Recently I got viewed the online Album of one of my friends who is in England at present, on behalf of his software company. I couldn’t remain without admiring the excellent infrastructure and beautiful environment there. Even the trees and grasses seemed more civilized than this part of the world. Most of us, at some point of time, must have appreciated the European countries for the progress they have made. They are developed nations in every sense. But few of us take note of the fact that European prosperity of today is built upon the countess exploitation, both mineral and human, in the Africa, Asia and America of yesterdays.
Even today, many of the Asian and African countries are debt ridden. They are deeply in debt of Europe. Doesn't it sound amazing? The European countries exploited these very Asian and African countries for such a long time, extracting incalculable wealth of natural resources and caused so much human losses. But today, the very same exploited countries, which fed the European factories and decorated wardrobes and crowns, are in debt of these very European nations! What an irony!
Here is how it unfolded. England, in the 16th century was a poor country. But the things changed once it realized the importance of overseas colonies. The rise of the European empires began with the naval explorations. Most of the expeditions initially were commercial, but gradually they grabbed political powers. During the Seven Years’ War the British defeated the French at the Plains of Abraham and captured all of New France in 1760, giving Britain the control over a great part of North America. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the colonial wealth made Britain the richest and most powerful nation in the world. In its peak (1921), the British Empire covered a quarter of the world's population and a quarter of the earth's surface area. Also, the East India Company was the most powerful private company in history.
Did you ever wonder why Industrial revolution happened in the West? It was made possible and supported by the abundant minerals and numerous slaves, all taken from the colonies. Africa gave her palm oil, petroleum, copper, chromium, platinum, gold, sugar, coffee, cotton and tobacco while America gave her silver, tobacco, cotton, rice and fur. Above all, Africa gave continuous supply of slaves to the British, until the Britain banned the slave trade in 1807. By this time, Britain was no longer dependent on the slaves, the technology had developed and other commercial activities were more profitable. The English banking and insurance industry, ship building works, wool and textile manufacturing plants, copper and iron smelting industries, and the cities of Bristol, Liverpool and Glasgow, these all developed because of the slave 'plantations'. Joseph Inikori in his book "Africans and the Industrial Revolution in England" writes how African consumers, free and enslaved, nurtured Britain‘s infant manufacturing industry. Naturally, the power of the empire started diminishing after it lost 13 American colonies after American Revolution during 1775-81. Lost of India, the colony that British Prime Minister Disraeli had once called the "jewel in the crown of England", had also massive economic consequences for England. Dependence on India alone can be estimated from the fact that in the 1880s India bought nearly one fifth of British exports. As Winston Churchill said, India made the difference between Britain being a first and a third rate power. Today we don't count England in the world's super powers. Asian and African countries had nature's blessings but were deprived (read looted) of the prosperity that could have achieved.
If you want an account of the amount of wealth looted from the colonies, read this: When Lord Robert Clive returned to England in 1760, he had with him 2,30,000 in Dutch bills, 41,000 in bills on the Company, 30,000 in diamonds, 7,000 in bills on a Company director and 5,000 in bills on the Company in Bombay. Even the subalterns in his army had received 5,000 after the battle of Plassey (1757). All this was of course from the resources of India. Between 1757-65 an estimated total of Rs. 2,000,000 was paid out in the form of gifts by various Indian aspirants to the Nawabi. Apart from gifts incomes were generated by accepting bribes as well. Those in positions like the Bengal Councilor, James Johnston, the Commander-in-Chief, Richard Smith, Sir Thomas Rumbold, Resident in Patna, retired to take home money to the tune of 3,00,000, 2,50,000 and 2,00,000 respectively. The Koh-i-Noor was confiscated at the conclusion of the Sikh war (1840). I plan to write more on the loot from India after some "search and research" in coming weeks.
What to blame for the poor state of affairs in Asian and African countries? Many of you can credit the weak governments, inefficient economies, excess population, harsh climate, etc for that. But then you undermine the fact that their present weak condition is a direct result of centuries of slaving, colonial exploitation, cultural humiliations, and the divide and rule policies of the British and European rulers. For example, even when the Britain and France left their colonies, they had Idi Amin come to power in Uganda through British covert actions. Also, Nigeria‘s generals were supported and manipulated from 1960 onwards in support of Britain‘s oil interests. There are people who believe that the tragedy of Mugabe and others is that they learned too well from the British how to govern without real popular consent, and how to make the law serve ruthless private interest. The partition of India into two, in the name of religion, not only made an ever lasting scar by partition violence, but the present situation is leading to generations of hatred between the two.
To think that the European nations have forgotten their black (or white?) past completely is not true. As a matter of fact, even today there are custodial deaths of Black people in mysterious circumstances in police or prison custody. The G-8 is still an all-white club. On the question of representation of developing nations in the Security Council, they are all one.
While visiting the age old Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, or the ruins of a Buddhist Stupa near my home town, I realize the rich tradition and the prosperous land where once my ancestors lived. And while visiting these very places, a European tourist may realize the richness of the colonies once their forefathers ruled over.
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