British Empire History Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to the history of the British Empire, from its 18th-century origins to its post-colonial legacy, based on lecture notes.

White Settlement Colonies

Parts of the British Empire, like Canada and New Zealand, where people from England were encouraged to settle permanently, establishing systems similar to the motherland.

Non-White Settlement Colonies

Areas such as East Africa, India, and the Caribbean, primarily for trade and resource exploitation, not intended for permanent British settlement.

Pax Britannica

A period from 1815 to the beginning of World War I marked by relative peace in Europe, allowing the UK to concentrate on expanding its empire.

Act of Settlement 1701

Established that all British monarchs must adhere to the Church of England and that no Catholics could ascend to the throne or marry into the royal family.

Act of Union 1707

The act that united Scotland with England and Wales, creating Great Britain and merging the Scottish and English parliaments.

Treaty of Utrecht

Following the Spanish succession, England gained Gibraltar, a strategically important location for controlling trade between Europe and the Atlantic.

Slave Trade Act 1807

A law passed in Britain that abolished the trade of slaves, but not the practice of slavery itself.

Abolition Act 1833

The act that abolished slavery throughout the British Empire.

First Opium War (1839-42)

A conflict that led to China becoming part of the informal British Empire, granting the UK commercial control and establishing trade bases.

British Nationality Act 1948

Granted citizenship to all citizens of the Commonwealth, allowing free movement and entry into the UK, leading to increased immigration from former colonies.

Citizens of the UK and Colonies (CUKC)

A category created by the British Nationality Act of 1948, granting a single form of citizenship to those born in the UK and its colonies.

The Nabob

British officials of the East India Company who returned to Britain with new fortune and prestige. They were looked down upon by society for being tainted by Indian values.

Indianization

The cultural adaptation of British people living in India, involving adopting Indian customs, practices, and even medicinal treatments to better survive the climate and gain legitimacy.

Climate Theory

The belief that different climates produced different temperaments, influencing British adaptation of Indian practices and justifying laziness.

Anglicization

The process and policies implemented to spread English culture, language, and ideals in the colonies. A contrast to the earlier practice of Indianization.

Burra Sahib

The ideal British man living in India who embodied anglicism. Not an indianized man, but an important figure, showing superiority of British ways

The White Man's Burden

A poem by Rudyard Kipling, written in 1899, which captured and promoted the idea that white races had a duty to civilize and uplift non-white races, often justifying imperialist policies.

Memsahibs

The female version of the Burra Sahib; a British woman living in India. Expected to import all clothing and tableware from Great Britain and to avoid Indian clothing for fear of being sexualized.

Miasma Theory

The medical theory that diseases were caused by “bad air” leading to British obsession with air circulation and bungalows raised on platforms

The baba logue

Indian women who breast fed British children, they were carefully inspected for disease and their moral character was analyzed

The Ayah

An Indian nanny. British feared that these nannies would teach the children their religion, or sedate the mwith opium due to laziness

Thuggee

Organized crime of murderers and robbers thought to have practiced killings as a form of worship to goddess Kali. Resulted in the British response.

The Mutiny

The rebellion in 1857-1858 led by Indian soldiers in the British army, which expanded to become a civilian rebellion which resulted in the dissolution of the East Indian Company.

The Great Game

A strategic rivalry between the UK and Russia for supremacy in Central Asia.

Suttee

A funeral practice which required requiring that the widow burns herself alive on the husbands funeral pyre

Pseudo-sciences

Beliefs such as phrenology and social darwinism which defined and classified racial groups and supported British rule within the colonies

Jingoism

Extreme nationalism that lost its force after the effects of the first world war became known in the colonies

Hartal

A protest proposed by Gandhi in which all shops and businesses close down so people can go to the streets and protest

Satyagraha

A form of peaceful resistance advocated by Gandhi

Partition

The decision to divide the Indian continent, making a Hindu state, India, and a Muslim state, Pakistan.

Radcliffe Line

The name of a lawyer who was called from London for the task. This man had never been in asia and knew nothing of the siutation and drew the border in just five weeks during the Partition.

The 1948 nationality act

With this law concerning the nationality of british citizens they created two categories, citizen of the uk and colonies (CUKC), this created a signle form of itizenship for both those born in the uk and born in the oclonies who had identical citizenship

Commonwealth citizenship

The second category created with the 1948 nationality act, you just had to live for a year in th euk to get citizenship

Patrial

Term introduced in the 1971 act saying that only a patrial could enter and settle in the uk. Citizen who was born or adopted in the uk, or had a parent ot grandparent born ion uk, citizen of commonwelth with a parent born in the uk.

Rivers of Blood Speech

A speech from Enoch Powell in which he reacted to the race relation act, resulting in hostility and violence against immigrants

the most important thing english have exported

their language

british people wanted to

make colonials little motherlands — the culture, system, laws, and government were also things exported by the government

peak of the empire

19th century (so 1800s)

creation of the empire

18th century (1700s)

 breaking down of the empire and post colonial period

20th century to current

where where the british

• The British empire covered about 25% of the world's land surface. 25% of the total global population

• It extended throughout five continents. Europe (ireland), america (canada, caribbean, south america), africa (east and south), asia (india pakistan, sri lanka), australia

idea of british

“HEIR OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE”

motives for expansion

england wanted more space

fear of invasion

normands 1066

stabile government (Constintutional monarchy) caused them to act up

strong navy

believed they were the best ever

bill of rights

act of settlement

bill of rights

1689 — stating that the king had to consult the parliament before making politically important decisions like raising taxes, changing laws, and forming an army. He couldn't do these things without the agreement of parliament. This established freedom of speech within the parliament.

act of settlement 1701

 stated that all monarchs should join the church of England. No catholics could become king or queen or be married to the king or queen. This was a solution to the problem of the catholics and protestants. This created a sense of belonging to a superior political system. The idea that the parliament was unique, sovereign and splendid. They were really proud of their political system

act of union

 1707. The concept of Great Britain was invented. This was important for national ideology. Fusion of english and scottish parliament. England and Wales had one parliament already but Scotland had another government though they were under the same monarch. The act of union united scotland with england and wales

commerce was at the base of

colonialization

Elizabeth I

first steps of colonialization

jamestown + virginia

later james

7 years of war with french and spain

treaty of utrecht

after Spanish succession England gained Gibraltar which is still a British possession even though it is in Spain. It was strategically placed for commerce, and was the place to pass through to go through the Atlantic. They controlled trade from Europe to the Atlantic. 

7 years war

• first world war in history really. It was a war between European countries but they had colonies abroad and so they fought abroad as well, in Canada and India. The UK won and gained control over Canada and India. France and Spain still had some colonies but were not competitors to England any more

after losing american colonies the british

focus east → The first empire was in the west with american and the west indies. Second empire was in australia and west asia

• The very first settlers in Australia were convicts because they were people that they didn't want in their jails in england

• Acquired control of the cape of good hope. Most southern point of Africa. A very strategic point because they control all the routes to Asia. To go past here you had to pay custom duties to england

industrial revolution put them

above the edge

pax Brittanica

• 1815 to the beginning of the first world war. era of relative peace in europe and the uk could really focus on the empire. Nineteenth century huge expansion to Asia and Africa. 

19th century public opinion

started to rise and spread

“Am i a not a man and a brother”

• appeals to christianity, the man in the image is kneeling and praying to be freed, praying to the white man

slave trade act

1807 —  It did not abolish the practice of slavery, but abolished the trade of slaves

abolition act

1833 — abolished slavery throughout the empire

• This created problems for slave owners especially in the indies where the economy was held up by slavery

ALL ABOUT UPHOLDING AN IMAGE NOT REALLY ABOUT ADDRESSING A PROBLEM

poor law

•  poor law when the gov gave provisions to assist poor british people in immigrating to canada australia new zealand and south africa (the white settlement colonies)

1834 — poor ppl basically left the uk

new zealand becomes an official colony

1840

First opium war 1839-42

• china became a part of the informal empire, just commercial control. The British put pressure on the local gov that favored commerce with the UK and established bases for commerce. 

• India passes under direct political control and becomes the jewel of the crown **********************************

1858

scramble for africa

Diamonds were discovered in south africa — period from ? where every single country wanted a piece of africa

conference of berlin

1884 — main european countries split africa as if it was a cake each main european country had a slice of africa

1931

• creation of commonwealth. Only of the colonies that had already become dominions (new zealand australia canada south africa)

Angler boer war fought

• in south africa between dutch and english people

• In that war the British started interment camps where epidemics ran widely, women and children were killed

• Public opinion at home was informed by magazines and public opinion started to change

• Before opinion had been very supportive of the empire but these brutal methods really shocked people at home

• First world war broke out and it was a hard blow on the empire. The tide turned and old ways went out of fashion, no longer enthusiastic public support at home

Commonwealth

• Former dominions are recognized as independent countries managing all external and internal affairs, equal status to the uk

• Commonwealth was a term invented to mean a sort of utopia. The idea was a bit of a utopia because the idea was a free community of equals who shared interests and worked together for the good of all

• Non white settlements remained colonies

final blow to empire

second world war — in debt to USA and USA did NOT want the UK doing well like that

India was the first colony to

• become independent in 1947 and after that the whole empire crumbled

• things followed 50s and 60s

 british nationality act

1948 paid citizenship to all citizens from the commonwealth → lots of people from move to UK

margaret thatcher 1981

british nationality act ended for the commonwealth (after 40 years)

1997 hong kong

last remnants of the empire (well on paper)

india for british

most prized possession

india then → india + pakistan + bangladesh

the british believed to have “moral superiority”

humid = bad for british people

orientalism stuff

orientalism

edward said

• The orient was seen as a palace of low moral standards and people could become morally tainted

• This is all referred to as orientalism

• Coined by edward said

• He theorized that the west has always had a set of prejudices about the east, seen with a set of fixed ideas about despotism, corruption, decadence, lust and sensuality

• Not seen as fit for democratic governments, despotism flourished

• Seen as full of greed, also full of jewels and riches

• Also connected to femininity, in the bad sense as in misogynistic sense of weakness, sexual temptation and lust

• Seen as place of mistresses think about arabian knights

• Most important non white non settlement colonies

until 16th century

• europeans had very confused information about asia

• The east was seen as marvelous, fabulous, full of monsters, strange people, and also gold and diamonds and spices

• The east was more associated with myth than with facts

first europeans to connect with the east

portugal

1600s economic expansion ****************************

• east india company established. Purely commercial enterprise established for trade with india and china. Royal charter signed by queen elizabeth the first: she gave monopoly for trade of all companies to cape of good hope

• The east india company offered resources (human and economic) in exchange for some power in states of india

• The company built their possession of land and eventually took india on as part of britain. Britain took complete control or in some states made treaties to their advantage, offering protection in exchange fro revenues and political power

1600s competition

BRITISH COMPETING IN INDIA WITH DUTCH AND PORTUGUESE

the colonialization started off as economic

india was in a state of civil unrest and the british took advantage of that,

bengal remained

independent, and fought back — 1756 leader of bengal requested that the europeans disarm. The dutch and french complies but the british refused. The nawab (leader) of bengal conquered the british settlement in this area and imprisoned 150 british soldiers in a dungeon refered to as the black hole, where they all died, causing british outrage. 

 the battle of plassey *****

1757 — Little fighting actually took place, clive bribed the opposition. The nawab was captured and killed, jafar became new nawab under Clive's influence. East india company gained calcutta and it became the company capital

• The battle of plassey was representative of the beginning of british india

nabob

from nawab referring to a wealthy person in the british empire

nabob were considered

• to be “tainted and corrupted” by indian features and values. They are too uneducated and uncivilized to enter the high society that they strive for. 

• In india they imitated british high society with big country houses, owning many servants, hunting and collecting art to imitate status. 

The nabob

samuel foote 1772

• Summary in slides

  • Sir matthew mite has lent money to sir john oldham (the nabob vs old money british)

  • Mite proposes to forgive oldhams debt in exchange for marriage to his daughter sophy, and taking her two unmarried sisters to india. This would allow mite to join the british aristocracy and inherit the estate of oldham. 

  • Mite is seen treating people badly and rudely; talks of women as objects (only wants a wife as decoration, is establishing a harem in london; uses moeny carelessly (willing to pay four times the price for the estate he wants to buy that the owner does not want to sell fo rsentimental reasons); pretends not to recognise people who are now below his social class

  • Oldham opposes to the marriage. Mite does not accept this and calls his lawyer, tells oldham he will go to prison if he doesnt accept. 

  • Sophy says she will accept the proposal because she doesnt want her father to go to jail; oldhams brother steps in and pays the debt

  • Sophy is saved and can now marry the man she truly loves

  • Moral of the story is honest british wealth wins over the corrupt nabob

READ THE NABOB

Indianization

• By 1800 british colonisation of india was accepted as a fact. Indian officials were replaced by the company. 

• British administrators saw themselves as the new indian nobility but knew that they lacked legitimacy to the indians

• Tried to fit in more by dressing and trying to look indian to gain legitimacy, displaying wealth to impress htem

Warren hastings:

• first governor general 1773 (british representative to keep the company under control)

• Encouraged studying indian cultural for political and commercial reasons. Beelived that to govern indians, one must know their culture and values and norms. This was called utilitarian scholarship

William jones

judge in the supreme court of bengal. He studied modern orientalism. He translated many indian works into english

• He started comparative linguistics and indo-european studies after noticing similarities between sanskrit greek and latin. 

• He preposed that these languages had a common source, proto-indo-european

by 1800s

british colonization of india was a fact

indianization

• British living in india underwent indianiztion to understand teh indians better to rule better, due to the philosophies of hastings and jones

anglo indians

british people in india

climate theory

• different climates produces different temperaments. European climates produced strong individuals while tropical climates introduced sloth and apathy. British living in india took on indian practices, using the climate as an excuse for laziness