The British Empire

The British empire was made up of colonies,

protectorates and other territories, which were
under the sovereignty of the British Crown and
the administration of the British government.

The rise of the British Empire

• began in the 16th century
• sea power
-> commercial and naval supremacy
-> British ships explored different parts of the world
•
The Triangel trade
complex training system developed in
enslaved Africans
• land was taken and colonies were founded raw materials
• British influence was developed through trade or the 16th century
military support • between America, Africa and Europe manufactured goods

reasons:
-> lust for economic, political and military power
• economic interests and greed
• search for raw materials/ metals
• trade= profit
the largefl empire the world had ever seen
At its height at the end of the 19th century, the British empire covers nearly one quarter
of the worlds land area and included more than a quarter of the total population.

First British empire(1607-1776) Second British empire

The british defliny •

•
navel power
success in wars against Spain and France
•
•
trade with cotton, spices and tea
secure the trade routes over sea
moral mission to civilise the world • Endet with American Independence • idea of imperialism
 included countries
oll over the world
The British Empire The empire ruled over a largest colonial
quarter of the worlds empire in history
population

The extent of the British

The British Raj rule and its consequences
The British Raj refers to the British colonial empire
on the Indian subcontinent between 1885 and 1947. maritime and commercial
supremacy
influence
• was founded after the suppression of the Indian rebellion
of British culture
• Queen Viktoria became the empress of India
of British politics
India was considered the most important British colony, because languarge
of its location in the east and the opportunities for trade.

The legacy of the empire •

The decline of the empire
due to the circumstances after world war 1 and 2 the British empire
• huge impact on the entire world (globalisation) had to declare a lot of power

• english speaking countries: North America and Australia -> Britain was exhausted and bankrupt
• gradual loss of colonies
• politics: large parts of Africa and Asia are influenced by
British systems -> national movements and the desire of independence
• in the 19th century some parts of the empire became dominions
• faith in good : christianity in many parts of the world

But there are also the negative aspects:

Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations was formed in 1949 to maintain
People living in countries taken into the empire often lost lands
an association between countries that had once been part of the
and suffered discrimination and prejudice.
British colonies, but which were considered 'free and equal'

Mahatma G!dhi
Primary leader of Indians
non- violent independence
movement against British rule
Short biografie
• Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India.
• his father and grandfather were both Diwas (Prime Minister)
• the family belonged to the class of merchants
• ->BANIA- KASTE was respected
• Was married at the age of 13
• Studied law in London.
• Lawyer in South Africa, where he fought for the rights of the Indian
community living there.
• Returned to India and led the Indian independence movement against
British colonial rule.
• Advocate of nonviolence and civil disobedience inspired by Hindu and
Christian ethics.
• Was arrested and imprisoned several times.
• Worked for reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims.
• Was murdered by a fanatical Hindu on January 30, 1948.

His philosophy of nonviolent resistance

Mahatma Gandhi was an important
had a major impact on the Indian
political leader and activist in India.
independence movement.

He led a nonviolent
movement against British rule in
India known as the
Gandhi is often referred to as the "Satyagraha Movement."
Gandhi was instrumental in the
Father of the Nation and is considered
formation of the Indian national
congress and became one of its most one of the most significant figures in
prominent members. India's history.
His work and involvement
He organized numerous protests, helped bring the world's attention to the Indian
demonstrations and strikes to protest British independence movement and increased pressure
rule and demand Indian independence. on the British Empire.
verbal attacks
shooting ! eleph!t- cultu"l encoun#rs
open tension and
Atmosphere hostility
elephant
captivity
imperialism
Burmese make life
and work miserable he is loathed by
the Burmese
crisis of
police man
Topics conscience
British against
Burmese Characters struggle with
protagonist hates
what he is doing
burmese oppression authority pride

in Burma/Myanmar/India

initial conflict
Resulting conflict
shooting ! eleph!t
Sefiing from George Orwell he hates the empire
that he serves
sympathizes with
the oppressed
19th century
despotic government expectations

Decisive events
during the time of British
Imperial Leadership in India
mud
narrator finds dead man
Problems
they face:
-> killed by the elephant (rage)

Living Conditions narrator sees the elephant violence

intimidation
grazing peacefully
poverty (huts) oppressed helplessness
decides to shoot it
even if he want not to
soggy paddy fields
support imperialism indirectly
 shooting ! eleph!t- cultu"l encoun#rs
protagonist about/of:
Gut zu wissen:

the imperialism
Imperialismus:
-T
• Imperialism is an ,,evil thing” which turns
people bad, Als Imperialismus bezeichnet man das Bestreben eines
• he is secretly against the British, thinks of Staatswesens bzw. seiner politischen Führung, in anderen Ländern
them as oppressors oder bei anderen Völkern politischen und wirtschaftlichen
• his work is ,,dirty work” Einfluss zu erlangen, bis hin zu deren Unterwerfung und zur
• views the Raj as ,,an unbreakable tyranny” Eingliederung in den eigenen Machtbereich

the Burmese
• sympathizes with the oppressed Burmese he notices that
the elephant he sees the
• but he hates ,,the evil spirited beasts” who keep
killed a person peaceful

.
him from doing his job
elephant
end of the story
he was told
The Burmese about: about the

the protagonifl damage the

elephant the crowd want
him to shoot it
• they hate everyone British caused
• particularly British officials and policemen
• they show this openly the protagonists chancing
 shooting ! eleph!t- cultu"l encoun#rs

symbol of the elephant Arguments for kiing the elephant

represents the effect of colonialism on both the
colonizer and the colonized
> he has destroyed property and the Burmese are helpless
> elephant killed a man

Elephant Empire
imperial giant, destroying and
> pressure from the inhabitants

> rifle gives him power and authority

as a giant
terrorizing

S
> he is expected to shoot
> does not want to be laughed at
many people died because of it, people
killed a men are weak against both, no way to fight
against the British, out of control

empire alive = powerful

Arguments againfl kiing the elephant

alive one small blow has big impact,
raided economy

slow death of the British: ideals and power,

slow death > elephant is not a wild elephant (currently grazing peacefully)
inability to act of the empire at the end of its
existence > the protagonist does not have the intention tho shoot
> working elephants are expensive
as Burmese are subordinated to the empire, > feels like it would be murder to shoot the elephant
subordinated Burmese are innocent, people can’t live in
& innocent freedom
 The whi# m!'s burden
The way to civilization?
How they are:
civilization?
• best ye breed
lack of
• is patient knowledge and education superstition
• works for natives, selfless oppresion control, inequality, power
THE • many will die trying to help the native ( mark them with vice
slavery
WHITE your dead)
ignorance
• will not receive reward/ thanks for his work, but rather
MAN blame and hate of the natives
brutality force, violence

feeling of superiority cannibalism

• must help the natives (dare not stoop to less) cruelty
• should set an example for the natives by they say and do
barbarism

• white man’s captives

• fluttered and wild
NATIVE
POEPLE
•
•
•
sullen
half evil, half child
need to be spoken to simply; lessons must be repeated
the poem
often -> unintelligent - deals with the imperial consciousness/mentality at that time
• will undo the white man’s progress because they are lazy
and heathen - the poem generally Opfers a representation of European view
• unthankful towards the white man (blame and hate) -> it was the Eurpeans right to colonize

• is an “ Exil” for the white man - colonialism is never for the benefit of the colonized
• heavy harness for the white man
• function: to reduce natives’ terror and pride -> system of violence, control, domination
COLON- • savage wars of peace
• to fight famine, sickness
IALISM • not about an ,,iron rule of kings”, but rather tedious, - superiority
menial Labour (toil of serf and sweeper)
- majority of Bristish people are still proud of the colonialism
• white man bulids ports and roads for the natives
- colonies were robbed of their native education
+ were made ashamed of their traditions
 Vocabulary -

The British Empire Shooting an elephant Mahatma Gandhi

colony: Kolonie boggy: sumpfig independence : Unabhängigkeit

protectorate: Schutzgebiete miry: schlammig resistance: Widerstand

territory: Gebiet mahout: Trainer & Hüter eines Elefanten non- violent: Gewaltfrei

sovereignty: Oberhoheit basar: Outdoor Marktplatz, Einkaufsviertel reconciliation : Versöhnung

raw material: Rohstoffe

overseas settlement: Siedlung in Übersee
navel power: Seemacht
the withe mans burden
captive sb.: Gefangener nought: null
rule: (Regel) hier -> Herrschaft
fluttered: nervös, unruhig toil (fml.): Arbeit
the (british) Raj: britische Kolonialzeit in Indien
sullen: mürrisch, weil jemand dir to reap: ernten
(to) reign: herrschen
gegenüber unfair ist bondage: Gefangenschaft
empress: Kaiserin
weariness: Erschöpfung serf: Leibeigne
mistreatment: schlechte Behandlung
to abide: aufrechterhalten ungrudged: ohne Neid
dominions: Herrschaftsgebiet
threat: eine mögliche Gefahr to be edged with: umrandet zu werden mit
decline: Niedergang/ Zerfall
famine: Hungersnot honours: Ehre
rise: Aufstieg
legacy: Erbe folly(fml.): Dummheit