Page 295 - Encyclopedia Of World History

empire 645

Imperialism is based upon a persistent misrepresentation of facts and
forces chiefly through a most refined process of selection, exaggeration,
and attenuation, directed by interested cliques and persons so as to
distort the face of history. • J. A. Hobson (1858–1940)

the seas to meet the labor demands of European-owned the propagation of the faith.Though forced conversions
economic enterprises. These enterprises were integral to were uncommon and counterproductive, both Chris-
the global transfer of goods that also distinguished the tianity and Islam often worked hand-in-glove with
transoceanic empires of Western European states. By empires, supplying them with important ideological ratio-
orchestrating the operations of this system, Europeans nales for their rule.
became its main beneficiaries. This was especially true Christianity was integral to the early modern European
after industrialization at home skewed the terms of trade empires, which found especially fertile grounds for their
in favor of European manufactured goods, creating a missionary endeavors among the demoralized and much
growing disparity of wealth between Europe and much of diminished peoples of the Americas and the deracinated
the rest of the world. Although the United States, Japan, slaves shipped from Africa. Once they came into posses-
and other countries worked their way into the column of sion of large tracts of South and Southeast Asian territory
industrialized countries, the fissure between rich and in the late eighteenth century, however, they had to
poor peoples remains a lasting legacy of European over- develop alternative justifications for their presence, since
seas empires. Christianity simply antagonized the region’s Hindu, Mus-
lim, and Buddhist populations. The introduction of sta-
Ideologies of ble government and the rule of law, the promotion of
Empire prosperity through international trade, the advancement
While the drive for power and wealth may have been the of scientific knowledge and its application in modern
basic motive behind imperial expansion, no empire lasted medicine and technology, and various other claims were
very long if it didn’t develop an ideological claim on made in justification of European imperial rule. Under-
behalf of its own legitimacy. Quite apart from inspiring lying all of these claims was the assertion that empire
the empire’s agents or easing their consciences, this claim brought the benefits of civilization to colonial subjects.
sought to make conquered peoples more acquiescent to Whether expressed in secular or religious terms, a belief
their own subjugation.The key to accomplishing this goal in the superiority of its own way of life—what it charac-
was the dissemination of an idea or doctrine that over- terized as civilization—lay at the ideological heart of
came ethnic or cultural particularisms, offering in their every empire.
stead integration into a larger imperial identity. The
Romans were famous for their promise of citizenship Costs, Benefits,
under Roman law. The Han and their successors Consequences
embraced Confucian principles and perpetuated them Whether for good or ill, empires were crucial engines of
through the efforts of a relatively open bureaucratic elite. change in world history. They were the paramount insti-
Although rulers also relied on religion to bolster their tutional expressions of the human will to power, exerting
authority, they ran the risk that their official faith would greater authority over greater numbers of people than any
alienate subject peoples who worshipped different gods. other system of rule. Their armies and ambitions caused
Most empires took care to respect religious diversity. untold human suffering and destruction.At the same time,
The relationship between empire and religion did, they brought culturally diverse and geographically scat-
however, undergo a significant shift with the emergence tered peoples together, providing the political framework
of Christianity and then Islam. Both were universalist for the rise of those large, vigorous societies that often go
creeds that welcomed all converts, irrespective of their ori- by the name of civilizations.They also served as the nurs-
gins.This made them attractive to empires seeking ways eries for the acquisition of skills, the invention of products,
to incorporate newly conquered subjects; by the same and the origination of ideas that spread far beyond the
token, empires were attractive to them as instruments for physical boundaries and the temporal existence of the