British Empire Research Articles

Ascension

In the middle of the South Atlantic lies Ascension Island, a modest island constructed in the background of Cold War politics and military history. This essay examines Ascension Island in three parts: first, from geologic prehistory to British naval occupation; second, the operation of the island by the United States military and installation of NASA tracking stations; and third, the lost histories in the wake of empire building. Ascension, initially deemed uninhabitable, became a technical island. This essay explores a distant island which may mirror our future world.

Arming Sheīkh Saīd: Conflict and Cooperation in Italian and British Imperial Policy in the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea, 1927-1940

ABSTRACT After the Great War, Imam Yahya, the spiritual and temporal ruler of Yemen, established control over the Yemeni highlands and fought wars against his rivals to extend his power. Jacopo Gasparini, the governor of Italy’s Eritrean colony, increased Italian trade with Yemen, primarily by shipping arms to Imam Yahya. Italian influence in the Arabian peninsula worried British officials. Britain’s primary goal was to protect its imperial road through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea by ensuring that no European Power established itself on the eastern shore or on strategic islands of the Red Sea. In 1927, Italy and Britain signed the Rome Understanding, agreeing to limit their imperial competition in the peninsula. Both parties maintained the Rome Understanding and its successor agreement in the 1938 Easter Accords until the outbreak of the Second World War, although both violated its spirit and letter when convenient. In the latter half of the 1930s, Imam Yahya wanted to acquire naval cannon to defend Sheīkh Saīd, a promontory that overlooked the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Both Italian and British officials resisted providing them, as both feared that the other could seize Sheīkh Saīd and use these cannon to bar the southern exit of the Red Sea. After lengthy negotiations, the Italians eventually relented and shipped four naval cannon to Imam Yahya to try to earn his favour before the outbreak of Anglo-Italian conflict in World War Two. The episode of arming Sheīkh Saīd shows the nature of conflict and cooperation in Anglo-Italian relations in the Arabian Peninsula and the ultimate failure to reconcile their imperial interests.

Fighting for Oxford and Cambridge: National Security and Imperial Ambition in the ‘Transition of Power’

ABSTRACT This article uses the rise of the doctrine of ‘national security’ in US statecraft and strategy to re-examine Brian McKercher’s work on the ‘transition of power’ from Britain to the United States. World War II marked the great watershed in American foreign relations, in particular the ability, and more specifically the willingness, of Americans to project power beyond the western hemisphere. Not coincidentally, the war also marked another crucial turning point in American war and diplomacy: the transition from concepts like ‘national self-defence’ and ‘the national interest’ to a strategic doctrine that blended the blunt necessity of defence with the capacious ambition of interests. This new doctrine of ‘national security’ conceived of self-defence in a new way, not just as the protection of territorial sovereignty but as the protection of values, morals, and political norms. This much more capacious idea of defence was designed to be the bastion of a new liberal order to safeguard Western civilisation. In this light, American internationalists conceived of US power as the rightful heir to the mandate of the British Empire, albeit in ways that privileged command of the global commons over direct control of foreign territory. This article investigates the construction of ‘national security’ and the nature of Anglo-American empire in a new light.

Historiography and Political Discourse The history of Roman imperialism in the thought of Theodor Mommsen and Tenney Frank

This article explores the nexus between power and historiography, particularly ancient Roman imperialism, in the German and American historical writings from the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Scholars have intensively explored the use of the roman imperialism in supporting the British imperialism. However, the relations between Roman imperialism and its usage in German and American historiography remain critically unexplored. Through the of Michel Foucault’s power-knowledge and discourse analysis, this paper aims to delves into the relationships between power of those traditions and historical productions. The central questions are: How does the narrative surrounding Roman imperialism shape discussions on the nation-state building and expansion beyond state borders? And how does the discourse on Roman imperialism incorporates racial theories? particularly in the works of German scholar Theodor Mommsen and American scholar Tenney Frank. Despite their different approaches, both scholars drew from Roman history to achieve similar political aims. This paper contends that history, as exemplified by Roman imperialism, serves as a powerful tool in justifying political actions.

Book Review: Age of Emergency: Living with Violence at the End of the British Empire by Erik Linstrum

Book Review: <i>Age of Emergency: Living with Violence at the End of the British Empire</i> by Erik Linstrum

Bringing English Back in School Education: English in Government Schools of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh

In the immediate aftermath of Indian Independence in 1947, there was a palpable attempt to replace English with Hindi and other Indian languages to unleash the processes of decolonisation. English was castigated as the language of the British Empire and was seen to be the basis of power and privilege for a handful of English-educated elites. A new nation-state thought it imperative to replace English with other languages which ultimately led to language-based reorganisation of Indian states. Subsequently, there was the replacement of English with Indian languages as mediums of instruction at different levels of education. Such a demand was hugely supported by a large number of Indian intelligentsia. However, six to seven decades down the line, there appears to be a reversal of earlier language politics as governments in various states of India are bringing English back as an aspirational language. This article attempts to understand the context of such a reversal. It also analyses ideological constructions of linguistic reality and its hold on popular perception. Ideologically constructed realities of language become a concrete, tangible force to reckon with. The article explores the renewed interest and urgency in learning English, using the frameworks of language ideology and the Bourdieusian framework of ‘language as a praxis’. Following Hilary Janks, the article underlines the significance of providing critical access to English by historicising and denaturalising its prevalence as one of the major contact languages at the international level.

STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY ARCHITECTURE OF IMPERIAL CITY

Calcutta’s established role as India’s premier city from 1774 was increasingly questioned due to its climate and geographic location particularly in the context of British governance and control. By 1857, during the Mutiny, the limitations of Calcutta as the capital became evident, leading Viscount Canning to relocate the British administration to Allahabad. The debate over relocating the capital continued, culminating in 1911 with Hardinge’s proposal to move it to Delhi. This move was seen as a strategic and symbolic shift, with Delhi’s central location and historical significance making it an ideal choice to represent British imperial power. The decision to build a new capital in Delhi, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was driven by the desire to create a city that embodied both the grandeur of British rule and the historical continuity of India's ancient capitals Jain (1991). Lutyens’ design, characterized by grand processional avenues, monumental plazas, and imposing facades, was intended to project a vision of peaceful dominance and dignified governance. The new city, initially called Imperial Delhi, aimed to reflect the achievements of British rule and serve as a backdrop befitting an empire of Rome’s magnitude. This paper examines the architectural and symbolic values embedded in Lutyens’ design for Imperial Delhi, focusing on its grandiose urban elements and their intended impact. It also explores how contemporary interventions have altered this historic urban landscape, reshaping the legacy of what was envisioned as a majestic symbol of British imperialism. Through this analysis, the paper seeks to understand the evolving significance of Delhi's architectural heritage and its transformation in the modern era.

Postcolonial Identity and Discourse: Foucauldian Analysis of Shamsie’s A God in Every Stone

This research article delves into the intricate interplay between postcolonial identity and discourse in Kamila Shamsie's novel, "A God in Every Stone," employing a Foucauldian analytical framework This paper presents a Foucauldian analysis of Kamila Shamsie's novel, "A God in Every Stone." Drawing upon the works of Michel Foucault (2016), the paper examines the novel through the lens of power, knowledge, and the construction of historical narratives. Through a close reading of key characters and events, this analysis elucidates how colonial power structures and systems of knowledge production intersect in the novel to shape individual and collective identities. The present study has been conducted on Shamsie’s A God in Every Stone to highlight the process of colonization. The interpreter has examined the ways by which the colonized resisted colonial rule. Foucault’s model of Power has been used as the conceptual framework of the study to analyze the postcolonial aspects of Shamsie’s (2014) novel. The present study is qualitative in nature. The data has been collected through the close reading technique of the A God in Every Stone. For data analysis, those textual lines have been selected in which the elements of power and resistance are present covertly. The interpreter has explored different dimensions of Foucault’s power, i.e., Sovereign power and disciplinary power. British Empire justified its colonial rule over the colonized through the colonial discourse which was prejudiced against non-white people. The colonized people resist colonial rule through their dialogues in this novel. In A God in Every Stone, the major protagonist is Vivian Rose Spencer. She is an English woman who carried out digging in Turkey to unearth the ancient silver circlet. The interpreter has inferred that the colonizers used many disciplinary strategies to subjugate the colonized people. The Indian soldiers were trained by the British imperialists to fight in the battlefield on the Western Front. Many innocent Indian soldiers lost their lives in fighting the enemies of the British Empire. The major character of the novel Qayyum Gul, fought bravely in the battlefield. Unfortunately, he lost an eye during the battle. When he returned to Peshawar, he joined a freedom movement, which aimed to liberate India from the British colonizers. Ultimately, this Foucauldian analysis of "A God in Every Stone" underscores the intricate dynamics of power and knowledge in the colonial context and sheds light on the complexities of historical representation and identity formation in a postcolonial world.

Racism and Colonialism in Foster’s A Passage to India: A Critical Discourse Analysis

The major concern of this research work is to analyze the concepts related to racism and the aftermaths of British colonial rule in India taking into consideration a very distinctive and remarkable work, A Passage to India (1924) by E.M. Forster in which these contemporary issues are discussed. Racism along with the colonialism has been a very integral part of the past and our society which this current study aims to explore. The qualitative method has been employed in this research and for this reason the present research paper is split into two major sections: The first portion investigates the meaning of racism along with colonialism and how people were treated discriminately during the colonial rule of mid of 19th century. The second section explores the concept of racism and colonialism according to E.M. Forster and the societal conditions in which he produced his work. The finding of present study shows that racism and colonialism creates the hatred between the oppressed and the oppressor, people belonging to the oppressors’ league enjoy more opportunities as compared to the oppressed ones and develops various limitations which lead to the creation of discrimination among the people belonging to different races.

(UN) COVERING KARACHI: THE CREATION OF A BRITISH VISUAL LANGUAGE IN SINDH

Karachi, a city of 14000 people, was evolving as an important port for strategic geopolitical reasons and increasing trade at the time of the British conquest in 1843. However, it was not equipped with the infrastructure — such as an all-weather port — required for its continued economic progress. The fort town had a Chabutra (Custom House), shrines, temples, and caravanserais interspersed among the large havelis and houses of Hindu merchants and government functionaries. Neither the fort nor the Chabutra survived British colonial rule in Sindh. In fact, in keeping with their plans for the city, the British demolished these structures fairly early on in their rule of Sindh. The subsequent establishment of British institutions and political infrastructure was reinforced by the construction of buildings and monuments that looked distinctly European in style. This was not only because of the architectural styles employed in these buildings but also in the choice of ornamentation. For example, by patronizing artisans that were well versed in stone engravings and sculpture making, the British shifted attention away from the art of traditional frescoes, painting, and glazed tiles. This paper explores how the Occident imported architectural and visual cultural styles and forms into their colonies to create an entirely new visual language for their colonized subjects in South Asia. It argues that this was done deliberately to ensure political legitimacy in the eyes of their subjects as well as to highlight their own cultural superiority. The lack of native creative expression and the emergence of the modernist movement eventually led to their disappearance from structures built after Independence. This was a colonial project deeply entrenched in discourses of racism and inequality. Keywords: Colonial Architecture, Hegemony, Tradition, Architectural Movements, Colonialism

AVIATION IN INDIA: A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

The history of commercial aviation transport in India started under British rule in the late 1920s. Soon an Indian entrepreneur J.R.D. Tata ventured into commercial aviation to promote Tata Airlines in 1932. In the inter-war period between World War I and World War II, the British Imperial Government viewed air transport as a strategic asset and enterprising promoters (both Europeans and Indians) saw an opportunity for profitable investment. The interests of imperial state and finance capital converged in the emergence of air transport in Asia as elsewhere. After India’s independence from colonial rule in 1947, there was a shift in government policy toward economic protectionism to shield Indian aviation industry from foreign competitions. Republican India nationalized the aviation industry in 1953. In so doing, this study adds to the existing scholarship related to the business history of South Asia and transport history.

FRASER’S HILL 1919 – 2019: REVIEW ON LANDSCAPE’S EVOLUTION AND FEATURES THROUGH ARCHIVAL RECORDS AND SITE OBSERVATION

The creation of the hill station landscape was one of the tangible evidences of British imperialism in Malaya from the late 18th century until 1957. In the past, British expatriates retreated from lowland to higher lands due to their inability to adapt to hot climates and the threat of malaria. However, despite looking at landscapes as colonial remains, hill stations depict the human genius in taking the opportunity offered by the natural environment with specific geographical factors to satisfy one’s needs and bring comfort to their health. Fraser’s Hill is one of the hill stations in Malaysia and is famously known as a tourist’s destination because of its colder climate. Unfortunately, there are unstoppable threats to this landscape and the risk of it being forgotten as a historic landscape. Hence, this paper is objectively to document the history and evolution of Fraser’s Hill landscape and to explore its built environment over a 100-year timeline. These objectives were achieved through a qualitative review of archival documents and on-site observation on Fraser’s Hill. The evolution of Fraser’s Hill proves that this historic landscape is more than just a cold mountainous landscape because it portrays the value of cultural landscapes that deserve to be protected.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE STRUGGLE AGAINST COLONIAL OPPRESSION IN IRELAND AND INDIA THROUGH THE PRISM OF LIAM O’FLAHERTY AND KAMALA MARKANDAYA

Ireland and India, even though geographically and ethnically distant countries, still possess many similarities, mostly related to the fact that they both used to be colonies of the British Empire. Before gaining independence, similarly marked by Partition in both countries, they were battlefields of colonial confrontation, depicted in many literary works. The purpose of this article is to make a comparison by analysing selected novels written by Liam O’Flaherty from Ireland and the Indian-born Kamala Markandaya, which focus on the clash between the coloniser and the colonized in these two countries. The most important point revealed by comparative analysis is that neither O’Flaherty nor Markandaya blindly accuse the coloniser alone for the misery and sufferings of the Irish/Indian people, since they also find fault with their respective governments, aware that progress in their countries can be achieved only as a result of the joint efforts of their governments and peoples.

Communalism Factor in Evolution of Political Situation in British India (1920s-1930s)

This article delves into specific aspects of complex political processes that unfolded in the interwar decades in British India, serving as the foundation for the subsequent decolonization of Hindustan. Drawing from an analysis of documentary sources and literary works, a comprehensive overview is provided regarding the factors shaping Indian communalism and the conceptual perspectives of its proponents during the period under review. The study concludes on the contradictory nature of colonial policy during this period. On one hand, it contributed to the formation of elements of political culture within Indian society and to some extent laid the groundwork for India’s future federative system. On the other hand, its aim was to deepen divisions among various ethno-confessional and social groups of the Indian population to solidify control over a key segment of the British colonial system. The actions of colonial authorities significantly exacerbated relations between key ethno-confessional groups of the Indian population by the late 1930s, setting the stage for the dramatic post-World War II processes leading to the partition of British India into two sovereign entities. The complex relations between these entities largely shape the contemporary character of international relations in South Asia.

Demystifying the First War of Independence of 1857

This research paper ‘Demystifying the First War of Independence of 1857’ is tended to rattle the jinx of not to call it a first war of independence. After the completion of more than 167 years when the most comprehensive and commendable works have been done by the generations of researchers/ historians from different regions of the subcontinent, so, it seems most opportune time to demystify the jinx of First War of Independence’. This paper is attempted to examine and analyze the uprisings in the different regions of the subcontinent simultaneously which lasted more than two years and shook the shackles of the British Empire. Contextually, when most of the regions/castes/ creeds were participating against the white race -the British, hence, it will be most plausible to call it a first war of independence.

An opportunity to be grateful for? Exploring discourses about international medical graduates from India and Pakistan to the UK between 1960 and 1980

IntroductionFollowing India and Pakistan gaining independence from British colonial rule, many doctors from these countries migrated to the UK and supported its fledgling National Health Service (NHS). Although this contribution...

Pacific Perspective: Canada’s Informal Contribution to the Maritime Defence of the British Empire

Pacific Perspective: Canada’s Informal Contribution to the Maritime Defence of the British Empire

Dominant Language, Urbanization and Lexical Depletion of Native Language: A Corpus Linguistics Study

India is home to hundreds of languages. Each Indian language is unique and an identity marker for individuals, communities, and their culture. The English language, though not native to India, has a significant presence in this vast country. One hundred and ninety years of British colonial rule over India had established English as the ‘dominant language’ in the country long ago. Rapid urbanization; and the consequent proliferation of telecommunication networks have further increased its dominance over Indian languages in the last few decades. The heavy code-mixing of English words in the Indian languages is reducing the richness of the vocabulary of the Indian languages by replacing their words with English words, thereby initiating ‘lexical depletion’ based language change in the native languages. This paper is an empirical study to map the code-mixing of English words in the Hindi language and its impact on the Hindi language, as observed in Greater Noida, a town that has seen rapid urbanization since 1991. This paper attempts to explain the implications of code-mixing on the Hindi lexicon by analysing a corpus of spoken language data using corpus-linguistics and computational linguistics methodologies.

Historicizing the carbon forest: colonial residue, scientific forestry and the making of ‘Nigeria’s last rainforest’

ABSTRACT The novelty claims in carbon forestry often obscure the complex histories and the colonial entanglements of carbon forest socioecologies. This paper argues that the conditions of possibility of carbon forestry in ‘Nigeria’s last rainforest’ are tightly linked to the uneven colonial production of forests across Southern Nigeria. Drawing on archival research, ethnographic fieldwork and analysis of program documents and academic literature, the paper unsettles claims of novelty in Nigeria’s carbon forestry by demonstrating the material continuity between colonial forestry and carbon forestry. Focusing on the development of colonial forestry in Southern Nigeria under British colonial rule, the paper traces the coloniality of scientific forestry as a form of environmental rule, and its entanglements with imperial capitalism and presumptions of racial hierarchy. If the success of scientific forestry in Southern Nigeria meant the draining of Nigeria’s forests as timber export, its failure in Cross River paradoxically produced ‘Nigeria’s last rainforest,’ a literal ‘colonial residue’ . In colonial forestry, as in contemporary carbon forestry, a reductionist knowledge of forests, capitalist interests and a racialized global division of labor all interact in consequential ways. The paper concludes that decolonizing Nigeria’s forestry is a precondition for saving its ‘last rainforest.’

Where is the Seeker Who Searches for Another? Decolonial Approaches to Digital Public History

Abstract This article delves into the role of public history within the context of suppressed and erased colonial pasts, underscoring the importance of individuals in actively shaping, uncovering, documenting and disseminating history. The period from the late 1940s–1960s marked a pivotal transition for the British Empire, as numerous colonies gained independence. This shift in sovereignty from colonial rule to sovereign nations unveiled deep apprehensions regarding the potential use of Britain’s historical actions and documents by newly independent governments. Operation Legacy was a clandestine initiative by British colonial authorities to destroy or hide records that could tarnish the British government’s image or compromise secret intelligence. The ethical ramifications of this operation, and its impact on the construction of memory and knowledge, remain a contentious issue for many in former colonies who are still striving to piece together their colonial history and seek justice for past wrongs. By highlighting the experience, methodologies and challenges of the Museum of British Colonialism collective, the article explores what a framework for decolonial public history may look like in a digital age. Decolonial public history requires negotiations that are continuously shaped by interrogating multiple sources, employing multiple mediums, engaging diverse audiences, and constantly reflecting and refining one’s own process and methodology. Inspired by Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s influential work Devil on the Cross, which portrays resistance to colonialism as a communal and interconnected endeavor, the article reflects on the character Wariinga’s query: “Where is the seeker who searches for another?” It concludes with thoughts on how digital public history can achieve decolonial significance and effectiveness, not merely through technological means, but by centering human connections and extensively building communities of practice across multiple frontiers.