The British Empire and The British Empire and Victorian BritainVictorian Britain

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Sam Alexander’s book cover 1880Sam Alexander’s book cover 1880

Queen Victorian and her Indian servant Abdul Karim Queen Victorian and her Indian servant Abdul Karim (the „Munshi”)(the „Munshi”)

„I am so very fond of him. He is so good and gentle „I am so very fond of him. He is so good and gentle and understanding, and is a real comfort to me”and understanding, and is a real comfort to me”

Map of the British Empire 1888Map of the British Empire 1888

The British Empire in 1939: The British Empire in 1939: dominions, India, dependenciesdominions, India, dependencies

Colonial acquisitionsColonial acquisitions

1819 Singapore 1819 Singapore 1821 Gold Coast 1821 Gold Coast 1829 Western Australia1829 Western Australia1842 Hong Kong 1842 Hong Kong 1846 North Borneo 1846 North Borneo 1886 Burma 1886 Burma 1895 Kenya1895 Kenya1899 Sudan 1899 Sudan

„ „We seem, as it were, to have conquered half We seem, as it were, to have conquered half the world in a fit of absence of mind” (J. the world in a fit of absence of mind” (J. Seeley)Seeley)

„ „The British were not an imperially minded The British were not an imperially minded people; they lacked both a theory of empire people; they lacked both a theory of empire and the will to engender and implement one” and the will to engender and implement one” (Max Beloff) (Max Beloff)

Thomas Jones Barker (1863): Thomas Jones Barker (1863): The Secret of England’s GreatnessThe Secret of England’s Greatness

EmigrationEmigration

Empire: outlet for all sorts Empire: outlet for all sorts 1815-1930: 10 million emigrants from the 1815-1930: 10 million emigrants from the

British Isles British Isles 1830s: 10.000 per month 1830s: 10.000 per month

Ford Madox Ford Madox Brown: Brown:

Last of EnglandLast of England (1852)(1852)

The dwindling of the worldThe dwindling of the world

Phineas Fogg (Phineas Fogg (80 Days Around the World80 Days Around the World, , 1873) 1873)

Lansdowne Bridge, IndiaLansdowne Bridge, India

Lansdowne BridgeLansdowne Bridge

Empire Day (from 1898)Empire Day (from 1898)

Empire day school tableau, with Empire day school tableau, with BritanniaBritannia

Benjamin Benjamin Disraeli and Disraeli and VictoriaVictoria

Abolitionist medallion: Abolitionist medallion: ‘Am I not a man and a brother?’‘Am I not a man and a brother?’

1807: slave trade 1807: slave trade abolished abolished

1814: 750.000 1814: 750.000 signatures signatures

1833: slavery abolished 1833: slavery abolished in the Empire in the Empire

„ „And what should they know of England who And what should they know of England who only England know?” only England know?”

(Rudyard Kipling, „The English Flag”)(Rudyard Kipling, „The English Flag”)

English vs British identity English vs British identity

Victorian England: imperial vision, Victorian England: imperial vision, responsibilityresponsibility

„ „There is a destiny now possible to us, the highest ever There is a destiny now possible to us, the highest ever set befor a nation to be accepted or refused. Will you set befor a nation to be accepted or refused. Will you youths of England make your country again a royal youths of England make your country again a royal throne of kings, a sceptred isle, for all the world a throne of kings, a sceptred isle, for all the world a source of light, a centre of peace and mistress of source of light, a centre of peace and mistress of learning and of the Arts, faithful guardian of timetried learning and of the Arts, faithful guardian of timetried principles? ... This is what England must do or perish; principles? ... This is what England must do or perish; she must found colonies as fast and as far as she is she must found colonies as fast and as far as she is able, formed of her most energetic and worthiest men; able, formed of her most energetic and worthiest men; seizing every piece of fruitful wasteground she can set seizing every piece of fruitful wasteground she can set her feet on, and there teaching these her colonists that her feet on, and there teaching these her colonists that their chief virtue is to be fidelity to their country, and their chief virtue is to be fidelity to their country, and their first aim is to advance the power of England by their first aim is to advance the power of England by land and sea.” (John Ruskin, 1870) land and sea.” (John Ruskin, 1870)

„ „When the contrast between the influence of a When the contrast between the influence of a Christian and a Heathen government is Christian and a Heathen government is considered; when the knowledge of the considered; when the knowledge of the wretchedness of the people forces us to reflect wretchedness of the people forces us to reflect on the unspeakable blessings to millions that on the unspeakable blessings to millions that would follow the extension of British rule, it is would follow the extension of British rule, it is not ambition but benevolence that dictates the not ambition but benevolence that dictates the desire for the whole country. Where the desire for the whole country. Where the providence of God will lead, one state after providence of God will lead, one state after another will be delivered into his stewardship” another will be delivered into his stewardship” (Macleod Wylie, 1854) (Macleod Wylie, 1854)

Material presence of the EmpireMaterial presence of the Empire

Tea, coffee, sugar, silk, spices Tea, coffee, sugar, silk, spices Exotic plants introduced Exotic plants introduced British Museum: full of colonial loot British Museum: full of colonial loot

(Elgin marbles, mummies, Sumerian winged (Elgin marbles, mummies, Sumerian winged bulls, Niniveh stone slabs)bulls, Niniveh stone slabs)

Architecture: ‘colonial style’ Architecture: ‘colonial style’

Colonial Office, LondonColonial Office, London

Chennai (Madras) MuseumChennai (Madras) Museum

Royal pavilion, Brighton Royal pavilion, Brighton

Curzon Hall, DhakaCurzon Hall, Dhaka

Palace of the Mysore maharajahPalace of the Mysore maharajah

Raffles sideboard 1Raffles sideboard 1

Raffles sideboard 2Raffles sideboard 2

Pears soap adPears soap ad

Great Exhibition, 1851Great Exhibition, 1851

Great Exhibition, Egyptian pavilionGreat Exhibition, Egyptian pavilion

Great Exhibition, Great Exhibition, Shakespeare exhibitShakespeare exhibit

Presence of the EmpirePresence of the Empire

Popular culture Popular culture Displays, dioramas, museums, ethnographic Displays, dioramas, museums, ethnographic

collections, zoos collections, zoos Music halls, songs (Music halls, songs (BritanniaBritannia, 1885) , 1885) Theatre melodramaTheatre melodrama School textbooks: the creation of imperial School textbooks: the creation of imperial

heroes heroes

Clive of India, after the battle of Clive of India, after the battle of PlasseyPlassey

Gilbert and Sullivan: HMS Pinafore (1878)Gilbert and Sullivan: HMS Pinafore (1878) He is an Englishman! He is an Englishman! 

For he himself has said it, For he himself has said it, And it's greatly to his credit, And it's greatly to his credit, That he is an Englishman! That he is an Englishman! 

For he might have been a Roosian, For he might have been a Roosian, A French, or Turk, or Proosian, A French, or Turk, or Proosian, Or perhaps Itali-an! Or perhaps Itali-an! 

But in spite of all temptations But in spite of all temptations To belong to other nations, To belong to other nations, He remains an Englishman! He remains an Englishman! He remains an Englishman! He remains an Englishman! For in spite of all temptations For in spite of all temptations To belong to other nations, To belong to other nations, He remains an Englishman! He remains an Englishman! He remains an Englishman! He remains an Englishman! 

Utopia, LtdUtopia, Ltd (1893) King Paramount (1893) King Paramount

David LivingstoneDavid Livingstone

Livingstone weak with Livingstone weak with feverfever

„ „These two pioneers of civilization – These two pioneers of civilization – Christianity and commerce – should ever be Christianity and commerce – should ever be inseparable” inseparable”

(David Livingstone) (David Livingstone)

„„I take a practical mining geologist from the I take a practical mining geologist from the School of Miners to tell us of the Mineral School of Miners to tell us of the Mineral Resources of the country, then an economic Resources of the country, then an economic botanist to give a full reposrt on the vegatable botanist to give a full reposrt on the vegatable productions – everything which may be useful productions – everything which may be useful in commerce. An artist to give the scenery, a in commerce. An artist to give the scenery, a naval officer to tell of the capacity of the river naval officer to tell of the capacity of the river communications and a moral agent to lay the communications and a moral agent to lay the foundation for knowing that aim fully. All this foundation for knowing that aim fully. All this machinery has for its ostensible object the machinery has for its ostensible object the development of African trade and the development of African trade and the promotion of civilization” (David Livingstone, promotion of civilization” (David Livingstone, 1858) 1858)

Stanley finds LivingstoneStanley finds Livingstone

Stanley finds LivingstoneStanley finds Livingstone

General Charles GordonGeneral Charles Gordon

Gordon pashaGordon pasha

„„Gordon’s last stand”Gordon’s last stand”

General Gordon’s statueGeneral Gordon’s statue

Cecil RhodesCecil Rhodes

Cecil RhodesCecil Rhodes

Cecil Rhodes, „the Cecil Rhodes, „the Colossus”Colossus”

Map of Africa 1914Map of Africa 1914

„„We are the first race in the world, and the We are the first race in the world, and the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for the human race.” (Cecil Rhodes) for the human race.” (Cecil Rhodes)

Cecil Rhodes cartoonCecil Rhodes cartoon

The RajThe Raj

Cantonments – ghettoes for the British Cantonments – ghettoes for the British

(clubs)(clubs)

1857: Indian Mutiny 1857: Indian Mutiny

3 myths: Cawnpore, domestic intrusion, 3 myths: Cawnpore, domestic intrusion, Lucknow Lucknow

Allegory of the Indian Mutiny: Allegory of the Indian Mutiny: „The British Lion’s Vengeance „The British Lion’s Vengeance

on the Bengal Tiger”on the Bengal Tiger”

Edward Armitage: RetributionEdward Armitage: Retribution

Cawnpore massacreCawnpore massacre

MutinyMutiny

Doughty, English Homes in IndiaDoughty, English Homes in India

Miss Wheeler defending herselfMiss Wheeler defending herself

LucknowLucknow

T. J. Barker: The Relief of LucknowT. J. Barker: The Relief of Lucknow

„„The Indian Governement never ought to have The Indian Governement never ought to have tolerated the religion of the Hindoos at all. If my tolerated the religion of the Hindoos at all. If my religion consisted of bestiality, infanticide and religion consisted of bestiality, infanticide and murder, I should have no right to it unless I was murder, I should have no right to it unless I was prepared to be hanged. The religion of the Hindoos is prepared to be hanged. The religion of the Hindoos is no more than a mass of the rankest filth that no more than a mass of the rankest filth that imagination ever conceived. The Gods they worship imagination ever conceived. The Gods they worship are not entitled to the least atom of respect. Their are not entitled to the least atom of respect. Their worship necessitates everything that is evil and worship necessitates everything that is evil and morality must put it down. The sword must be taken morality must put it down. The sword must be taken out of its sheath, to cut off our fellow subjects by their out of its sheath, to cut off our fellow subjects by their thousand”. (Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon, 1857)thousand”. (Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon, 1857)

RetributionsRetributions

1826 Zoological Society of London (Stamford 1826 Zoological Society of London (Stamford Raffles, Humphrey Davy etc.) Raffles, Humphrey Davy etc.)

1830 Royal Geographical Society 1830 Royal Geographical Society 1836 Botanical Society of London1836 Botanical Society of London 1843 Ethnological Society of London1843 Ethnological Society of London