WAW: Lesson - Early Anti-Imperial Movements: Asia

Early Anti-Imperial Movements: Asia

Imperialized peoples did not blindly accept the takeover of their countries by foreign powers. Every step of the way, imperialized peoples fought back, until eventually, most regained their sovereignty. This is called Anti-imperialism. Common methods of Anti-imperialism include military resistance, privately maintaining traditions, and malicious compliance. Additionally, anti-imperialist movements usually fell into 1 of 3 time periods: before World War I, between the wars, or after World War II. This lesson will focus on early anti-imperialism before World War I.

Image note (right): Price's Patent Candle Company Limited provided this image in a 1905 advertisement. It shows Indian Sepoys fighting the British in 1857. The scene is chaotic and a building is on fire behind the fight.

Anti-Imperialism in Asia: India

One of the earliest resistance to imperial rule came from the Indian sepoy (soldiers) hired by the British to maintain order when the Mughal Empire fell. They grew resentful of the pressures to convert to Christianity and being forced to pay high taxes. When a rumor started that the British were deliberately undermining Muslim & Hindu religious practices by including beef & pork fat in their weapons manufacturing, the sepoys revolted in 1857.

Towns, led by leaders like Lakshmibai of Jhansi, joined the Sepoy. But ultimately, the people were not united enough against the British, and the British put down the revolt. However, the British conceded to allow Indians to work in higher governmental offices and to westernize the middle class.

Anti-Imperialism in Asia: China

In China, the Empress ignored the national Opium addiction even as it spiraled into famine. Germany, Spain, France, Japan, and the US all joined Britain in trading with China. “Boxers” (Chinese martial arts fighters) fought against foreign economic & religious influence. They murdered over 30,000 Chinese and European Christians, but the uprising was quelled by a multi-national force (Germany, France, Japan, the USA, Russia, the United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands).

While the Qing Dynasty agreed to make some changes, it was not enough, and in 1911 revolutionaries ended the last dynasty in China’s history.

Image note: Chinese “Boxers” attack the Chinese palace. They are attacked from behind by several European countries. Painting by Torajirō Kasai in 1900, titled: Beijing Castle Boxer Rebellion.

Anti-Imperialism in Asia: Southeast Asia

There was also resistance in Southeast Asia in the 1890s. In Indochina, locals ignored the rules of puppet leaders and secretly followed their own local leaders’ edicts instead. In the Philippines, Emilio Aguinaldo first fought against Spanish rule and declared Philippine independence on June 12, 1898. But at the end of the Spanish-American War (also in 1989), the Philippines was ceded to America, so, the Philippines’ first president, Aguinaldo led the charge against American imperialism in the Philippine-American War. The Philippines would stay under US rule until 1946, but today Filipinos celebrate June 12 as their Day of Freedom.

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