European imperialism was rampant, due in large part to the industrial revolution, and was seen as a way to avoid civil war. It was an attempt to solve the class problem without dealing with the ever-present threat of revolution. Because of the close proximity of each individual country, colonialization in other countries became important as a means of separateness and pride. It was emotionally satisfying as a way of cultural identity. “Europeans developed a secular arrogance that fused with or in some cases replaced their notions of religions superiority” (Strayer 563). Racism increased, but it became couched in terms of cultural achievement. Biologists ranked people in the same way they had been ranking plants and animals. This is how the idea of “other” came about, as it was easy to see other races—people who were simply different—as less developed biologically: “Race, in this view, determined human intelligence, moral development and destiny” (563).
This period saw the fall of China’s imperial state, largely due to population growth. The State couldn’t keep tabs on its citizens, couldn’t collect the taxes, and gangs began to roam the countryside. Peasant rebellion was imminent, with leaders adopting Christianity, one of them claiming to be Jesus’ younger brother. J
The peasants began to think in terms of equalizing wealth and power, but the landowners supported the government and suppressed the rising desire for a shared wealth. Communism therefore would be postponed… China’s civil war had resulted in a loss of 20-30 million lives (566). The abuse of opium became a problem, and while addiction didn’t exactly topple an empire, it did contribute to the weakening of China and its ability to remain a player. In addition to the national problem of substance abuse, China’s import of opium accounted for almost 50% of all products coming in from Britain.
Similar to the dissolution of governmental power in China, the Ottoman Empire suffered as a result of European industrialism. The Empire attempted to make use of European advancements by sending ambassadors to study the innovations developing in the East. The Empire became more secularized, and instituted a prohibition on discriminating based on religion, class, race or language. While equalizing the people, it limited the power of the government to hold off the dilution in the region. As the area became more secularized, the ability of the government to control its people began to crumble.
Japan was able to create their own industrial revolution through a foundation of Confucianism and dedication to education and “defensive modernization,” astounding the rest of the world. An Egyptian nationalist said: “We are amazed at Japan because it is the first Eastern government to utilize Western civilization to resist the shield of European imperialism in Asia” (585).
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