-600 ethnic groups in Africa who speak Bantu languages (e.g., Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi)

Boers

term for South African peoples descended from Dutch, German & French Huguenot settlers

Mercantilism

Imperial Economic policy aimed increasing wealth and power through trade restrictions for exports using merchant ships

Protectionist

Implementation of tarrifs and trade barriers which favoured imported goods from the colonies, protecting them from external competition by prioritising intra-imperial trade

Formal Empire

Characterised by territorial possession by the British Empire claiming sovereignty/ control over area

Informal Empire

British Influence and policies emanating through local representatives (e.g. Diplomats, Consuls, Businessmen, Naval officers, etc.)

Imperialism

Policy of extending a country’s power & influence through colonisation, (e.g., use of military force, etc.)

Popular Culture

Ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images and other phenomena that are mainstream of a given culture

Jingoism

Extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy.

Transnationalism

Refers to the ways that the empire connected people, ideas, and practices across cultures, nations, and colonies. Was key to imperial development during times of high imperialism and world war

Brahmic Caste system

Social hierarchy in India dividHindus into four main categories based on birth and occupation

Entente

Detente

Swadeshi

Self-sufficient movement, part of Indian independence movement & contributed to development of Indian nationalism

Scorched earth policy

Designed to stop supplies from reaching Boer guerrillas, adopted by Lord Kitchener

Abhinav Bharat

Hindu Militant organisation, supported Indian independence, founded by V.K. Savakar

Bartle Frere

High Commissioner of South Africa from 1877 - 80

Alfred Milner

High Commissioner of South Africa from 1897 - 1901

Leander Jameson

PM of the Cape from 1904 - 08

Paul Kruger

President of the Transvaal

Zionism

the desire for a Jewish home state*

*Not all Jewish people are Zionists and not all Zionists are Jewish

Trusteeship

Concept where colonies had to be ruled in a way that looked after the interests of indigenous people & white people, but intended to be economically beneficial for native peoples

Dual Mandate

The belief that colonial power had double responsibility to colonial peoples and the outside world of the global economy