The Rise and Fall of British Empire-Lawrence James

History

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire

Lawrence James

 

            This is a stunning history of British Empire, spanning four centuries of Pax Britannica, from the early settlement of North America in Sixteenth century to the Falklands war in the late twentieth century. The scope of the narrative, the sweep and the range are of mammoth proportions and Lawrence James has exhibited a breathtaking proficiency in dealing with such vast subject.

            He begins the story with the settlement of Newfoundland in late sixteenth century. He talks about the reasons for this diaspora, the class of people that were forcefully sent and the Virginian tobacco that redeemed these colonies of their early years of paltry trade. He writes of the hardships the early colonisers faced in this harsh land and the plight of the native Indians; whose land was usurped by the white people from across the seas. He writes about West and East Indies and the sugar boom in these islands which made them so lucrative for the empire. He objectively analyses the growth of slave trade which these colonies engendered in the Atlantic. He is non-partisan and tells the story warts and all. He does not eschew severe criticism of the empire whenever the narrative demands such and seems remarkably poised both in his praise and recriminations. This pattern of unsentimental analyses of the various events, wars and policies which led to the rise and the demise of the Empire is consistently adhered to throughout the book. He discusses lives of the native people that the colonisers came to rule and the new society that so emerged. Thus, the book is not just chronicle of various campaigns, defeats and victories of the Empire but also an analysis of the Empire and its changing face both in Britain and in its colonies.

            Chapters are short, concise and deal with one aspect, thus self-sufficient in themselves, though as is must for the history of such a behemoth subject, each is effortlessly linked with its predecessor and its successor. These are grouped in five parts. Second part deals with the period 1689-1815 which was dominated by the three wars between Britain and France and from which former emerged as the supreme World Power. In this section author also tackles the American War of Independence, establishment of British rule in India and acquisition and settlement of Pacific islands and Australasia. Section ends with Great War fought against revolutionary and Napoleonic France from 1793 to 1815.

            Lawrence James quotes freely from a variety of sources both academic and popular. He often excerpts verses of renowned poets, limericks and folk songs to illustrate the public opinion of the empire both at home and in the colonies and also as a source of information about the ways in which Empire affected the lives of its citizens. Part three deals with the period 1815-1914, the era which saw British Empire at the zenith of its glory. The power and wealth this generated gave a new confidence to the Empire builders and they, as well as the common citizens of Britain, saw themselves as ordained by providence to spread civilisation to all the corners of the world. Spread of democracy in England made it mandatory to obtain a favourable opinion about the empire among the citizens of the country. Government in England renewed its efforts to spread the word about the grandeur of the Empire and how it was spreading light in some of the darkest corners of earth by taking religion, education and trade there and thus improving the lives of the impoverished and ignorant natives. Mr James discusses at length ‘what empire meant’ to the British citizens at different periods of its evolution. He discusses freely, unapologetically and impartially, the issues of racism and imperialism. He writes about the growth of jingoism and strident form of patriotism in this era, the establishment of Public Schools to prepare young boys for their role as the guardians of the Empire in their later lives, where character was given preference over wisdom and knowledge. His views are well informed yet original and his inferences erudite. In this section he also discusses the growth and the changing nature of the Empire in India between 1815 and 1905. This was also the period of establishment of British Supremacy in China and far east and these receive a chapter each as does the involvement of Empire in South Africa and the much written about Boer’s war. In a separate chapter he talks about the consolidation of British hold over Egypt and other African countries along the Nile. This part, the longest in the book also contains a chapter on the spread of empire in the East and West Africa and the empire in the years preceding the Great War.

            Lawrence James has referred a vast number of articles, archives and books and he freely quotes from these in the text. He gives enormous statistics and information, but never do these read tedious. In the fourth part he discusses the two world wars and the ways these affected the Empire and were influenced by it. He talks in a chapter about the Irish problems, the hesitation of dominions in joining the wars which was essentially a war between western powers, the rapidly changing political scene in Egypt and establishment of British colonies in post-First World War period in Middle East and full blooming of Nationalism and freedom movement in India. In this section he again devotes one chapter on the changing image of Empire among its citizens. Was it really ‘For the benefit of every one’, the lofty ideal which most colonisers and British citizen would have liked to believe, guided the governance of this gargantuan organism? This section also sees the author writing on ‘Public Face of Empire’, the propaganda through popular literature, magazines, movies, documentaries and radio that the empire unfurled at home, in the colonies and in the dominions. Post-World War I was also the period when Britain found that its empire had stretched beyond the limit of its capacity. Returns from many colonies were dwindling and expenditure on their governance was rising. Fall of the Empire had begun while newer forces were rising in the world i.e. United States of America, Russia and Germany.

            The last part deals with the final devolution of Empire, emergence of Commonwealth that was so necessary to prop up the ego of a ‘has been’ world power and the legacy of the British Empire in the new world.

            Story of British Empire is an important part of the story of the Modern World, for Britain fashioned this world like no other force. To negate this is to negate history, an occupation practiced like an art form by the rabble-rousing politicians, for whom this is the raison d’etre of their existence in public domain. Each episode in the story is of epic proportions and it is a credit to Lawrence James’ vast knowledge, clear understanding and sharp perceptive mind that he has succeeded immensely in condensing this history in one volume without loss of clarity of narration. He has discussed almost all the aspects of Empire and told the history in an exceedingly readable style, at the same time not compromising the facts and maintaining a steady unaffected, unbiased academic stance throughout the text. His prose is refined and language sparkles with clarity and elegance, both. Erudition combined with a gift for straight forwardly narration can only produce s a work of this excellence.

            Only lacunae I found in this history is his omission to include Ireland as a British Colony. He has discussed the problems of Southern Ireland, but as domestic troubles of a nation. Doesn’t he consider Ireland the first British Colony? India was the most precious colony of Britain, but has received much less space than South Africa, America and Egypt. He must have had the idea of one of his future books on this subject, Raj, in his mind, for this brevity concerning India.

            This is a great history of a great phenomenon of our Modern World. It is important to know our provenance to understand our present and to this end I recommend this one volume, highly readable and prodigiously informing book for every history buff.