Imperialism
The three "Gs" (European motivations) to acquire new territory during the era of OLD imperialism, 1450-1750.
God, Gold, Glory
European country that took direct colonial control over the Congo Free State after King Leopold II was forced to reliquish direct control in 1908.
Belgium
Mughal Empire
The British export from India that led to a rapid reversal of the trade imbalance between China and Britain, and, eventually, a series of wars.
Opium
The moral justification for New Imperialism to help "civilize" lesser races - Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem about it.
White Man's Burden
At its peak in the early 20th century, this Empire controlled nearly a quarter of the Earth's total land area and ruled over a quarter of the world's population, making it the largest empire in history.
British Empire
Event in 1884 to 1885 that started the European Scramble to acquire African colonies.
Berlin Conference
The immediate trigger of the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 - offending both Muslims and Hindus - that various sources claim was more of a rumor than fact.
Gun Cartridges greased with cow or pig fat
The name of the failed late 19th century Chinese movement to modernize China from within using Western assistance and technology.
Self-Strengthening Movement
The general term for railways, irrigation, telegraphs, roads and bridges - Britain developed this rapidly in India after taking direct control in 1858.
Infrastructure
The main focus of Dutch and Portuguese imperialist activities in the Eastern Hemisphere during the era of Old Imperialism.
Trade/trading ports
The European nation that Ethiopia defeated in the Battle of Adwa in 1896 to maintain its political independence.
Italy
A political turning point battle in India after which point the British East India Company became "rulers" of various Indian areas rather than just "traders."
Battle of Plassey
Regions in China where foreign powers (like Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Japan) held exclusive economic and political control for mining, trade, and railways, without direct colonization.
Spheres of Influence
A period in Japan in the mid 19th century where it studied and learned from the West, transforming its military, reforming its education system, and pushing for rapid industrial development.
A revolutionary effective anti-malarial drug whose invention allowed Europeans to explore deep into Africa, transforming vast territories into colonizable zones.
Quinine
The Kingdom of Kongo once traded ivory, pottery, and copper across established African trade routes. However, Portugal's economic interference in Kongo led to its eventual reliance on this export.
Slaves (transatlantic slave trade)
Late 18th century ruler of the Mughal Empire whose intolerant policies and territorial overexpansion led to a period of swift decline and wars over succession, allowing for growing influence of the British East India Company.
Aurangzeb
The Chinese empress who supported the Boxers and resisted reforms since she viewed learning from the West as a threat to her power.
Empress Cixi
The 1842 treaty that ended the First Opium War and started a series of unequal treaties between China and Western powers. It dismantled the old Canton System and increased the number of ports open to foreigners from one to five, and the island of Hong Kong become a long-term British colony.
Treaty of Nanking
The late 19th and early 20th century idea that the theory of natural selection or "survival of the fittest" applies both to the animal and human world. It was used to justify imperialism, racism, and laissez-faire economics.
Social Darwinism
Meeting of world-wide African leaders and white supporters in London in 1900 with the goal to address racial discrimination and promote self-governance for Africans and people of African descent, challenging European colonialism.
First Pan African Congress (or Conference)
The valuable item that was gifted to Queen Victoria by the Maharaja Duleep Singh, following the British conquest of the Sikh Empire in 1849. It continues to be a symbol of imperialism and empire.
The Koh-i-Noor diamond
The name of the agreement that officially ended the Boxer Rebellion in 1901 and mandated Chinese indemnity payments to foreign powers, undermined the Qing's legitimacy, and increased Chinese discontent.
Boxer Protocol
The name for the period of direct British control of India from 1858 to 1947.