history about the rise and fall of british

The main thesis of this book seems to be that British imperialism is very different from any other imperialisms before it. The author prefers to use the terms “Empire project” and “British world system” rather than Empire and imperialism. It is rather a kind of liberal imperialism of free trade. The British Empire is not a planned project with a coherent vision that was willed and ruled from London but it is rather an unplanned organic mix of disparate “empires” and interests of various classes shaped by the wider geopolitical factors over which the British had little control.

He states the three important parts of the empire as the dominions of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa which were mainly promoted by the settler working class people. The commercial empire pioneered by the enterprising merchant classes in search of new markets and resources that made London the entrepot of global trade. The Indian sub-empire where direct control and coercion was asserted and which provided the market for the British produce, military strength and also the important geographical centre from which to assert their influence on the rest of Asia. The takeover of India by the East India Company also primarily started as a commercial project.

He provides a lot of insight into the role the settler states and their loyalty that came from a shared racial British identity. While this assertion of loyalty to the empire was strongest in Australia and New Zealand, Canada was a bit different with the French speaking Quebec who wanted nothing to do with the British Empire. South Africa was probably the loosest tie because of its racial tension among the Boer, English and the blacks.

The section on India cast an important light on how the cooperation of the local elites and the internal divisions between the local nationalists was, to maintain the empire. The white racial arrogance and the mistrust of the locals became an important part of ruling India after the sepoy mutiny of 1857. The initial views of INC to build an autonomous state from top down but as part of the Empire. The rise of Gandhi and his cultural nationalism and the non-cooperation movement that almost broke the empire.

He also makes case for how the partition of Africa by various European powers was done mainly to maintain a European balance of power. He focuses on most of these African colonies only after the end of the Second World War. The loss of India after the Second World War led the British to focus on the African colonies to fulfil a similar role as India used to.

The last chapters were revealing as to how Britain tried hard to stay relevant as world power after the Second World War and India became independent. These final chapters relating to the decline are definitely the best part of the book.

An excellent analysis of the Empire and its place in the world politics and the global economy and its decline after the 1930 economic crash. The good thing is that John Darwin writes with an objective focus free of any glorification like in the right-wing histories. Highly recommended to anyone one interested in the subject.
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