If you visit south Asia today, you will find remnants of a time when European colonization and presence occurred. Personally, I have been inside of a Dutch military fort built in the early 1600s in south Sri Lanka. There are schools, still operating today, built in the 1800s in the capital and across the tiny island, because of the British. In Sri Lanka’s main language, many words have their roots in Portuguese, as well as many Sri Lankans today have Portuguese last names and family names. These reminders are everywhere throughout south Asia.
In regards to when these European powers were active in the Indian Ocean, trade was the main force for their interest in the region. Word of this new place called, “India” reached Europe though trade
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with the Islamic world. Even as far back as ancient Greece. India was the farthest point on the map. Once the Portuguese explorer Vasco De Gama discovered the sea route under the tip of Africa in 1498 to this new part of the world, a connection was created between the two parts. Prior to the arrival of the Portuguese to the Indian Ocean, no single power had attempted to take advantage of the sea routes to this part of the world. Unlike the Mediterranean where, during Roman times, rival powers attempted to control the oceanic trade through force and military means. Portugal was the catalyst for the trading routes, and the start of the long period of European involvement.
Interestingly enough, settlement was not part of their plan. The Portuguese nor British. By the time the British arrived, they had already made colonies in the Americas, Canada, Australia etc. The British East India Company forbid colonization and maintained the focus on trade above all else.[1] On a broad scale, the presence of Europeans in the Indian Ocean did benefit trade and economy in south Asia. It was a continuation in a way of the Roman land trading routs, giving rare, exotic items such as, spices, gems and silk from China to Europe. European presence was a positive factor for the economy and trade of the region for many reasons. Analyzing each group that arrived and operated in the region and the impact they had will paint a bigger picture as to what contributions they had to the economy and trade within south …show more content…
Asia. The first of the Europeans to arrive were the Portuguese in 1498. They sought to break the trade between the Arabs and Venetians by discovering a direct sea route. They were the pioneers in the trade between these two parts of the world. The Portuguese headquarters of their trading empire the captured Arab port of Goa and was established in 1510. This was an island harbor halfway up the West Indian coast, which was a Portuguese colony for nearly 460 years. It was the residence of the Portuguese Viceroy, and from 1542, it was the headquarters of the Jesuit order for all its operations in Asia. Portuguese were the first to send missionaries to the area.. The Portuguese established a base in northern Sri Lanka for trade in cinnamon. The main export from this region most desirable to the Portuguese was spices. Most Portuguese shipments of pepper and ginger originated from the Malabar coast of India, but for higher value spices they obtained a base at Ternate in the Moluccas for trade in cloves, nutmeg and mace. With the effects to the economy, the Portuguese were very successful in their efforts. It has been estimated that the initial haul from the first voyage brought back sixty times its cost. But what about the effect to the economy of south Asia? The Portuguese exported items out of India and in the nature of trade, brought items into India. For example, they introduced such items like red chili and tobacco. They brought other items such as rugs, brass, mirrors, silver and copper. On the way to the Indian subcontinent, the Portuguese fleet would pick up items along the east African coast to trade more items like, gold, ivory and pearls. Above all, the main benefit to South Asia was opening trade routes for other European nations to trade with south Asia. The next major European power to trade with south Asia was the Dutch. In 1602 the Dutch East India Company was created and it was created to protect that state’s trade in the Indian Ocean. In addition, it was enacted to assist in the Dutch war of independence from Spain. The company prospered through most of the 17th century as the instrument of the powerful Dutch commercial empire in the East Indies (present-day Indonesia). Its focus was on Indonesia. The sugar, tin, copra and coffee trade on which the colony had been built thrived, and rubber, tea and oil became principal exports. It was dissolved in 1799. What the Dutch East India Company mainly brought to south Asia, that was different from the Portuguese were spices and items from Southeast Asia, including modern day Indonesia. The Dutch also brought large amounts of gold and silver to the area. Another European country to trade in south Asia was the British.
Comparatively to the Portuguese and Dutch, the British had the greatest impact on the south Asian economy and trade. Rivalry brought Brittan to south Asia, It was originally chartered as the "Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies", the company rose to account for half of the world's trade, particularly trade in small commodities this included cotton, silk, indigo dye, salt, tea, opium, and coffee beans. The company also ruled the beginnings of the British Empire in India. The original object of the group was to break the Dutch monopoly of the spice trade with the East Indies. After 1623, when the Dutch massacred the English traders at Amboina, the company surrendered and concentrated its activities in India. It had established its first factory at Machilipatnam in 1611, and it gradually acquired unequaled trade privileges from the Mughal emperors. The company was making very large profits from its Indian exports (chiefly textiles), it had to deal with serious difficulties both in England and in India. Over the years many different political and military problems arose and in 1899 the company was disbanded and India was turned over to crown rule in 1858, this means India was to be ruled by England and were to continue its influence in the region. This is something the other European countries could not maintain or
do. The impact on economy and trade within these countries had within these areas is immense. By opening up trade between Europe, a direct, quick route under Africa and through the Indian Ocean these two civilizations meet. At the time, the direct flow of goods and gold between the two continents mutually benefited both. But for a concrete example, the British enacted the most change and generated the most change in the region. In terms of infrastructure, the British brought things such as railroads, paved roads, hospitals, and school systems. The direct effect on the economy of the area is incalculable if you were to account for all the technologies brought to the area. Yes, they also did terrible things in regards to human rights and other issues within the area, however in terms of trade and economy, the presence of the British can still be felt today. Each European nation that conducted trade in this region brought necessary things, the people of south Asian would not have gotten otherwise. At the time of trade between Europe and south Asia, the economy greatly benefited from the exchange of goods brought not only from Europe, but from other parts of southeast Asia India and south Asia wouldn’t have been able to enjoy. Overall trade between the two civilizations greatly helped each other greatly.
In the early 19th century, the British East India Company established more trade warehouses and thoroughfares in the Indian subcontinent. This occupation of Indian lands was welcomed by some groups and fiercely opposed by others. While met by more opposition, the British Empire expanded into the other Indian Ocean territories up to the end of the century. Because the trans-Atlantic slave trade was profitable for African elites and brought many valuable goods to West Africa, when it was effectively shut down after 1808 by British patrols, people along this coast were eager to keep the European trade lines alive. The imposition of this “legitimate trade” (any non-slave trade) saw a huge rise in African exports of gold and palm oil.
As new ideas traveled main trade routes, such as the Silk Road and the Mediterranean, the effects of such were felt through an influx of contact between countries due to increased desire for new information and countries gaining a larger presence on the world stage. This phenomenon can also be seen through the lens of cultural exchange that took place during this same time period in Eurasia. A major component of the Eurasian trade networks, such as the Silk Road and Indian Ocean, was that they fostered interregional contacts that had ceased to previously exist. When a country had a desire for study or technology, they earned more respect on the global stage. This can be further examined by looking at Marco Polo’s voyage into Asia.
1.) As a whole, the entry of the Europeans into the Asian sea trading network had relatively little effect on the entire system. The entry of the Europeans into the network led to the establishment of new trade routes in the Indian Ocean to the southern Atlantic near the Cape of Good Hope. In water, the Europeans were superior militarily, but on land against fortified Asian settlements, the Asians far surpassed the Europeans technologically. The only superior items that the Europeans had were small, fast sea vessels such as caravels, clocks, and weaponry.
To begin with, one can observe that the British colonizers did indeed improve Indian civilization by developing means of communication and transport. They built a great number of bridges, over 40,000 miles of railway and paving an astounding 70,000 miles of road (Doc. 4). They established schools,newspapers and telegraphs for the people of the colonies.All blessings of civilization they could not create for themselves (Doc. 1). Furthermore, the British brought 30 million acres under cultivation with large scale irrigation works, began industrialization, improved sanitation and provided an overall higher standard of living (Doc. 4). With many new establishments and institutions to staff, job opportunities opened up left and right for Indian workers.Their contributions to Indian civilization made famine all but disappear throughout India. Without the British, it’s quite possible India could not achi...
The Casco Bay Treaty of 1727 was intended to settle tension which had been occurring
The business founded its first trading post in India in 1608 with the intention of making money for its stockholders. This shows that they were trying to gain power over the East Indian Company by trading with them. As a result, this led to the Mughal emperor signing a treaty that gave the British rights to live and build trading forts in Indian coastal cities. All this information shows that the Europeans were never happy and they always wanted to be in control and always have power. They would go to many places and try to gain power and take all these places resources then leave them out to dry.
He meant that economically open doors for countries throughout Europe to stimulate their economy. Describe the different global economies that Europeans participated in or created during the European age of expansion. A global economy was made solely reliant on produce of its province; gaining free labor from slaves also shipment bringing in byproduct colonies. This encouraged growth for Europe to extend their boarder and riches. One of the most striking features of Indian societies at the time of the encounter with Europeans was their diversity. Support this statement with several examples. Examples of this can be irrigation, roadway systems, the pyramids, and the diversity of different languages in different cities. Compare and contrast European values and ways of life with those of the Indians. Consider addressing religion, views about ownership of land, gender relations, and notions of freedom. The Indians believed that if they lived on property then it is theirs but if it is not inhabited then it is free where as Europeans believe that wealth comes from land ownership and fortune. Indian women won homes and tools and European women do not. What were the main factors fueling the European age of expansion? The main factors for expansion were resource, new route to India resource and pillaging. Compare the different economic and
In India the British colonization had more positive affects than negative. For Instance, When the British colonized India they built 40,000 miles of railroad and 70,000 miles of paved roadway. As a result the British made it much easier to travel across India. Another good affect that the British had on India was the jump in agriculture, through large scale irrigation works. About 30 million acres were put into cultivation. Industrialization had also begun. Because of all these reasons almost no famine existed in British colonial India. The English also built many institutions in India and setup a productive government. "They have framed wise laws and have established courts of justice"(The Economic History Of India Under Early British Rule). In addition to all these positive affects, Britain also linked India to the modern world through modern science and modern thought.
Introduction: The epoch of imperialism cannot be defined simply as a proliferation of inflated egos tied to the hardened opinions of nationalists, but also a multi-faceted global rivalry with roots of philosophies tainted with racism and social Darwinism. The technique of each imperialist was specific to the motivations and desires of each combative, predominantly Western power and subsequently impacted the success of each imperialist and its colonies. Driven by industrialization, Europeans are aware of the urgent need for raw materials and new markets to maintain a constant rate of expansion and wealth. Imperialism became a competition; in general, the European countries led with fervor while the non-Western regions deemed likely to be stepped on.
Land is a precious resource; it is one of the most finite in the world. If someone has land, they can produce things like food or clothes, mine for precious metals, or raise, feed, and house an army. The uses for this resource are the keys to power. It only makes sense then, that for as long as humans have traded with each other they have also fought over this resource. The majority of wars have been fought over rights to control rights to land. The European approach to this was to take over land by force and force the native population into labor. One of the most famous examples of this is during European Expansion in Africa. During this period, Europe attempted to conquer Africa with almost complete success. They made resistance look like an inconvenience; it was a failure. This is clear when one evaluates the amount of time that Europe controlled Africa, the military of the Europeans powers, or the number of Africans killed or maimed.
"All the leadership had spent their early years in England. They were influenced by British thought, British ideas, that is why our leaders were always telling the British "How can you do these things? They're against your own basic values.". We had no hatred, in fact it was the other way round - it was their values that made us revolt." -Aruna Asaf Ali, a leader of the Indian National Congress. (Masani, quoted in Wood, 32, 1989)
While continuity remains in the Indian Ocean region from 650 C.E. to 1750 C.E., the astounding changes broke up the peaceful silence. During the time period, the goods and routes in the Indian Ocean were almost unchanged. However, following the European colonziation in the regions around the Indian Ocean, the trade overwhelmingly became western-dominant instead of local-state autonomy.
Iyer , L, 2004, The Long-term Impact of Colonial Rule: Evidence from India. [Online] available at [accessed on 12 November 2010]
Colonization for the British first began in 1591 when the merchant Sir James Lancaster had been commissioned to set sail by Commander Sir Francis Duke towards the East Indies. Sir James would continue to sail until in September 1592, he would land in Penang remaining there for two years pillaging any rival European ships that were to harbor there. Returning to Britain in 1594 and relaying the news of this newly found area, the British would not become a major participant in Penang’s history until 1786 with the Malay Sultanate of Kedah. During this time, the Burmese and the Siamese armies had increasingly threatened the Sultan of Penang forcing him to cut a deal with then Captain of the British Navy in the Southeast Asia region Francis Light.
India was the first major Asian civilizations to fall victim to European predatory activities (Duiker 31). With conquering India, the British had various purposes behind it. Their main purpose was to achieve a monopolistic trading position (The Economic and Social Impact of Colonial Rule in India). The second purpose was the control of India; this was a key element in the world power structure, in terms of geography, logistics and military manpower (The Economic and Social Impact of Colonial Rule in India). When the East India Company continued to trade under the British, huge armies were created, largely composed of Indian sepoys (Marshall). The armies were used to defend the Company’s territories protect the Indian states (Marshall).