Impacts of the Establishment of British Colonial States in Southern Asia

Impacts of the Establishment of British Colonial States in Southern Asia

Introduction

Colonialism is one of the major factor that affected many countries in different continents such as China in Southern Asia during the period of nineteenth century. Known as the control by one nation over a dependent population, colonialism arises when a country conquers another, subjugating and exploiting its population, while forcing its cultural values and own language upon its citizens. While colonialism took place for quite a while, it is important to note that by year 1914, a vast majority of the world’s countries had experienced colonialism in the hands if the Europeans. Although colonial governments invested in trade, infrastructure, and dissemination of technology and medical knowledge, it is imperative to understand that the harms incurred from colonialism outweighed the benefits provided and gained. Accompanying the gains provided, forced assimilation and coercion were some of the major harms associated with colonialism in many nations. In addition, the impacts of colonialisms also included ethical rivalries, spread of disease, environmental degradation, economic instability, and the violation of human rights. As seen in the case of China, the establishment of British colonial states in Southern Asia during the period of the nineteenth century posed significant disruption in the lives in the lives of Chinese people who occupied the region.

The establishment of British Colonial States

Colonialism first occurred in China during the period of 1839 to 1842 after the British Navy attained victory in the first opium wars (Trocki, 2009). In regard to this, the opium war made history marking the first time ever in the world history steam using ships were used in war. During this period, British new colonial states flourished their way into southern China with the aim of crushing any opposition against British interference in the country’s socials, political, and economic affairs (Doran, 2006). In its first acts of war, British occupied the regions of Hong Kong, a meagerly populated and inhabited island located along the coast of Southern Asia. During the period of 1841, just a year until the end of the opium war, China conceded its island to the British rule by signing the Chuenpi Convention, that pave way Nanking treaty in 1842,fomally bringing to an end the first opium war. In so doing, the Chinese Qing dynasty accepted and paved way for a series of humiliating and mortifying treaties in the hand of the British. For instance, by signing the treaties of Nanking, the Chinese Qing dynasty committed to paying unusual high amounts of compensations for years, while at the same time granting sovereign control and oversight over China’s major ports especially those located in the coastal regions. The grant of sovereign control and oversight over a majority of ports in the coastal regions provided the British with the rights for victorious imperialists to engage in trade freely and to even fix tariffs of their own.

Despite the signing of treaties of Nanking which ended the first opium trade, other treaties experienced during the periods of 1858 and 1860 respectively continued to bring about significant disruption to the lives of the Chinese people. These treaties forced China to concede the Kowloon Peninsula which bordered Hong Kong Island, to the British along with other adjacent area islands. In so doing, the Chinese Qing dynasty opened doors and paved way for western powers to engage in trade, while extending their influences into the other regions of China. The British new colonies flourished as a commercial gateway and an East to West commercial and distribution hub for southern China (Warren, 2003). Colonialism within China which only started with a few treaties which time granted the British sovereign control and oversight over China’s major ports during the period of 1840s expanded gradually over time and lasted for more than a century.

Impacts and Disruption of the of the British Colonial States

The establishment of British colonial states in Southern Asia during the period of the nineteenth century, which resulted to various events such as the signing of the treaties, is a clear indication of some of the significant disruptions that occurred in the lives of the Chinese people. For instance, the British intervention into Malaysia in 1874 resulted to various changes such as installation of police posts in interior locations disrupting the normal lives of citizens (Carstens, 2005).The most devastating and disruptive impact of the establishment of the British colonial states had on the Chinese people was on their Qing state which represented the sovereignty of the Chinese people as it is with any form of government. During the establishment of the British colonial states, the Chinese Qing dynasty became financially, administratively, and politically too weak to provide its functions as an efficient and effective government and lead its people towards a positive and better direction. In addition this was also the case in Yap Ah Loy’s losing his power as an administrator after the stationing of the British at Kuala Lumpur (Carstens, 2005). Due to mortifying and humiliating defeats in the hands of the imperialist powers, for instance, the signing of the treaty that gave the British sovereign control and oversight over China’s major, the legitimacy of the Chinese Qing state became serious issues in the eyes of the Chinese Citizens. The acts of their State brought about a questionable legitimacy of it being a capable regime to defend and protect its citizens, national interest and sovereignty. According to Doran (2006), the issues of signing treaties and providing sovereign control to the British ruined the legitimacy and reputation of the Qing dynasty leaving serious political consequences with regard to the Qing dynasty leading China as a united or separated nation. The administrative and military powers of the Qing dynasty were shattered as a result of a domestic rebellion and successive wars with imperialists British colonial states. The imposition of a number of treaties on the Qing dynasty that granted the British sovereign control and oversight over China’s major ports provided safe heavens for foreigners to engage in trade freely and to even fix tariffs on their own while challenging the sovereignty of the Chinese dynasty and its people. As a result, this caused a disruption in the lives of the Chinese people who placed their faith on the Qing dynasty to protect national interest and sovereignty.

Payment of huge indemnity and other monetary compensation to British imperialist forces resulted to severe constraints of resources on the Chinese society, indicating less or no chances of undertaking appropriate development initiatives for its people (Keong, 2006). Most of the finances collected were used to cater for huge indemnity commitments to the imperialist powers. As a result, this weakened the financial status of the Chinese government making it too difficult to sponsor activities and projects in different areas such as education, agricultural research, and infrastructural build up. By the end of the nineteenth century, the Chinese government revenue was too low to b able to afford sponsoring and funding any development project and as a result significantly impacting and disrupting the lives of the Chinese people.

The establishment of British colonial states in Southern Asia during the period of the nineteenth century also posed significant disruption in the lives of the Chinese people due to the impact it had on China’s economy. The colonialism activities and practices engaged by western powers such as British Colonial states is highly blamed for the decision of Chinese Qing dynasty to sign a variety of treaties which deprived China and its people freedom to certain extent. The signed unequal treaties granted the British with sovereign control and oversight over a majority of ports in the coastal regions providing them with the rights to engage in trade freely and to even fix tariffs of their own. As a result, this acts negatively impacted Chinas economic growth which in the long run poses a significant threat affecting the lives of the Chinese people. Signed during the period of 1842 and 1860, with Britain, the main aim of the “unequal treaties” was to make China government a semi-sovereign state in terms of trade being carried out (Keong, 2006). Despite this, the conditions of the signed treaties appeared to highly unfavorable to the Chinese economy in a way that they opted to legalize the distribution and sale of imported opium within the Chinese society in colonial Singapore something that gave freedom and paved way for foreign businesses to start operating in China without paying taxes and adhering to the legal requirement of the host nation (Trocki, 2009). The sales of opium from India, a British colony, generated millions addicts within China’s society resulting to highly negative economic and social impacts which significantly disrupted and affected the lives of numerous Chinese people.

Continuing the sale and facilitation of opium the Chinese society in colonial Singapore was a matter of strategic importance to the British from an economic point of view and this objective was to be achieved at all costs by the British government, even if waging war against the Chinese society was an option (Trocki, 2009). In addition, according to the treaty imposed by the British and signed by the Chinese,, the rate of foreign trading tariffs for any goods imported into China was relatively low providing tremendous advantage to foreign businesses at the expense of the Chinese economy. As a result, this created huge amounts of loses in terms of revenue from the imported goods, money that the Chinese government could have invested in economic development or funding of projects in different areas such as education, agricultural research, and infrastructural build up.

To further complicate the problems encountered, the treaty introduced the most favored nation clause requiring China to obtain consent from all imperialist powers if it needs to recover or regain any sovereign rights it had lost in the treaty. In other words, this made it difficult for the Chinese government to recover full sovereignty rights on the treaties signed which in turn would make it gain control of it devastating national economy. These unequal treaties had now become a threat to the national economy of China as it paved way for foreign businesses to start operating in China freely and immune from the scope of local jurisdictions (Cushman, 1996). It had opened ways for foreign international businesses to exploit the local Chinese markets in various illegal ways. In addition, the signed and imposed treaties were developed in a manner in which almost all the disputes involving foreign businesses and local parties were solved in favor of the former, something that significantly disrupted the lives of Chinese people, especially those engaged in business activities and trading.

The payments made as indemnities for the opium war amounted to huge sums of money which was compulsory for the Chinese government to pay between the periods of 1842 to 1900 (Keong, 2006). This was regarded as negative consequences to the Chinese national economy as a result of the establishment of British colonial states in southern Asia during the nineteenth century. China’s significant amount of losses incurred from the wars together with the compulsory indemnity payments extra economic difficulties for China, an impact which lasted for quite a while. In regard to this, the economic difficulties significantly caused disruption on the lives of the Chinese people who depended on those finances to be used by the Chinese government to invest in economic development or funding of projects in different areas such as education, agricultural research, and infrastructural build up.

Based on the conditions brought about by the signed treaties, the Chinese society was not in a position to make any changes such as increasing the levels of tariffs on any foreign goods in an effort to help rejuvenate its national economy. For instance, Chinese workers symbolized the colonial Singapore (Warren, 2003). As a result, this condition forced China to find loans in order to compensate the high rates of international trading deficits. For instance, during the period of 1890s, the Qing dynasty was forced to borrow credit from foreign creditors in order to compensate the high rates of international trading deficits. In this regard, this condition forced the Chinese government to focus more on paying international deficit using the obtained loans, and as a result leaving economic development projects such as infrastructure building and education unattended. With this in mind, it is therefore clear that the establishment of British colonial states in Southern Asia during the period of the nineteenth century indeed disrupted the Chinese government and the lives of the Chinese people.

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