History Empire (year 1 content)

Why was India so important for the British empire and how is it important to our course?

• The population is large, resulting in more taxes, more labour power and more soldiers

• lots of raw materials like chintz to trade

• had major prestige and respect

India is important to our course as it’s policy system replicates in many parts of the empire.

Economic advantages of India

• trading oppurtunities in india, source of spices. pepper could be bought for £26,000 in india and sold from Britain for £208,000

• main goods from india included; chintzes, indigo (dyes), rice

How did the East India company expand influence in India?

At the same time the mughal empire was lsoing power, the east india company was setting up in Madras, Bombay and Calcutta. Also, conflicts between hindu and islamic states allowed east india company to take control of these areas.

How did British influence grow in India?

• British control grew in areas after wars e.g sind of 1843

• ‘doctrine of lapse’ Hindu states where the ruler died would ‘lapse’ into British control

• Reforms ‘westernising’ india e.g introduction of British education systems, allowing in British religious missionaries

What was the situation in India in the 1850’s?

• population of 280 million - 10x bigger than Britain

• 70% hindu, 20% muslim

• sikh and small christian population

• 16x bigger than the uk

• small primary industry of substance farming

What was the cause of the first indian mutiny?

started in may 1857 by refusal of sepoys (Indian soldier) to use greased cartages (using cow oil which went against the hindu belief that the cow is sacred and using pig oil that was against islam)

other issues that caused the mutiny consisted of;

• changes in pay and conditions

• -requirement to serve abroad breaking caste rules (outcasts sepoys)

• -British military presence weak in 1857/8 due to crimean war. 23,000/150,000 soldiers in bengal army

How much of an impact did the mutiny have?

Overall, the mutiny failed to gain full support across india with the majority of Indian prices and sikhs staying loyal to Britain. However, the mutiny still took over a year to control

What were the consequences of the indian mutiny?

• British authorities took action to punish the rebels in a brutal way to prevent further uprising

• the east india company was abolished and india was in direct British rule with the government of india act 1858 and Victoria became “empress of india” in 1876

• reform of Indian army, ratio of british to indian soldiers went from 1:5 to 1:2, more Gurkha and sikh troops as they were loyal

• separated the british royal elite from the indians, harder british authority to other colonies

How was India being run from London?

The prime minister would appoint someone in their cabinet to be the secretary of state for India, the secretary of state for India ran the india office made of civil servants and alongside this, the council of India would advise the secretary of state for India

How was India being run domestically?

The secretary of state for India would appoint a viceroy. This role consisted of running different sectors of India in a similar style to england e.g finance, healthcare, law. The viceroy would appoint provencial governer and governance on the ground was run by the indian civil service around 1000 British admisistrators

How was government in India?

• Hierarchy of ranks from provencial governer to local district officer

• Challanging entrance exam but good career prospects and status

• hard work, isolated, required inititve and stamina

• open to all graduates (although exam was in english and in London)

Why would the Indian population comply with British?

• rulers of ‘princley states’ could maintain autonomy

• oppurtunties for economic, social advancement through education and employement

• cultural familiarty of hierarchy

How were the princely states run?

• it was 35% of the subcontinent

• Population in them varied from 14 million and a few hundred

• The princes had authority over their subjects

• They had treaties with GB: they would be under protection and with British political officers being present in states

• Britain would intervene if a state misgoverned

How did British rule effect the caste system?

• there was cultural familiarity between small, Elite class system

• The British were “above caste”

How did the military change after the Indian mutiny

-62/72 bengal regiments disbanded with British replacement

-British officers had to show greater respect for Indian culture

How did Britian maintain security of rule?

• investment in new railways 3000 miles built by 1870, this enabled rapid deployment of troops and had positive economic effects

• Indian army became highly trained and professional force. 7000 troops to defeat Egyptian revolt in 1882

• Funded by Indian taxes

What were some political policies introduced towards India?

• Introduction of India government act of 1858

• Revenge on Indian mutineers

• Indian law system created after 1858 that was similar to English law

• Doctrine of lapse was removed as a policy to give a false sense of autonomy in India

What were some economic policies introduced towards India?

• East India company was brought under the British crown

• Tea plantations grew from 1 in 1851 to 295 by 1871

• India provided a profitable market for British goods

• Railways grew in the 1850’s, 15,000 miles by 1880

What were some military policies introduced towards India

• ratio of British soldiers went from 1:5 to 1:2

• Indian regiments were not permitted to carry artilitary

• new army training to respect sepoy beliefs

What were some social/cultural policies introduced towards India?

• British missionary work was discouraged

• Hundreds of schools were founded, tens of thousands were educated and 1/3 went into public administration

• The British public were outraged by tales of treatment of Indians in the mutiny

• Universities were set up in Bombay, Calcutta and madras after 1857

What were some of the continuity of British policies after the Indian mutiny?

• Education systems were set up in 1835

• Trade of goods in India like chintz, jute and cotton

• Still not enough heavy machinery made in India

Reasons for British expansion in Africa

• there were greater opportunities within Africa discovered by missionaries and explorers

• New economic pressures, needs more resources for industrial growth, the European markets became saturated and depressed (long depression 1873-96)

• Supported growth in India

• Strategic issues between rival France and declining ally of ottoman empire

What grew after 1885?

Africas expansion “scramble for Africa”

How was Egypt ruled before the Suez Canal?

• Egypt was under ottoman rule from 1517 with Egypt having ‘dominion’

• Egyptian rulers called ‘khedive’ organised Egypt on behalf of the ottoman sultan

How did construction of the Suez Canal develop?

In the 1840s France began investigating the possibility of a canal and tried to encourage Egypt to break away from the Ottoman Empire but khedive Abbas 1st refused

In 1854 Abbas 1st was assassinated and the French diplomat Ferdinand De Lesseps obtained Sa’id 1st’s permission to construct

In 1869 the canal was fully constructed for ships of all nations

How was the Suez Canal operated and how did Britain attain mass profits from the canal?

• The Suez Canal was operated by both Egypt and France but from the start it operated with financial loss

• Khedive Isma’il blocked French plans to increase tolls but this built huge depts to banks

• By 1875 80% of ships using the canal were British, the canal was strategically and economically important

• Isma’il khedive sold his share of the canal to Benjamin Disraeli using £4 million from Rothschild banking to secure 44% of the canal

How did Egyptian dept grow?

British banks gave isma’il loans as he wanted to develop Egyptian infrastructure. This meant that 1000 miles of railway were laid and a port was built in Alexandria.

However, Egyptian dept grew from 1863-79 from £3 million to £100 million. Interest rates grew from 7% to 20%

This led to potential economic collapse

What was the plan to save the Egyptian economy?

In 1876 the conservative minister Stephen cave was sent to investigate

-he reported that the crisis was due to poor economic management however if fixed loans could be payed

-In 1878 the Anglo-French rescue plan was created, France would be in control of domestic government spending and Britain would control raising revenue

-This pressured The sultan to replace Isma’il with Tewfik in 1879

-interest rates cut to 5% and sales tax were introduced on food and goods but gov employees wages cut

What were the consequences of the Egyptian dept crisis?

There was an increase of poverty and deprivation due to budget cuts

This increased tensions and in 1879 a military rebellion took place and national movement grew.

In 1882 colonel Ahmed Arabi pasha led a major revolt to end Turkish control and British-French economic control, in June that year 50 Europeans were killed in riots

What happened after the Egyptian riots?

Liberal leader Gladstone ordered the formal occupation of Egypt and the rebellion was crushed in the battle of Tel-el-Kebir

Egypt was made a protectorate ‘veiled protectorate’

What was the economic argument for takeover?

• Egyptian cotton it’s important for British textile industry with supplies disrupted in American civil war

• There was a 44% stake hold into Suez Canal and 80% of ships went through were British

• British loans to Isma’il

Britains investment was important to protect trade and it was vital for British economy

What was the strategic and economic reasons for Egyptian takeover?

• the Middle East was important for Britains interests and the Ottoman Empire controlled the route to India

• Concerns of Russian expansion

• Concerns of French expansion

It was important to protect new trade route and block expansion

What was the strategic-defence reasons for takeover?

• the suez allowed the rapid deployment of troops to India and from India

What was the political argument for Egyptian takeover?

• their was threat of Arabi’s nationalist movement

• Would threaten British interests in Egypt

What role did Gladstone have on Egyptian takeover?

• he was determined to create his version of the liberal party

• He opposed Disraeli’s foreign policy and opposed the canal shares and that he committed atrocities against Christian’s

• He had to occupy Egypt after revolt

  however this is less convincing as he had a 37% investment in Egypt

How did Britain become involved in Sudan?

• In 1821 Sudan was conquered by Egypt, the Sudenese were upset because of the mismanagment of the country

• England became the ‘de facto’ government of sudan which grew more issues

Who was the mahdi? What did he do?

The Mahdi is a figure within Islam as he is descended from Muhammad and will appear at the end of times.

Muhammad Ahmed ibn Abd Allah born in 1844 claimed in 1881 announced he was the Mahdi

He created a religious movement and Jihad ‘holy war’ on the ottoman and Egyptian

Forces raised defeated two Egyptian military attempts to capture the Mahdi

What did the British do about the Mahdi?

The foreign office were reluctant go be drawn into Sudan so there was only a small force of diplomatic presence in the area

Why did the Mahdi’s influence grow?

• he empathised the economic exploitation by the ottomans and Egyptians and eventually the British

• He provided a unifying cause of religious belief to purify Islam

What were the terms given to the Mahdi supporters and troops?

His forces were referred by the British as the dervishes, this was a group of Sufi Muslims who accept material poverty in order to reach allah. Known for whirling dances

The forces called themselves the ansar who were loyal followers of the prophet Muhammad

How did the Mahdist revolt develop?

• In June 1882 Egyptian forces of 4000 where armed with modern weapons to overwhelm the ansar but the ansar defeated them.

• At the same Time the Egyptian revolt was happening leading to British occupation

• In november 1883, colonel William hicks with some British officers lead 11,000 men to fight 40,000 Ansaf at El Obeid

• All but 500 soldiers died with Hicks decapitated

What was Britains reaction to the Mahdi’st revolt?

• Gladstone was reluctant to have action he ordered British advisers to get the Egyptian government to leave Sudan

• The Egyptians requested an officer to help withdraw and they hired Charles Gordon

• He knew Sudan well as he had been general governer from 1877-80

What happened in Khartoum once Gordon arrived?

Gordon arrived in Khartoum on the 18th of February in 1884 to evacuate 7000 troops and 2500 civilians

Gordon went against orders and kept fighting force to protect the city

They were under seige and forces were held for a year

What happened whilst Khartoum was under siege?

The government was angry with Gordon and resisted his request for more troops

• This became a major press story leading to public opinion weakened of Gladstone

Eventually Gladstone sends out a relief column of 1400 armed men, on the 17th of January the Column won against 14,000 Mahdists

• the Column reached Khartoum on the 28th of January but were two days late and Gordon was killed and beheaded

What were the political consequences of the Fall of Khartoum?

There was widespread public grief and criticism and Gladstone resigned, it took 11 years to crush rebellion

How did Britains informal empire grow?

Britain relied on an informal system of empire, based on trading relationships backed by military power. This led to political influence

What was the scale of Britains informal empire?

• Latin America made up 10% of all of Britains foreign trade in the late 1800s in countries like Argentina, Peru and Chile

• Britain had trade treaties with Siam (Thailand), Persia (Iran)

• This created tension between foreign competitors

When did the scramble for Africa take place?

• Between 1880 and 1913

• Before 1880s only 10% of Africa controlled by Europeans. By 1900 only 10% was controlled by Africans

What were the strategic causes of the scramble for Africa?

By 1880s Britain was a global economic power, other European countries began to catch up such as;

• France, established some control in Indo-China, countries like Cambodia, Brunei

• Russia, after defeat in crimea it began to influence Afghanistan, India and Japan

• Germany had reunited 1871, had a need to assert its power to rival Britain

What is an economic reason for the scramble for Africa?

The long depression from 1873-1896 from saturated markets in Europe. Africa provided a new source of markets and raw materials

What interests did different European countries have in Africa?

• Britain would formalise its control of the Gold Coast in 1874, they expanded their control in Southern Africa in Zulu and Boer territories in 1877-81. They occupied Egypt in 1882

• France and Portugal expanded their influence from countries like Tunisia and Angola

• Belgium was ruled by King Leopold 2nd wanted to explore ‘unoccupied Africa’

• Germany in 1884 annexed territory in south west and west Africa

What was the Brussels conference?

In 1876 King leopold held a conference of explorers and geographers and it was supposed to discuss how was the best to support Africa develop like he claimed to be doing in the Congo

It was actually about his own interests in exploiting region for economic gain and he established that Africans were incapable of developing natural resources

What were the impacts of the Brussels conference?

• the conference increased competition

• Leopold hired Henry Stanley (A British explorer) to survey the Congo basin. He was secretly hired to make treaties with chiefs (450 signed)

• This created the Congo state that was 76x bigger than Belgium

How did other European countries become more competitive after the Brussels conflict?

• France sent their own explorer, Pierre de Brazza to create control in Senegal to western Sudan

• Germany hired Gustav Nachtigal to assert claims in Togo and Cameroon

• Britain asserted claims in Niger River and South Africa

Why did the Berlin conference take place?

In November 1884-February 1885, German Chancellor Otto von bismark called a conference to settle competing claims.

Attended by 14 Countries

They established the principle of “effective occupation” claims over new territories will be legitimate if already occupied unless challenged

What were the impacts of the Berlin conference?

They also agreed a ‘general act’ promising,

• free trade in the Congo basin, suppressed slave trade, support for scientific explanation and Christian missionary work, however, no attempt was made to help indigenous populations

• Allowed growth of European control without conflict with 90% control

What is mercantilism?

the idea of a privatised trading system created by merchants, it opposed free trade.

What system was used in British trade and how did it work?

Britain ran a protectionist trade system where colonies would be obliged to sell raw materials to England and by manufactured goods from Britain.

Protectionism helped boost internal economic growth but eventually will be capped

What is free trade? How did it grow?

Free trade is a system of trading internationally without tarrifs on goods, it is less secure but has a great oppurtunity for growth.

• Free trade grew from the 1750s to 1850s with Adam smith believing wealth is mot limited, this was opposed by conservative as it went against tradition

• Favoured by liberals as it was progressive socially and economically

How could britain force free trade overseas?

The trading oppurtunities were protected by royal navy and when faced resistance, they could justify military intervention to exploit. For instance the opium wars from 1830 to 1860

How did free trade not grow within empire? what did this lead to?

• Domions would have control over their own economies and adopted protective tariff systems to protect domestic industry. E.g Canada in 1859 imposed this including British goods

• This led to first colonial conference in 1887 to grow free trade within empire but Britain opposed policy as they still saw themselves having overall control.

• Britain focused on free trade outside of empire

How was a Britain a global trader?

• After US independance in 1783, trade increased e.g cotton

• London was the worlds financial capital and pound sterling was global currency

• colonial markets mainly trade with Britain as there were cultural ties through language, laws, framework, need for manufactured goods that maybe could not be made domestically

• From 1850-75 colonies provided 20% of British imports and 30% of exports

How were canals and rivers used for trading?

• They were used mainly to increase understanding of what oppurtunities there were in the interiors of countries e.g niger river

• Rivers would be straightened or widened or deepened

• New canals were built in india after 1857

• In canada canals were deepened around st lawrance/great lakes

How were ship and shipping industries used for trading?

• By 1870s multiple British companies had sailed up the niger river

• Heavy goods were transported by steam ships, from the 1850s steamship companies were able to travel from Britain to west africa in 3 weeks. They also increased capacity efficiency

• Fast ships could transport tea, opium and people

• however, they had a low life expectancy and would be broken up after 20 years

How were railways used for trading?

• They ensured British control

• Canada was forced to accept British defence policies in the 1860s as railways were a huge and important investment

• Allowed increased exploration in Interiors of countries e.g wheat in Australia or rice reaching ports in Calcutta

What were the agricultural products of trade?

• Plantations were set up in kenya for coffee and tea

• In Canada, New zealand and australia large lands provided areas for farms like sheep farms that provided wool that could be imported cheaper than european countries

• low price of sugar, coffee and coconuts in south america

• low wages and unpleasant conditions

What were the mining products of trade?

• Tin in nigeria, gold in sierra leone and gold coast

• Gold rush of 1886 in south africa

• Tin mines closing in Cornwall led to 30,000 migrants travelling to transvaal

• £124 million in gold was mined in Australia by 1866

What was a chartered company?

A commercial company that would granted and recognised by the British government. It was given rights to have monoply over trade in and out their claimed territories.

The companies would act as the administritive government and maintain law and order and ‘westernise’ colonies

This created most of Britains informal empire

What were different political attitudes to chartered companies?

• The chartered companies went against liberal beleifs of trade, they believed in free trade to create economic growth, although monoplys would create wealth it could not be grown largly

• In the 1850s/60s governments favoured competition between private companies to create ‘healthy capitalism’

• Attitudes changed afterwards as there was increased opposition from the US and europe and the long depression between 73-96

• In the 1880s the government began to grant charters again to expand trade at no gov cost e.g berlin conference

How was the north borneo company set up and run?

• 1881 developed in the far east in places like Borneo

• They developed the timber, tobbacco and rubber plantations

• ¾ of rubber produced there

• they abolished slavery, introduced transport and health and education serivces

• there was some unrest as taxes were unpopular and the loss of land.

• The territory became a protectorate in 1888 and the company was active till 1946 - ww2

How was the Royal niger company set up and run?

• 1886, Nigeria

• The area was explored by richard lander and company developed by George Goldie who developed 30 trading posts along the rivers Niger and Benue

• Key raw material was palm oil that could be used for detergants, lubricants

• The locals were forced to comply and king Jaja had previously set up his own trading company and sold palm oil to Britain, he was lured onto a British ship and exciled to west indies for ‘treaty breaking’

• Nigeria became a British protectorate in 1900 untill 1920

How was the imperial British east african company set up and run?

• 1888, East Africa, Kenya, Uganda

• created by William Mackinnon who was granted a charter to administer east african coast to the inland border of Belgian Congo (blocking german expansion)

• Built a railway between coast and lake victoria (known as the lunitic line for illness, tribal activity and expenses) This also linked to the steamship across lake victoria

• The company was finacially unsucessful due to unprofitable agriculture e.g Sisal and cost of tribal conflict

• It was set up as a protectorate in 1894

• eventually profitable when tea and coffee plantations were set up

How was the British south african company set up and run?

• 1889, south africa

• Driven by Cecil Rhodes who was commited to colonisation and the economic exploitation of south/central africa

• initially created to block german, portuguese and boer expansion

• was banked finacially by the rothschilds to seek gold and diamonds (interfered with transvaal) and enriched the de beers

• Rhodes and Rothschilds had large investment in the gold fields

• Developed railway system in Rhodeisa (zimbabwe and Zambia

• Administered till 1920s and operations continued till 1960s

What were the significance of the chartered companies?

Helped gain British influence and gain more wealth during long depression without gov expense, in general they were not profitable in the 1880s and most became protectorates or colonies to keep up with the finacial cost of conflict

This continued Britians pattern of expanding control accidedently

What was the imperial federation league?

• founded in 1884 to create closer imperial unity and created one government for the UK and empire, buissnesses were interested as they was an increased focus in imperial trade

• branches were set up across the colonies and was made up of politcians, journalists and intellectuals

• led to first colonial conference in 1887 which discussed colonial economic systems (free trade)

• this was declined leading to dissolvment in 1893

How were explorers important?

• They were motivated by fame, fortune, science and religion

• The stories were exciting for the British public and they were regarded with prestige and power

• Examples included; Livingstone, kirk, speke

• They opened up the interior of Africa and would give lectures at the RSG (royal geographical society)

David Livingstone, Where did he explore? What was his motivations and actions? What were his impacts?

Christianity and commerce

• Became a misssionary doctor in south africa in 1841

• went along the zambezi river 1866 to locate the source of the nile where he got lost

• He published his book of missionary travels in 1857 and was celebrated for his lectures

• seen as a martyr after dying in 1873

John Kirk, where did he explore? what were his motivations and interests? what were his impacts?

Christianity and science (botany)

• Helped Livingstone along the Zambezi and was a medical officer as well as vice consul in Zanzibar in 1868

• wanted to share his scientific findings of aquatic species

• insured that Zanzibar continued to be a client state, kirk had held onto the east african coast which led to British east Africa 1895

• helped outlaw Zanzibar slave trade and grew commerce

Sir Richard Burton, where did he explore? what were his motivations and interests? What were his impacts?

• He explored zanzibar in 1857-58 and west Africa

• interested in finding the source of the nile but caught malaria so could not help john speke discover what he believed to the the niles source - lake victoria leading to debate over theories

• Burton described tribal customs in west africa in things like marriage and canniblism

• translated the kama sutra 1883

• reputation for graphic essays on sexual education for woman and homosexuality

John Hanning Speke, Where did he explore? what were his motivations and interests? what were his impacts?

• Lake victoria 1860 (mapped the lake)

• Lake tanganyika 1858

• Claimed the source of the nile was Lake victoria and went up for debate woith Burton but died before

• published accounts of his findings in 1863/64

How did missionaries play a role of growth of british interests?

Missionaries throughout Europe were highly active to try and spread the christian faith in non-european countries, mostly commited by presbytarians and methodists

Missionaries would create compounds with a church, housing and work oppurtunities in return for conversion to christianity, education and personal advancement was another highlight

Missionary work helped Britain make stakes onto land and expand british control

How were methodist missionaries important?

• they set up conferences in places like Canada, New zealand and Australia to increase missionary activity, e.g expansion of British interests in pacific like Fiji 1874

• John mackenzie made Britain establish Bechuanaland in 1885 which he was made deputy commmisioner of

• The “Ladies committee for the amelioration of woman in heathen countries” was founded in 1858 by trained female missionaries funding education and healthcare around the world

Female missionaries, where did they explore and what were their aims and impacts?

• Mary slessor, calabar tribes in nigeria, aimed to end killing of twins and their mothers

• Amy carmichael, India, workde dfor 55 years with 35 books of her experiance, tried to save young girls from prostitution by blending in with the native people

• Mary carpenter, india 1866, tried to improve education of girls, set up a training college for indian teachers in 1868

How did missionary activity lead to conflict?

• resentment of activity was common e.g India in 1857

• conflicts between different missionaries e.g the first anglican african bishop samuel crother (an ex slave) and the anglican church, crowther was forced to resign in 1891 for being too accepting of heathen practices

Cecil Rhodes, What part did he play in economic activity and where? What were his impacts?

• He owned all of south africas diamond mines (90% of global diamond production) making him very wealthy

• created the de beers consolidated mines company in 1888

• had a partnership with the london diamond syndicate and gained monoply over supply in 1890

• was granted a royal charter for the British south africa company in 1889

• He became the first prime minister of cape colony in 1890-96

• Educational reform, provided rhodes scholarships at oxford

sir william mackinnon, what part did he play in economic activity and where? what were his impacts?

• in india he founded the calcutta and burma steam navigation company which was sucessful and expanded to places in east africa like zanzibar and persia

• eventually he founded the south east african company and it was granted a royal charter in 1888 this eventually went bankrupt

• helped found the free church of scotland east african scottish mission in kenya in 1891

George goldie, what part did he play in economic activity and where? what were his impacts?

• bought palm oil buissness in 1875 in the niger river basin, helping create goods like lubricants as well as soap and candles

• created the central african trading company in 1876, he also created a joint company in 1879 with british trading firms on the niger river

what was the role of colonial administrators?

• relied on heavily on ‘men on the spot’ like company directors, high commisioners, consuls, generals

• they were given large roles of power and autonomy as the distance made communication difficult

• they needed to be ‘a safe pair of hands’ but act as they saw fit as well as taking their own choice in expansion

Who was sir evelyn baring?

• started as a colonial administrator in india and was private secutary to the viceroy from 1872-76

• he was very able but seen as arrogant, condecending to locals

what were baring’s actions as an administrator in Egypt?

• he was posted to egypt in 1877 due to the debt crisis but failed to support isma’il

• returned in 1882 as a “consul general”, he approved the dufferin report in 1883 establishing an “egyptian parliment” which was really a puppet council

• helped reform egypt and take it out of bankruptcy, ruled with assistance of 100s of administators

• remained ruler in 1907

who was sir henry bartle frere?

• began his career in the ICS and helped crush the indian mutiny

• became the governer of bombay

• became a member of the indian council

• appointed as high commisioner and governer of cape colony in 1877

what were bartle freres actions as an administrator in cape colony?

• the conservative government tasked him to merge british south africa with the boer republic of the transvaal

• however the south african colonists were against this and the transvaal boers were determined to maintain independance

• started war with the zulus to achieve federation

• the anglo-zulu war started as a fail with the british being defeated at lsandhlwana, britain was eventually victorius but bartle was reprimanded

• he was removed from power in 1880

how did political attitudes change in the 1850s-70s?

British governments resisted calls for greater expansion

• they refused to grant charters to companies as it was seen as unviable

• 1865 select committee recommended the withdrawal from west African settlements owing to the cost

However by the 1870s there became more strategic concerns about countries like Russia, France and German especially after the long depression causing economic difficulties

What was the 1867 reform act?

This act expanded the vote to include urban working class men doubling the electorate to 1.5 million this led to the liberal party winning in 1868 with a majority

By the early 1870s Disraeli asserted the conservatives were the party of empire and portrayed the liberals as being a threat

How did the Conservative Party win in 1874?

They “played the imperialist card” to help disreali win

The party recognised that there was electoral value to empire and jingoism (celebrating nationalism)

What were disreali’s actions after winning the election?

• he bypassed parliament to purchase shares of the Suez Canal in 1875

• Made Victoria ‘empress of India’ in 1876 by steering the royal titles act

• Held the ‘coronation durbar’ for viceroy Lytton in 1877

• Ordered invasion of Afghanistan to protect north west India from Russian influence in 1878

How did Disraeli fail and what did it lead to?

The fighting in Afghanistan had gone badly after two years of fighting and no victory, 10,000+ people died

This led to the general election in 1880 creating blame for disreali from Gladstone allowing him to have a 115 seat majority

How did Gladstone respond to the war in Southern Africa?

Transvaal Boers declared their independence in 1880 and the boer milita (untrained army) attacked British garrisons across the Transvaal

Britain was defeated at Majuba hill in 1881 where 92 British people died

Gladstone responded by declining to commit further troops, time and money

How did gladstone try to protect british interests in Egypt and Sudan?

Gladstone had ordered the bombardment of Alexandria and the occupation of Egypt

To protect British soldiers an civilians in sudan gladstone ordered the evacuation from Khartoum

How did Gladstone protect British interests during the scramble for Africa?

Somaliland and Bechuanaland became British protectorates, however, to reduce costs of the scheme gladstone left the local rulers (Tswana) to keep some power