Key Terms
Imperialism
a policy where one country extends its power by acquiring territories or exerting control over the political and economic life of other countries
Cecil Rhodes
British business owner and imperialist. Owned the De Beers Consolidated Mine Company in South Africa, giving him control over the world diamond market and significant power
entrepreneurs
independent businesspeople
Opium Wars
The British defeated the Chinese in a war fought because Britain was importing opium into China. Opium has medicinal purposes but is also addictive. As a result, millions of Chinese people were affected
British East India Company
The company that held a monopoly on Indian markets and laborers that produced cotton, coffee, tea, and opium. These markets and laborers made India the British Empire’s most important colony
colony
a territory was governed internally by a foreign power
Boers
Dutch farmers in South Africa who established two independent republics. The discovery of gold on their land resulted in war between the Boers and the British
assimilate
to adopt
Treaty of Nanjing
granted the British control over the island of Hong Kong, opening five more ports to British trade
Sepoy Rebellion
Sepoys are native Indians the British East India Company employed as soldiers in their army. Sepoys resented the British. Also for religious reasons (the ends of gun cartridges, which were greased with beef and pork fat, had to be bitten off before being used), sepoys rebelled and were joined by Indian civilians. The British crushed the rebellion and took direct control of India
Protectorate
the local ruler kept their title but had to follow the "advice" of the imperial power
Zulu
a group of native African people who resisted European imperialism and successfully held off the British for more than 50 years until their eventual defeat
DeBeers Consolidated Mine Company
owned by British business leader Cecil Rhodes / contributed to South Africa becoming the world’s leading diamond producer
Open Door Policy
The US declared China available for open trade with all countries within each of their spheres of influence. Countries agreed not to fight to expand those trade areas.
The Raj
the era of British colonial rule over India, featuring changes to India (railways, telegraphs, telephones, hospitals) but also the loss of political independence, discrimination, famine, and millions of deaths
sphere of influence
a nation claimed exclusive investment or trading privileges in a specific region, even if they did not officially run the government
Shaka
Zulu leader who brought various tribes together into a single nation. After his death, the Zulu nation weakened
Scramble for Africa
desperate to have more power in Africa than their rivals, European countries rushed to claim as much land as possible
Boxer Rebellion
A Chinese nationalist rebellion as China was falling to foreign domination. Boxer was a name given to a secret society against imperialism. Boxers killed foreigners and destroyed foreign products, but the rebellion was unsuccessful
Indian National Congress
a nationalist group that led the Indian independence movement
White Man’s Burden
a belief that it was the duty of Western nations to "civilize" the rest of the world by spreading their religion, language, and government systems, often ignoring the rich, existing cultures they were displacing
Emperor Menelik II
created an equally modern and powerful army allowing Ethiopia to remain free from European control
Berlin Conference
to prevent conflicts over land in Africa from developing into wars, European leaders devised a plan to maintain order
Number of Chinese people addicted to opium by 1835
12 million
In political cartoons, Britain is portrayed as a ___ and India is portrayed as a ___
lion / tiger