Identity in Colonial European Empires Culture helps to identify who you are. If your culture is overrun by others who are culturally different, how do you know who you are? Many people in European colonies embraced European culture for a variety of reasons Education: getting a western education set people apart from others Literacy is like a “magic” tool Escaped from forced labor as too valuable to the colonial society Had access to better jobs Could gain elite status and more social mobility

Identity For those who embraced western culture, a great divide opened between them and others in their societies. This was as much cultural as political and social Many educated elites saw colonial rule as a path to a better future with or without the Europeans In India, these elites organized reform movements for Indian society Generally though, these hopes were to be disappointed as more and more people became restive against colonial rule and those who embraced it.

Religion Religion has always been an identifier for human beings, most likely from before history. Christianity, as the religion of Europe (in all its different sects), moved out into the world as the Europeans conquered vast areas. Widespread conversion to Christianity took place in many areas. New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and Non-Muslim Africa were fertile areas for Christianity Circa 1910, 10,000 missionaries had gone to Africa and by the late 20th century Christianity had become the fastest growing and second largest religion in Africa

Religion Why was Christianity so attractive to Africans? Military defeat and conquest shook belief in the old gods Christianity was associated with a modern outlook and education Christianity gave opportunity to women, the poor, and the young; these groups were often marginalized in African society Some issues arose over differences in gender roles and sexual norms Christianity (to be successful) became Africanized in Africa

Religion Much of what had been utilized in animistic and shamanistic rituals remained: charms and “medicine men” still had a role Old gods were demonized but not forgotten Many Africans developed independent Christian churches free of European control in which they could practice the religion as they saw it to be

Religion One area that was imperialized that did not accept Christianity to a great extent was India Christianity had a long history in India (back to 400 CE) but little in the way of followers. This did not change even with the British in charge However, the challenge of Christian missionaries forced Hindu intellectuals and reformers to truly define Hinduism Hindu leaders felt they had things to offer a “spiritually sick” western world New definition of Hinduism also helped to reiterate the Muslims of India as distinctive and “not Indian”

Race and Tribe As stated earlier in Chapter 18, race was a notion propagated by Europeans for their own purposes. This doesn’t mean that colonized peoples couldn’t incorporate this concept on their own. Europeans had also created the idea of ethnicity in places where it had not existed before (see above Hindu vs Muslim) The clearest expression of these concepts can be seen in Africa By 1900 many African thinkers had begun to define an “African” identity

Race and Tribe Africans were united in many ways for the first time by European oppression. Some argued that African culture and history was as complex and intricate and shared values with European history and culture Some praised the differences between the two; others held one up as the most useful; others said both had value By 1950 these ideas had spread throughout Africa Many Africans had served in World War I and many had traveled widely; this allowed them to compare and contrast cultures

Race and tribe For many Africans the most important new identity was belonging to a tribe or ethnic group. Ethnic groups were more clearly defined as Europeans liked to categorized and classify peoples. Africans found ethnic identity useful for many things Unfortunately, along with ethnic and tribal identity, Africans also learned about ethnic hatreds as well. It might be better to say that European exploitation added to pre existing ethnic issues. Colonizers often used tribal and ethnic issues to divide and conquer. When colonies became independent, these issues remained.

Imperialism in the 19th Century So who won? For whom was imperialism and empire building a success? And for whom a failure? Like most questions of this type, the answer is mixed. Some Europeans were broadened and gained a new intellectual and liberal view of the world. Other Europeans were coarsened, and created brutal and unethical racial doctrines and systems Some of the colonized people gained substantially within their own societies due to westernization of education, medicine, and politics. On the other hand, many colonial peoples suffered harshly as a result.