White Mans Burden, Black Mans Sorrow - Assignment Example

White Man’s Burden, Black Man’s Sorrow 1. Read “White Man’s Burden, Black Man’s Sorrow” and answer the following – According to Kipling, what is the “white man’s burden” and why must it be taken up by Western nations? According to Morel, what is the “black man’s burden” and what does it do to the people? (see the box on pg 618) The white man's burden is to help civilize uncivilized people in Africa and Asia. Many white people thought of this people as backwards. Kipling is suggesting that white people have a duty to help others. This burden must be taken up because of a moral responsibility to help people. In reality, this morality was often distorted and led to negative consequences for everyone involved. Morel sees things differently. The black man's burden is the so-called help that people in Africa were receiving from Europeans. This “help” usually involved slavery, violence and murder and it destroyed and ruined millions of people. 2. Which Western countries were most active in seeking colonial possessions in Southeast Asia, and what were their motives in doing so? France and Britain were both active in seeking colonies in that part of the world. Their main motive was to plunder these countries of their wealth and set up military bases for further expansion. They felt they had a duty to help the colonials; in reality, their help usually harmed. Muhammad Ahmad/the Mahdi & his revolt The Mahdi was a rebel leader who led the locals in an uprising against British rule. Much of the upper Nile, around Sudan, was under his control. The British military man, Charles Gordon, was sent to deal with him, but the Mahdi defeated him. The Scramble for Africa Once anti-malarial medication opened up Africa, many European powers sought colonies there. A lot of wheeling and dealing was done to secure the best land. Many Europeans supported this not just for the wealth it generated, but because they felt it had a civilizing purpose. There was a lot of politics involved. Britain for example wanted to protect the Suez Canal and create an arc towards India. Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 This rebellion occurred in India. The Sepoys were the native Indian troops. A mutiny occurred due to the introduction of a new type of gun which used animal lard and offended the locals. This effected British policy towards the Indians for years to come. Answer the following True or False: (worth 5 points each) 1. In Africa, security concerns and national prestige were always secondary to economic interests. False. (Sometimes—but not always). 2. In the nineteenth century, “legitimate trade” unfortunately still included the African slave trade. True 3. In order to protect their investment in the Suez Canal, the British established an informal protectorate in Egypt that lasted until World War I. True 4. Afrikaners were black African opponents of the Dutch Boers in South Africa. False 5. The introduction of British textiles into India severely damaged the local textile industry in Bengal. True 6. In order to avoid violence and to gain the popular support of colonial peoples, the Europeans generally quickly introduced democratic institutions in their colonies. False 7. In Southeast Asia, the European emphasis on cash crops led in many areas to the replacement of subsistence agriculture by the growth of large plantations. True 8. In general, the British preferred direct rule, while the French usually implemented indirect rule in their African colonies. True 9. After the Sepoy Rebellion, the British turned to Gurkhas and Sikhs as soldiers for India’s colonial army. True 10. In most of East Asia, such as in Japan, imperialism did not result in the establishment of formal Western colonial control. True Part II 1. Discuss the first contact China had with the West; include countries who came for trade and religious reasons. Marco Polo and Venetian traders visited China in the 1300s. Chinese silks and spices were very valuable back in Europe. The Portuguese first came into contact with China in 1514. They wanted to trade. After that a number of Christian missionaries set out for China and had an impact on the culture of the Middle Kingdom. 1. Li Zicheng This man lead a revolt against the last Ming Emperor. He was a postal worker fired from his job. The peasants were angry and he led them against the corrupt government of the time. He was not able to consolidate his power, however. 2. dyarchy This was a system of rule used by the Chinese and Manchus to share power. They were rivals for control of China, but they decided to share by using a six-person panel to control the administration of the state. 3. Francis Xavier Xavier was a Jesuit missionary. He arrived in Japan in 1549 to spread the gospel as one of the first foreigners in that country. He also mistranslated many Japanese documents into European languages. He had a big influence. 4. yangban/chonmin The yangban were the aristocratic class of Korea. They were often comprised of civilian and military groups. In order to maintain power, the emperor of Korea tried to restrict the power of this class, knowing they could overthrow him. 1. As a proud Manchu, Kangxi refused any accommodation with Chinese political or intellectual culture. False 2. The activities of Western Christian missionaries reached their height of influence during Kangxi’s reign. False 3. The Manchus declared the creation of a new dynasty with the reign title of the Qing, which means “bright.” True 4. The English East India Company established their first trading post in China at Canton in 1699. True 5. Although China was predominantly an agricultural country, There was considerable growth of manufacturing and commerce during the Qing era. True 6. Chinese women had a higher status than women in other East Asian and Southeast Asian societies because of the heritage of Confucius. True 7. After the expulsion of Christian missionaries and other Westerners, the Japanese allowed only the Dutch access to Japan, and only at Deshima Island in Nagasaki harbor. False 8. The samurai reached the apex of the military prowess and influence during the Tokugawa shogunate. False 9. There was a dramatic rise in commerce and manufacturing, especially in the growing cities, during the Tokugawa shogunate era. True 10. The “floating world” refers to the harbor at Edo, where Chinese and Korean ships docked and unloaded their cargos during the Tokugawa period False Read More