THE BRITISH EMPIRE
During the 19th and early 20th centuries the British Empire was the largest empire in history and covered
about a quarter of the world’s land surface with territories on every continent. The British Empire began
with the reign of Elizabeth I. The reason that happened during his reign is that she realized that Britain
could become a powerful nation thanks to the colonization of countries overseas. One of the most
important colonies was India which was called British Place. The British wanted to impose their rule on
India because they were afraid of the strong personality of the Indians. The British government then took
over control of the India sub-continent until 1947 when India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) became
independent. India was considered a jewel because it was full of rare materials such as tea, chocolate and
coffee.
After the 1857 Indian Mutiny, India came under direct rule by Britain and Queen Victoria was crowned
Empress of India in 1877 by the british Prime Minister Disraeli. The British also occupied: Australia and
New Zealand; parts of China – including Hong Kong in 1841; Burma in 1886; Egypt in 1882; Sudan in
1884; South Africa in 1902, after the Boer War. The following years were characterized from the
beginning of nationalism in India, that is beginning to have a sense of nationalism and started for this
reason, the reaction against the British presence through some revolts which were different from normal
revolts because operated by Ghandi leading peaceful revolts, no-cooperation and bloodless.
Between the 1880s and 1890s there was the ‘scramble for Africa’, a race among the European powers to
estabilish territorial rights to those parts of the continent as yet unclaimed. Britain took over Egypt to
protect its routes to India through the Suez Canal in 1882. The Victorians believed that the ‘races’ of the
world were divided by physical and intellectual differences; some were destined to be led by others; it
was an obligation imposed by God on the British to impose their superior way of life, their institutions, law
and politics on native peoples.
During these years it was formed the CommonWealth which was an association of many European
countries, to the which India refused to participate, because she wanted to have her independence, but
independence of the countries that were part of CommonWealth was only on paper but not real. India
gained independence in 1947 with the peaceful march of Ghandi.
1877, Queen Victoria becomes Empress of India
In 1877, Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative Prime Minister, had Queen Victoria proclaimed as Empress of
India. India was already under crown control after 1858, but this title was a gesture to link the monarchy
with the empire further and bind India more closely to Britain. After the queen, her son became Emperor
of India and the title continued unitl India became indipendent in \947.
CHARLES DARWIN AND EVOLUTION
During the second half of the 19th century there were a lot of changes abot scientific achievements,
industrialisation, sexuality and religion. Furthermore, artists and intellectuals were pessimistic and doubt
about the stability of Victorian society. In 1831 Charles Darwin made a journey around the world. He
observed that species change from place to place and through time. In 1859 Charles Darwin published
On the Origin of Species. His theory of natural selection discarded the version of creation given by the
Bible, it seemed to show that the strongest survived and the weakest deserved to be defeated. It stress
on the godless element of chance involved in evolutionary variation. The Philosopher Herbert Spencer
applies Darwin’s ideas to social life: he said that economic competition was the same as natural selection
and the poor and oppressed didn’t deserve compassion.
1871, Darwin’s The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex
Here Darwin developed the Theory of evolution and natural selection according to:
• All living creatures have taken their forms through a slow process of change and adaptation in a
struggle for survival;
• Favourable physical conditions determine the survival of a species;
• Unfavourable ones determine its extinction;
• Man evolved, like any other animal, from less highly organised forms, namely from a monkey.
