Imperialism Research Articles

Interpreting the Blind Man's Garden through a Post-Colonial Lens of Ideological Racism

This research paper explores the novel The Blind Man's Garden through the lens of ideological racism, offering a critical analysis within the framework of post-colonialism. Written by Nadeem Aslam, the novel delves into the complex dynamics of power, identity, and the consequences of Western imperialism in the post-9/11 era. By examining the characters, plot, and themes, this paper aims to unravel the layers of ideological racism prevalent in the narrative and contextualize them within the broader spectrum of post-colonial literature. The term ‘colonialism’ is all about manipulation and oppression over the people of third world countries but post-colonialism, on the other hand is the ‘reaffirmation of colonialism’ through the narratives of colonized people. Now- a-days, post-colonialism is related to trans-nationalism which is all about diaspora and hybridity. This paper explains the same traces of hybridity and diasporic culture through the narration of different characters portrayed in the novel. Moreover, this paper also gives a clear glance of Nadeem Aslam’s novel The Blind Man’s Garden as the traces of colonialism and imperialism through the lens of ideological racism in the light of Post-Colonial theory as explained by Edward Said (1978) and Bhabha (1994). The Blind Man’s Garden, presents pain, loss and grief of Pakistani community which they suffer at the hands of colonizers after being colonized. The researcher has selected the above- mentioned text to find out the traces of post colonialism to show the basic cause of all the sufferings which Asian community had with them since long after the period of colonialism. For this purpose the researcher has used the qualitative approach to analyze the basic elements of post-colonial literature through the lens of ideological racism in the selected text. The findings of the study indicate that the selected novel exactly explains the perspectives of Post-Colonial theory with reference to ideological racism by highlighting the issues of otherness, third -space hybridity, diasporic feelings and marginality among the aboriginals portrayed in the novel.

Scenarios of Imperial Incorporation of Asiatic Russia within the Discourse of Celebrations Dedicated to the 300<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of Russian Expansion into Siberia (1881–1882)

Based on materials from publications dedicated to the celebration of the 300thanniversary of the Russian expansion into Siberia, the article reconsiders the content of the discourse of celebrations that happened on October 26, 1881, in the capital centers of the Russian Empire, as a promising model for the consolidation of the authorities and society in solving critical issues facing by the government in the eastern outskirts of the empire. The historiographical review reveals that researchers show solidarity in choosing the timing of the anniversary events. The scholars conducted a thorough analysis of the discussions surrounding the determination of the time of celebration in the discourse of authorities and society. They concluded that the debates about the precise dates and years of the “Siberian conquest” were peripheral in nature and not of significant concern in the professional community or public opinion. The study identifies the main “platforms” of the jubilee discourse, as well as the ceremonial and storytelling aspects of the commemoration, dominated during the celebration of the Russian Expansion into Siberia, in the context of formulating and translating the current imperial scenarios to incorporate Asian Russia into the general imperial space. It has been established that the ceremonial components of the jubilee discourse outlined the priorities of the imperial center in making decisions of a colonization nature. The narrative part of the discourse showcased the willingness and ability of the authorities to engage with the social forces. This was particularly evident in the discussion and formulation of the programmatic narrative, which focused on the inclusion of Asian territories in the empire. The discourse emphasized the paramount importance of connecting the European and Asian parts of Russia by rail and introduced flexible algorithms for resolving foreign issues. Furthermore, the discourse aimed to reduce the share of exile as a tool of colonization and promote government-level involvement in the resettlement process.

Private Associations or Public Bodies? The Gerousiai of the Greek Cities in the Imperial Period

The article explores the position of the Gerousia in the associative universe of the Greek cities of the Imperial period. The first section examines the public dimen- sion of the Gerousia, as it emerges from its interaction with the civic institutions, the local notables and the imperial power. The second section focuses on the Gerousia’s sim- ilarities with private associations, both in their organizational form and in several of their activities, such as the protection of graves and the administration of funerary endowments. The third section draws a comparison between the public role of the Gerousia and that of private associations. Finally, the last section proposes a taxonomy of the various corporate bodies of the Greek polis in relation to their access to events, acts and symbols that expressed the sovereign power of the civic community and its collective identity. In these terms, the Gerousia occupied an impressively high position which brought her very close to the Council and the People.

A “pre-traumatic stress syndrome”: trauma and war in Elizabeth Bowen’s The Last September and The Heat of the Day

AbstractAs a modernist writer writing through the two World Wars and witnessing the decline of British imperial power through the decay of her own class, the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy, most of Elizabeth Bowen’s (1899–1973) writing is that of trauma. Many critics have suggested that modernist writing provides a response to the traumas of the era and resonates with the Freudian model of trauma, which regards the syndrome of traumatic events as post-traumatic. This essay challenges the previous studies regarding modernist writing of trauma as post-traumatic, by introducing Saint-Amour’s concept of a “pre-traumatic stress syndrome” to study Bowen’s two novels about wars, The Last September and The Heat of the Day. The essay holds that in Bowen’s writing, anticipation and anxiety arising before the war can also inflict psychic damage, just like the actual war. The essay demonstrates how Bowen’s writing about wars adds a new approach to literary trauma studies, which have concentrated almost solely on the aftermath of catastrophes or violence. Interpreting Bowen’s writing as pre-trauma not only provides a better understanding of the psychological condition of people during the wars but brings a new perspective to trauma studies as well.

Decolonization Debacle: The Bane of Sustainable Development Attainment in Nigeria

Colonization, an imperial conquest of native lands by European countries, became an epoch-making, monumental highlight in the historical development of third-world countries. There is no gainsaying that the colonial exercise did more evil than good for the colonized world. The decolonization of Africa and other colonized areas of the world was a slow process that was triggered by the First and Second World Wars. The devastating effects of the two wars on the economies of the West, coupled with the native resistance from the colonies, made colonialism impracticable. Hence, the European imperialist states were faced with no other choice than to relinquish their dominance in their colonies. Nigeria, which finally, attained independence in 1960, tailored its national development policy along the welfarist paradigm. In 1987, Nigeria joined the rest of the world in subscribing to the ideology of sustainable development by partaking in the World Commission on Environment and Development summit. The realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) became entrenched in national developmental planning after Nigeria attended the Sustainable Development Conference held by the UN in 2012. However, following the years of decolonization, Nigeria has grappled with developmental challenges and appeared to be in reverse gear in the developmental process. The post-colonial upheavals and mismanagement of Nigeria became a glaring feature, thus having far-reaching consequences on her development strides. This begs the question as to what and how the decolonization exercise benefitted Nigeria. Therefore, this study examines the decolonization dilemma of Nigeria and how it has hampered Nigeria’s chances of attaining sustainable development. The study employed a qualitative and expository analysis in examining the effect of the decolonization process on the attainment of the SDGs. The study builds on data from a range of published and unpublished sources. It was concluded in the study, that the climate that arose from the decolonization process had not enhanced the actualization of sustainable development in Nigeria. Among the suggestions in the study includes retracing the decolonization steps taken thus far and redefining how Nigeria can be rid of the legacies and traces of colonialism so as to set out on a steady drive toward attaining sustainable development.

Qing China and Its Offshore Islands in the Long Eighteenth Century

AbstractA significant paradigm shift in the examination of China’s engagement with the maritime world has taken place over the past decade. The conventional image of the Qing dynasty in the long eighteenth century as being merely land-orientated has now become obsolete. Historians are no longer satisfied with this stereotype and have put aside the conception that the Qing only realized the importance of strategic marine governance after the First Opium War. In view of this historiographical turn, I seek to deepen our understanding of the Great Qing in relation to the sea. By focusing on a series of sea charts, alongside some relevant palace papers, from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, I will argue that the Qing’s process of locating and charting those offshore islands was an essential, indicative, and demonstrative step for the central authority to project its imperial power onto the waters off the coast of China long before the arrival of Western gunboats in the age of global rivalry.

Are tradition and modernity antagonistic? Ambedkar in and against the postcolonial project

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to demystify the antagonistic relationship between modernity and tradition as construed by Ashis Nandy. As a prominent voice in postcolonial scholarship, Nandy saw modernity as a colonial conception of rights, self, and society. Nandy’s critique of modernity laid the grounds for several projects that rejected the modern consensus for its colonial origins. Juxtaposing Nandy’s reiteration of early anti-modern nationalist thought with a multi-dimensional reading of colonial modernity in contemporary Ambedkarite scholarship, this paper explores the ambivalences of negotiating modern liberalism in a postcolonial order of hierarchical group identities. Despite the close imbrication of modernity with the imperial centre, Ambedkarite scholarship demonstrated how B.R. Ambedkar, synthesized a middle ground, where he incorporated the promise of modernity to liberate the ‘individual’ without dismissing the ‘communal’ collective self, construed by traditions. While postcolonial scholarship is heterogeneous, following Nandy, huge postcolonial melancholia has conflated modernity with coloniality. How do we rethink postcolonial theory from its current culturalist posturing to (re)claim the emancipatory potential of both modernity and tradition? Could it be that Nandy’s anxiety and discomfort with modernity fail to ‘contemporise theory’?

Contesting monuments, challenging narratives: Divergent approaches to dealing with the colonial past and its legacies in Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal was the longest modern European imperial power, yet the dominant historical narrative is characterised by a celebration of the ‘Discoveries’ and a denial of colonial violence. This is visible in Lisbon's public space, dotted with monuments and statues glorifying the imperial past, while occluding less convenient histories. Especially since 2017, more attention has been given to Portugal's colonial past in public debates. Various initiatives have stimulated discussions about this past, while highlighting socio-cultural issues connected to these histories that continue to affect Portuguese society today. These have contested certain monuments and the narratives they embody, as well as created alternative narratives regarding the public space and cultural memory. This article compares a selection of recent interventions that contest monuments and dominant narratives about Portugal's colonial past. We look at the ways in which certain spaces and monuments become zones of contestation, and how such contestation not only contributes to changing dominant narratives, but also to resignify such spaces and structures. Our goal is to shed light on the variety of agents working towards a change of narrative regarding Lisbon's public space and memory, while reflecting on the socio-political meanings surrounding the presence and absence of monuments related to the colonial past.

Hungarian Geography between 1870 and 1920: Negotiating Empire and Coloniality on the Global Semiperiphery

Going beyond the conventional approach that locates imperial geographies at either the center or periphery of overseas colonization, this article focuses on coloniality in fin de siècle Hungary to examine the complex negotiation of the colonial project on the global semiperiphery. As a junior partner in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Hungary was simultaneously both an object of Western Europe’s orientalizing gaze and an agent of its own civilizing mission on the nation’s periphery and in the Balkans. Adopting a decolonial framework, we investigate how Hungarian geographers fit themselves into the colonial paradigm and examine their shifting and ambiguous relationship to colonial notions. Beginning with the institutionalization of Hungarian geography in the 1870s and ending with the collapse of Austria-Hungary after World War I, we explore this evolving relationship in light of three factors: (1) the attitudes of Hungarian geographers toward Western imperialism in general and Austro-Hungarian imperialism in the Balkans in particular; (2) the diverse perspectives of Hungarian geographers as thinkers embedded in an epistemic community on the global semiperiphery; and (3) their perspectives on ethno-nationalist conceptualizations of national space. Offering critical insight into the history of fin de siècle Hungarian geography, our study also opens the possibility for comparative discussions regarding the semiperipheral coloniality of other broadly similar cases and the decolonizing of semiperipheral geographies and their pasts.

Arab World in Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin: Making Visible the Idea of Terra Nullius

The nineteenth- and twentieth-century European texts on “unfamiliar” parts of the world were injected with the idea of terra nullius (more pernicious than its legal and military implications) to justify European imperialism. It is a projection of “diffusionism,” which intends to theorize how the “outside” world lacks indigenous geography, history, or culture. In this context, this article takes up Georges Remi Hergé’s representations of the Arab world in The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Red Sea Sharks, Cigars of the Pharaoh, and Land of Black Gold to identify traces of the idea of terra nullius albeit it was not legally applied on the land and its people.

Roman Centurions as Agents of Imperial Power: Delegated Authority and Judicial Functions

This article explores the influential role of the Roman centurions in the provincial government of the Roman Empire by analyzing their judicial and administrative powers. The results of modern historiographical research show that the military institution was closely intertwined with the Roman “government without bureaucracy:” the provincial governors’ offices were mainly staffed by military personnel and headed by the first cohort’s centurions. However, their administrative functions, although crucial in governing the provinces, have been insufficiently studied. The judicial power of the centurions has been viewed by scholars in two different ways: either as detrimental to the central government due to possible abuse by military personnel or as exceptional because it was not needed in the Romanized and urbanized areas of the empire. Here, based on the epigraphic evidence and papyrus data, the judicial and administrative duties of the centurions, including those delegated by the Roman imperium’s holders, are considered. Their involvement in the work of the municipal authorities is discussed. The conclusion is made that it was quite common for the centurions to hold extra managerial powers. In many cases, this was deemed legitimate as it did not contradict Roman law and stemmed from the long-established Roman practices.

Across the Atlantic: morbidity, geography, and the eighteenth-century French Atlantic slave trade

ABSTRACT In 1765, enslaved Africans boarded the Roi Guinguin in Badagry as part of a restitution agreement between a Nantesian slave trading company and an African ruler. These captive Africans endured treacherous journeys from West Africa’s interior to Badagry, then Príncipe, then toward Saint Domingue before being rerouted to Cayenne in Guyane (French Guiana), and then the Îles du Salut for a smallpox quarantine. The captain of the Roi Guinguin and French imperial officials’ fears of smallpox outbreaks and other contagious diseases prompted them to halt and reroute the voyage to refreshment centers and quarantines along the West African and South American coasts. The African captives took these stopovers as opportunities to flee and otherwise resist their enslavement. The enslaved Africans felt West African and European imperialism and commerce come to bear on and in their bodies as slave traders and colonial officials exploited the African and South American coastal geography.

Terraforming Yemen: Geoeconomic imperialism, the UAE and the southern secessionists

This article argues that the intervention in Yemen (2015–present) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) exemplified a new phenomenon, of postmodern small-state imperialism enabled by globalized, extra-European capital flows. The particular tactic deployed for these imperial purposes was terraforming, which had a tangible effect on the country’s geopolitical map. It involved a complex web of ground troops, support for surrogates and mercenaries, economic investments, and strategic concentration on securing the entire Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden littoral. This effort had the positive goal of securing westward oil exports by the UAE and of creating a marine security environment conducive to Emirati administration of the port of Aden. Especially post-2019, it is argued, the UAE did not merely opportunistically pursue its STC policy under the wings of Saudi Arabia but rather confronted its larger partner, bombing Saudi proxies at key moments and acting more like a rival than a bandwagoning ally. This Emirati enterprise was shaped by the interests of Abu Dhabi and its local proxies rather than by US or European imperialism, though it sufficiently accorded with US policy to receive no pushback from Washington.

Benjamin Franklin and the Poetics of the New Diplomacy

Abstract: This essay interprets the literary means Benjamin Franklin used in establishing a novel style of diplomatic representation. This style dispensed with much, but not all, of the ritual of what was then regarded as the old, European diplomacy in which diplomatic actors performed the dual role of representation, being both representative and representational; that is, as both spokespeople for, and emblems of, their national cause. Through them one is able to detect the interweaving of existing diplomatic standards and protocols in a self-consciously New World vocation with its own demands for recognition from the imperial center.

Justice in the Policy of Legal Acculturation of Siberian Peoples (First Half of the 19th Century)

The article examines the issue of extending Russian legal standards to the indigenous population of Siberia through the jurisdictional activities of imperial authorities. At the same time, an acculturation model is used to explain the relations between the imperial center and the internal peripheral regions and outskirts of the state, which previous historiography has not dealt with. The scientific analysis was carried out using regulatory legal acts and office documentation, mainly re-extracted from domestic state archives. Government measures aimed at the legal acculturation and integration of Siberian indigenous peoples into the general imperial legal system through the use of flexible forms of judicial system and legal proceedings are considered. The living conditions of the “foreigners” had significant geographical, cultural, and economic differences. This was taken into account by the imperial legislator, who offered the aborigines extraordinary bodies of justice. However, social life made traditional forms of court extremely viable, which, together with other factors, increased the diversity of judicial institutions and procedures in the Siberian macro-region.

One Hundred Years after Lenin: The Necessity for a Leninist Global Strategy

Resistance to unipolar hegemony exists, but that resistance must be global. It can be globalized (just as the war against Russia is globalized) only if Russia supports that resistance, sometimes as vanguard and sometimes as rearguard. Leninist methodology demands grasping the greater Middle East as the weakest link in the chain of Western imperialism and doing everything possible to strengthen counter-hegemonic national liberation struggles everywhere.

Ideology and economic change the contrasting paths to the modern economy in late 19th century China and Japan

This paper revisits the old theses of the contrasting paths to modernization between Japan and China. It develops a new analytical framework regarding the role of ideology and ideological change—Meiji Japan's decisive turn towards the West pitted against Qing China's lethargic response to Western imperialism—as the key driver behind these contrasting paths. Our framework and historical narrative highlight the contrast between Tokugawa Japan's feudal, decentralized political regime and Qing China's centralized bureaucratic system as a key determinant driving the differential patterns of ideological realignment. We argue that the 1894–95 Japanese naval victory over China could not be justified under the prevailing Imperial Chinese ideology and thus served as the catalyst for China's subsequent ideological transformation, which occurred via borrowing Japan's successful Meiji reforms of both institutions and ideology. Our analytical framework, developed from a comparative historical narrative, sheds new insights on the importance of ideology and ideological change for our understanding of political and economic change.

Медийно-публицистический контекст очерка А.А. Блока «Последние дни императорской власти»

The article examines the media background on which A. Blok’s essay “The Last Days of Imperial Power” was created, which was the result of his work as part of the Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry. Structural and meaningful similarity with the book by S.Ya. Streich “The Last Days of Nicholas II. Official Documents. Eyewitness accounts”, written in 1917, remained out of sight of the researchers. An analysis of the concepts of chronotope, beginning, architectonics is given. The documents presented in both essays are considered. The style differences between Streich and Blok’s essays are described. Streich is a publicist. Blok’s essay has the perspective of an art-documentary genre that will spread widely in the 20th century. Excerpts from Blok’s diary are given, in which what he saw while working in the Peter and Paul Fortress develops into sketches, and artistic images are outlined. A source is being established that A. Blok used when publishing a letter from Grand Prince Alexander Mikhailovich is being established. The origins of the original title of Block’s essay and the reason for its change are considered. A hypothesis has been proposed about the origin of phraseologism ‘old mode’. It is concluded that Blok’s essay was formed in an active information environment saturated with journalism, genuine documents and testimonies of contemporaries. Many works of this time echo meaningfully. There was a mutual influence — both materials and methods of their submission were used. But regardless of the direct influence of specific works on each other, the authors lived in a significant turning point, generating typological forms of reflection of what is happening.

Луганські землі у складі Кальміуської паланки Запорізької Січі у XVIII ст.

Purpose. On the basis of analysis of sources and scientific works of Ukrainian historians, consider the historical development of the lands of the modern Luhansk region, which in the XVIII-th century were part of the Kalmius Palanka of Zaporizka Sich. Methods. Historical-comparative, historical-systemic, historical-typological. The results. Shown the process of formation and socio-economic development of the cossack settlements of the Luhansk Region, which were part of the Kalmius Palanka in the XVIII-th century. Separately considered the forcible incorporation of these territories into the Russian Empire at the end of the XVIII-th century, and highlighted the contradiction between the Russian imperial power and the Ukrainian population of Luhansk region. Conclusions. During the XVIII-th century the south of the modern Luhansk region was the territory of the dynamic development of Cossack settlements that were part of the possessions of Zaporizka Sich. Here was actively developed agrarian commodity production This process was interrupted due to the capture of these lands by the Russian Empire, which, having declared them part of the „Wild Field”, initiated their transfer to Russian landlords and foreign settlers. The importance of the Ukrainian population was neutralized by a complex of socio-economic and political measures of St. Petersburg, which began to be implemented at the end of the XVII-th century.

EXPLORING THE CULTURAL SEMANTIC EVOLUTION OF THE COLOUR WORD "PURPLE"

This paper takes colour word as the window to explore the semantic evolution process of "purple" in Chinese, analyzes the use of ancient literature works and modern Chinese, and combs the "purple" colour from its initial symbolic meaning to the multi-level meaning in different cultural contexts today. The study found that in ancient times, "purple" had a lofty symbol in religion, politics and social status, and was often related to imperial power and holiness, while in the modern context, purple was more integrated into daily life, showing the transformation of aesthetic and personalized. Through the comprehensive analysis of semantics and cultural linguistics, this paper reveals the dynamic changes of "purple" in different periods and contexts, and how this change reflects the changes of social culture.