The Division of Asia Academic World History II

The British in India British involvement in India dates back to the 1500s, when English traders first discovered India. – In 1600, the East India Company was formed. Throughout the 1800s, the British continued to expand their territory in India. – The East India Company came to control most of India by the mid 1800s.

The Sepoy Rebellion In 1857, Sepoys rebelled against their British commanders. – Sepoy – Indian soldier in the British army. Reasons for rebellion: – Bullets were greased with fat from pigs and cows. The tips had to be bit off bullets. Most Sepoys were either Hindu or Muslim. Hindus thought cows were sacred and Muslims couldn’t touch pork. – Sepoys resented British attempts at imposing Christianity and European ways on them. The Rebellion failed, but it forced the British to tighten control on India.

British in India The East India Company was dissolved. – The British sent a viceroy to rule over the company’s territory. – Viceroy- governor representing a monarch. The British tried to appease Indians by spending money on India’s economic development. The British discriminated against the Indians. – They were forced to change their ancient ways. – They were forced to grow cotton instead of wheat, leading to a food shortage that killed many Indians. – Outraged by many problems, Indians formed the Indian National Congress in an effort to gain more rights.

Imperialism in China During the 1500s, Chinese civilization was very advanced. – Trade between China and Europe was limited. – Under the Qing Dynasty, China became weaker politically, economically, and militarily. In the early 1800s, British merchants began smuggling a drug called opium into China. – The Chinese military tried to stop the smuggling, but the British resisted, leading to war. – The British won the Opium War and signed the first of many foreign treaties with the Qing Dynasty. – The Chinese called these the unequal treaties.

Imperialism in China, cont. Over the next 60 years, many other countries signed unequal treaties with China. – These increased foreign power in China and weakened the Qing Dynasty. – Civil Wars, including the Taiping Rebellion, further weakened the Qing Dynasty. Spheres of Influence were created by Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan. Spheres of Influence – The United States didn’t claim a sphere of influence, but they tried to open China to trade for all nations through the Open Door Policy. – Europeans agreed to this policy in 1899.

The Boxer Rebellion Empress Ci Xi, the mother of the Qing Emperor, opposed all foreigners and modernization. – She prevented the emperor from ruling in his own right and encouraged antiforeigner groups. – One group she encouraged was the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists, also known as the Boxers. Boxers believed in Chinese rituals and traditions and hated foreigners. – The Boxers launched a series of attacks, killing hundreds of foreigners and thousands of Chinese Christians. – They took over Beijing, the capital of China. – Foreign powers gathered an army of 25,000 troops and crushed the rebellion.

– The Empress fled the city. – The Qing Dynasty continued to rule, only with foreign backing. The Revolution of 1911 After the Boxer Rebellion, Ci Xi struggled to hold power. – She gave in to some of her people’s demands for change. – Despite this, many Chinese felt the need for a modern Republic, and felt revolution was the only way to get it. – Revolutionaries formed the Union League, with Sun Yat- sen as its leader. – They attacked troops loyal to the Qing Dynasty, but were unsuccessful.

Revolution of 1911, cont. After the Empress died in 1908, further confusion resulted, weakening the dynasty. – Three years later, Sun Yat-sen was raising money in the United States when the emperor’s troops revolted against the dynasty. – They were successful, and Sun Yat-sen returned and became the first President of the Republic of China in 1911.

Modernization of Japan The Japanese cut off trade with Europe in the early 1600s. – Japan began trading again when Matthew Perry sailed into the bay at Edo and persuaded Japan to trade with the U.S. – The shogun (military commander) signed a treaty with Perry in – Over the next five years, Japan signed treaties with other countries. Treaties favored the imperialist powers. Japanese were unhappy and called for an overthrow of the shogun.

Modernization of Japan, cont. A group of samurai known as the Meiji took over Japan. – Meiji – “enlightened” – The Meiji tried to make Japan a great power. – They adopted the slogan “Rich country, strong military.” The Meiji modernized Japan. – Parliamentary government, strong military, industrialized society. They believed that leadership should be based on talent, not birth.

Industrialization of Japan Japan began to industrialize to strengthen the economy. – They didn’t want to borrow money from the west. – Japan carried out economic reforms to raise money. Revised tax structure. Developed modern currency system. Built postal and telegraph networks, railroads, and ports. – Japan’s economy grew rapidly. – New technology and cheap labor allowed Japan to produce low priced goods.

Japan as a World Power As Japan continued to grow, they began creating an overseas empire. – Korea was the first area Japan attempted to claim. – When Koreans revolted against China, Japan helped them gain independence. As a result, Japan gained partial control of Korea’s trade. – Japan defeated Russia, who also had interests in Korea, in the Russo-Japanese War. – Japan’s victory over Russia proved small countries can defeat European powers. – Japan became an imperialist country. It made Korea a colony and would continue to expand its empire for the next 35 years.

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is made of two archipelagos, or groups of islands. – East Indies and the Philippines. The East Indies were under Dutch control. – The Dutch used the culture system, a system of forced labor, to get raw materials from the East Indies. – They discouraged westernization, the spread of European civilization, in these areas. Spain controlled the Philippines. – The Spanish paid Filipinos very low wages, causing them to revolt in 1896.

Southeast Asia, cont. – When the U.S. declared war on Spain in 1898, they promised to make the Philippines independent if the rebels helped against the Spanish. – After winning the war, the U.S. broke the promise and made the Philippines a colony. Great Britain and France struggled for control of mainland Southeast Asia. – Great Britain took control of Burma and Malaya. – France controlled Indochina, the area that is now Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Southeast Asia, cont. – Struggles between Europeans for economic control brought disturbance and destruction to Southeast Asia. – Western products and practices changed the way of life in southeast Asia.