Age of World Imperialism

Imperialism

Extending a nation's power over other lands or weaker nations to serve national economic, strategic, or political interests.

Social Darwinism

The belief in "survival of the fittest" applied to human societies, used by imperialist nations to justify racist beliefs and colonial dominance.

White Man's Burden

The belief that Europeans had a responsibility to civilize primitive people in colonized territories.

Annexation

The official act of incorporating a foreign territory directly into an existing political state or empire.

Protectorate

A political entity whose local government remains intact but depends directly on an outside power for control and direction.

Berlin Conference

An 1884–1885 diplomatic meeting where European powers partitioned the African continent among themselves without any African representatives present.

Suez Canal

A strategic waterway designed by Ferdinand de Lesseps connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, which significantly reduced travel times between European and Asian trade centers.

Direct Rule

A colonial governance model where local officials are removed from power and replaced with new administrators from the colonizing country.

Indirect Rule

A colonial governance model where local rulers keep their positions of authority but follow the colonizer's laws and instructions.

British East India Company

A commercial trading company granted authority by the British government to manage political, military, and economic affairs in India.

Sepoy

An Indian soldier hired by the British East India Company to defend its commercial and political interests.

Sepoy Rebellion

An 1857 anti-colonial uprising sparked by rumors that military cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat, which led to the end of company rule.

British Raj

The period of direct rule over the Indian subcontinent by the British Crown following the dissolution of East India Company rule in 1858.

Viceroy

A governor who rules as a direct representative of the British monarch in colonial India.

Indian National Congress (INC)

A political party established in 1885 by Western-educated nationalists seeking reform, participation in government, and eventual Indian independence.

Muslim League

A separate political organization formed by Indian Muslims to safeguard minority rights and protect against potential domination by the Hindu majority.

Opium Wars

A conflict between Great Britain and Qing Dynasty China triggered by British smuggling of addictive opium to balance trade deficits over Chinese tea and silk.

Treaty of Nanjing

An unequal treaty ending the First Opium War that forced China to open coastal ports, cede Hong Kong to Britain, and pay for war damages.

Extraterritoriality

A policy granting foreign citizens in designated areas immunity from local laws of the host nation.

Tai Ping Rebellion

A 14-year peasant revolt in China led by Hong Xiuquan that resulted in over 20 million deaths.

Self-Strengthening

A Chinese reform strategy aimed at adopting Western technological and military advancements while maintaining traditional values and customs.

Spheres of Influence

Designated areas within China where individual foreign imperial powers were granted exclusive trading privileges.

Open Door Policy

An American policy proposal by John Hay advocating that all foreign powers operating in China respect equal trading access.

Boxer Rebellion

An uprising by the Society of Harmonious Fists aiming to drive foreign influences and foreigners out of China.

Meiji Restoration

A period of rapid modernization, industrialization, and military expansion in Japan under "enlightened rule" to defend against Western imperialism.