British empire 1921

british empire

  • abolition of slavery

    slavery banned across the empire, but often turned a blind eye to when it benefited the British
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    European exports 4X

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    Dalhousie's doctrine of lapse

    if a local ruler's direct line ended, their land/titles were passed to the east India company.
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    Indian rebellion

    Started by sepoys in bengal army's anger about pay and condition of service, but spread to the rest of India. other causes include: new rifles greased with pig/cow fat, and landlords/nobles deprived of their land by governor general Dalhousie.
  • david livingstone in Africa

    official explorations of eastern and central Africa for 5 years. was named consul for the east coast of Africa. sent 2,000 letters home and became a sensationalized hero.
  • Suez canal company is created

    Ferdinand De Lesseps, international shares
  • Treaty of tientsin

    ended the 2nd opium war. compelled China to make concessions and open ports of preferential British trade. traders took tea to grow in India (Darjeeling, Assam). old summer palace in Beijing destroyed October 1860
  • India becomes the British Raj

    direct rule implemented in India after the rebellion. east India company dissolved, all property and army transferred to the crown. Govt of India act: created a secretary of state for India, and India council, and rule by a viceroy (man on the spot)
  • Suez Canal Company created

    Ferdinand de Lesseps, international shares.
    During the initial public offering raising funds for the project, shares were bought by mainly French investors, and it didn’t manage to sell all its shares. Said of Egypt purchased the remaining unbought shares on behalf of the government of Egypt to ensure that the company could collect the necessary capital to get started.
    50% private French citizens, 44% Govt of egypt,6% other private investors
  • Darwin publishes

    'on the origin of species'. social Darwinists later used these ideas to justify white supremacy- e.g. they were the fittest or most capable, had a duty to rule,(survival of the fittest)
  • Canning's tour of India

    some land and titles returned to nobility. 'star of india' medal created. more investment in infrastructure and development. English teaching in universities in Bombay, Calcutta, etc. Combination of direct and indirect rule, EG: Kashmir, Hyderabad were self governing as they had remained loyal in the rebellion.
  • International Exhibition

    exhibitions from 36 countries
  • Morant pay rebellion, Jamaica

    after abolition of slavery, many black former slaves were poor, taxed highly, had little voting rights, ETC. they rose up against colonial oppression, over 400 deaths. after this direct rule was established.
  • Discussion of withdrawal from Africa

    Parliamentary select committee recommended withdrawing from West Africa due to high costs of maintaining administrations/trading posts. In the 1870s, attitudes began to shift, with a greater sense of national prestige/identity and strategic rivalries.
  • Welland Canal created in Canada

    overcame height difference between lakes Ontario and Eyrie to help transportation of goods to the coast. Damaged ecosystem, created dependence on British infrastructure projects.
  • Great reform act by Disraeli

    Extended the franchise and created a larger electorate. conservatives used support for empire to win votes in 1874, but were accused of dangerous 'Jingoism'
  • Canada semi independent dominion

  • Disraeli Prime minister

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    Gladstone Prime Minister

  • Suez Canal is completed

    grand opening ceremony, EG Verdi is commissioned to write an opera.
  • Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy make alliance

    led to the first world war's central powers (Italy in 1882)
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    world railway network expands from 200,000KM to 1,000,000KM

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    Merchant shipping doubles around the world

  • Unification of Germany

    Increasingly large threat to Britain. Very industrialised, began to rival and even overtake Britain economically and navally
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    Long depression

    World-wide economic slump. revived chartered company rule as it was easy and cost the government nothing.
  • Britain occupies Fiji

    Methodist missionaries in Australia contributed significantly
  • Malaya becomes a British Colony

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    Disraeli Prime Minister

  • Period: to

    European exports double

  • Disraeli buys Suez Canal shares

    due to the deteriorating economic situation in Egypt: the Khedive was £100 million in debt, Isma'il Pasha was forced to sell his 44% share of the Suez Canal Company to the British government under Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli for the fee of £4 million – so the British government have the majority stake in the company.
  • Brussels conference

    Held by King Leopold II of Belgium and decided that intervention in Africa was necessary, routes needed roads and railways, and created an international African Association to coordinate efforts. also wanted to discuss his personal holdings in the Congo, and how to extend control
  • Goldie creates the Central African Trading Company

    Set up a palm oil business in the Niger basin. In 1879, joined 30 trading posts together to form the United African Company (refused a royal charter because of French influence in the region). Signed over 450 treaties with local leaders, helped assert right to protectorate in Nigeria at the Berlin Conference.
  • Nubian Village put on display at an exhibitions

    human zoos and stereotypes were used to justify British colonialism and presence. this exhibition was at Alexandra Palace, 124,000 visitors attended.
  • Queen Victoria made Empress of India

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    Anglo-Afghan war

    Under viceroy Lytton: fears of Russian influence in Central Asia, wish to consolidate and protect the British Raj. huge losses of 10,000 British soldiers, but eventually controlled the North-West border.
  • Khedive Isma'il deposed

    He was deposed by the ottoman sultan (pressure by France and Britain) due to falire to reform finance/resist foreign creditors and replaced by Tewfik.
  • United African Trading Company formed

    Under George Goldie. 30 trading posts joined together in central Africa, but refused a royal charter due to fears of French influence in the area. signed over 450 treaties with local leaders.
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    Gladstone Prime minister

  • Muhammad Ahmad declared himself Mahdi

    Sudanese. Mahdi=spiritual leader who will restore religion and justice
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    British Occupation of Egypt

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    Evelyn Baring Advisor to the Khedive

    All government ministers had support of a British advisor. they had to follow their orders or risk being dismissed.
  • Maxim gun created

    first machine gun
  • Third reform act by Gladstone

    Additional 5.5 million voters, enfranchised rural working class.
  • British New Ginea

    Gladstone unwilling to intervene, but premier of Queensland Thomas MacIlwraith occupied the south west after the Germans tried to claim it.
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    Berlin Conference

    Held by Otto Von Bismarck (chancellor) and attended by 14 foreign ministers, decided that the basin of Congo was kept for free trade, and that 'effective occupation' should occur-colonisation claims to countries. Africa was divided between the powers. started the scramble for Africa. Africa divided into European spheres of influence. Congo and Niger rivers to remain neural with free trade. General act signed to prevent slavery and support missionaries.
  • Brunei becomes British colony

  • Gladstone prime minister

  • Germany and Britain agree to respect spheres of influence

    later in 1890 Britain gained primacy over Zanzibar
  • Gladstone's Irish Home Rule Bill

  • colonial conference (trade)

    discussed if there should be special trading relationships between colonies, rather than only between Britain and the individual colonies. rejected by Britain.
  • Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee

  • trans Siberian railway begins

    one of the many Russian railway projects, aiming to exert influence in central Asia and eastern Europe
  • Samuel Crowther forced to resign

    first Anglican African bishop, but accused of being to lax on 'heathen' practices
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    Gladstone prime minister

  • France and Russia make alliance

  • Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee

  • Australia semi independent dominion

  • British-French Entente Cordiale

    French respected British in Egypt, which British respected French in Morocco. the caisse de la Dette ceased to control Egyptian finances.
  • only 10% of African land under local/tribal control

    compared to 80% in 1884
  • Newfoundland semi independent dominion

  • New Zealand semi independent dominion

  • Imperial conference on defence

    considered a dominion fleet. Britain could not meet the strength of the next 2 strongest naval powers (it could before), instead it settled for 60% margin over Germany. July 1912 Britain withdrew navy from the Mediterranean to redeploy in the North Sea. army remodelled for deployment in Europe Mainland, relied on France to protect Mediterranean interests and the route to Egypt.
  • South African states united as a semi independent dominion