Building the Empire
In the 19th century Britain was engaged in many ‘colonial wars’, the purpose of which was to establish its influence in different parts of the world and to ensure the safety of its trade routes. In 1840 – 1842 and in 1856 – 1860 it waged two so-called Opium Wars against China, as a result of which China had to give away some of its territories and to allow Britain to carry on profitable trade in opium. Historians consider the Opium Wars to be shameful events in British colonial history.
Fear that Russia would expand southwards towards India resulted in disastrous wars in Afghanistan (1839 – 1842), in Sindh – a part of modern Pakistan (1843) and in India (1845 – 1846 and 1848 – 1849).
Britain also feared that in the Middle East Russia would destroy the weak Ottoman Empire, which controlled Turkey and the Arab countries. It might be dangerous for Britain’s sea and land routes to India. So, when Russia and Ottoman Turkey went to war in the Crimea in 1853, Britain joined the Turks against Russia.
Britain’s first colonies in Africa were on the west coast. Then it took over the Cape of Good Hope at the southern point, because it needed a port there on its sea route to India.
Reports sent by European travelers and explorers of Africa increased Britain’s interest in this continent. The most famous of the explorers was David Livingstone, who was a Scottish doctor and a Christian missionary. He made several journeys from the east coast to the central parts of Africa. Livingstone discovered areas of Africa unknown to Europeans and ‘opened’ these areas to Christianity, to European ideas and to European trade.
Unfortunately, Christianity became a tool for building a commercial and political empire in Africa. The governments of Europe rushed to the “Black Continent” in order to seize lands. They did it on the pretext of bringing “civilization” to the people. By 1890 Africa was divided by the European countries into “areas of interest”. By the end of the century several European countries had taken over large areas of Africa.
Sometimes the interests of different European countries clashed. In South Africa there were differences between Britain and the Dutch settlers (the Boers), which led to a war at the end of the century (the Boer War, 1899 – 1902).
In 1882 Britain invaded Egypt “to protect international shipping”, as it was officially stated. In fact, Britain protected its own trading interests, its route to India through the newly dug Suez Canal. Britain told the world that its occupation of Egypt would only last for a short time, but it did not leave the country until it was forced to do so in 1954.
Britain had one more reason for creating colonies. From the 1830s the population of Britain was rapidly growing, and soon the small territory of the British Isles would not hold all the population. A solution to the problem was found in the development of colonies for British settlers in different parts of the world. Encouraged by the government, lots of people moved to Canada, Australia and New Zealand to settle on free land and to farm it. In all these countries there were native populations. In Canada most of them were pushed westwards. In Australia British settlers killed most of the native inhabitants; only a few were left in the central desert areas. In New Zealand the Maori inhabitants suffered less than in Canada or Australia: not so many of them were killed, but they lost most of their lands.
Soon the white colonies were allowed to govern themselves. Officially they no longer depended on Britain. But still, they accepted the British monarch as their head of state.
By the end of the 19th century Britain controlled the oceans and much of the land areas of the world. Most British strongly believed in their right to an empire, and were very proud of it. But even at this moment of greatest power Britain was already beginning to spend more on its empire than it took from it. The empire was becoming a heavy load. And by the time when the colonies began to demand their freedom in the 20th century, this load had become impossibly heavy.