Colonialism was a way for settlers to take what was not theirs, and export it to make more revenue. However settlers cleverly, convinced themselves that they were helping the countries they settled in. They would call the native people barbaric, primitive, and uncivilized. Settlers always forced western culture on these countries, and it hurt the people’s pride and sense of independence. Often the settlers were more barbaric to the people of the countries which they settled. Rudyard Kipling even wrote a poem about how the white man must take care of everyone else, and this was his burden. Colonialism was often a violent process as many people were killed by colonizers. Most of the time these native peoples were killed unjustly for any array of reasons. These paintings illustrate the thoughts of settlers on countries they colonized as well as the gruesome effects of colonization.
Sir Robert Clive with wife, daughter and local help, 1765, Joshua Reynolds
The painting Sir Robert Clive with wife, daughter and local help offers many recurring themes of colonialism. It gives viewers a rare inside look into the minds of colonists. The painting exemplifies the deluded thoughts of the British, who assumed they were superior to the Indians. To illustrate this point all of the British people tower over the Indian woman, who is on her knees. The Indian woman is on the floor, which further indicates her low social status in the eyes of the British. Even the small child is standing on a chair, as if to exaggerate her importance. This simultaneously emphasizes the Indian women’s inferiority. The Indian woman is richly dressed. She has bangles and rings on her wrists and hands. She also wears a gold necklace. Her garb suggests that she used to be of the wealthy upper class. This represents how the British demolished the caste system. The wealthy lost all authority, and were demoted to servants work. This painting accurately displays the effects of British colonialism.
Colonialism in India was a brutal and destructive affair, which incapacitated India. This is partially the reason why today India is still trying to catch up with the developed world. The British were the primary colonists of India. They colonized India in a unique way. The British government used the private East India Company to invade India. This quickly sparked a bout for control. The wealthy lost their position as the elite of India. The poor became poorer; many died or were killed by the British. Not only did the British take control of India. They took it upon themselves to abuse and enslave the natives. The British massacred hundreds of starving Indians, who were incapable of completing endless chores. The East India Company operated so grotesquely, that even British people began to denounce the company as a “bloodstained monopoly”.
In 1775 the British won the Battle of Plassey. Robert Clive played a major role This gave them complete control over the government of Bengal. In turn this fortified the British presence in India. This decisive battle convinced the British to expand their control over India, and push other countries out of India. This battle caused the East India Company to become involved in politics. The company began to rely on Bengali taxpayers for its source of revenue. Subsequently the focus of the company shifted from commerce to revenue. The company collected Bengali taxes, but they were never used to support the Bengali government. The taxes were used to pay government officials and provide parliament with funds. Considerable amount of Indian taxes were used to provide gifts for members of the British parliament. The British also used Bengali taxes to strengthen their military. This led to the British rapidly expanding their empire to include all of India. The British abused their power, and exploited Indian taxes to increase the company’s revenue. Many British were disgusted by the East India Company’s behavior. The economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith labeled the company as “useless and responsible for grotesque massacres in Bengal”. Adam Smith’s words exemplify the barbaric manner in which East India Company operated.
"The East India Company ." The Economist, December 17, 2011.
Colonel Mackenzie and his Pandits, Thomas Hickey, 1816
In 1816, Thomas Hickey painted “Colonel Mackenzie and his Pandits.” Styllistically this painting is innovative in many ways. This painting is before Manet and therefore before impressionism, and it is easy to see that this painting has a certain unfinished element. This is the predecessor to impressionism, because it has an incomplete look, but the brush strokes are not as thick and hastily drawn as Impressionist art(Thomas Hickey painter). Thomas Hickey also uses bright colors to show the importance of the British compared to the Indians who are dressed shabbily and in a dull white. This painting offers many new techniques as well as the use of color to signify importance. (Thomas Hickey painter)
This painting also describes many aspects of colonialism in India, during the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, the British colonel is the focal point of the painting. It shows this British man in power, controlling these poor Indians. While the effects of colonialism are portrayed without any of the negative effects, the British colonel is surrounded, and has to project his power to be in control of the Indians. He is also dressed in bright colors, to exemplify his technological superiority. It also depicts racism, as the Indians look more frail, their clothing is also dirty and unkempt. Also one man has his hand on the shoulder of the colonel as if asking how he can help. His leaning on the colonel may also signify India’s dependence on the British. This painting displays the insignificance and dependency of the Indian people in the eyes of the British (Duiker, William J. and Jackson J. Spielvogel, 582-85).
By the mid-1800s the British destroyed the Mughal Empire from its former glory. They also brought with them textile mills. This severely hurt the local textile industry. It left many woman without jobs . This brought hardship to many people. The British also took over privately owned farmland from Indian peasants. They forced the peasants to pay a very high tax or become tenants and lose their land completely. They also turned all of these crops into cotton, leading to famine in India. The arrival of the British also affected India psychologically. It hurt the pride of many high ranking caste members who were used to a superior status in India. The British also tried to control the culture of the Indian people by making them dress as westerners and eat western food. Above all the British did not allow India to develop its own government and industry. And this picture wonderfully represents British control of India (Duiker, William J. and Jackson J. Spielvogel, 582-85).
"Thomas Hickey (painter)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 10 May 2011.
Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World history . 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007. Print.
Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, Paul Gauguin, 1897
Paul Gauguin was a post – impressionist artist. Post – impressionism does not refer to a certain style of art. It is simply a time period, which stretches from Van Gogh to Paul Gauguin , and even to Seurat and Matisse. In general most artists after Manet are also considered post – impressionist artists. Paul Gauguin however did paint using a style known as Primitivism. Primitivism employs nonwestern motifs in western art. Paul Gauguin is a prime example of this style, in many of his paintings he depicts the sexual freedom that was not allowed in Europe. This freedom is pictured by the woman’s lack of clothing. This caused Gauguin to receive negative criticism on his paintings. Europeans were not open to this idea of sexual freedom, and they viewed it as primitive and uncivilized. Many countries that were colonized by Europeans were thought of as unsophisticated. However Gauguin was very interested in the simplicity of the Tahitians people’s life. In this particular painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? It is evident that the people in the painting are depicted as primitive because of their lack of clothing as well as the background. The background is made up of trees and other shrubbery. In the right hand corner there is a baby, and in the middle there is a middle aged man, and in the left hand corner, there is an old man. This is important because it shows the Tahitian people as inseparable with nature; they are one with nature throughout their life. Nature is associated with ruggedness (Jennings, 91-96).
The British were the first to sight and visit Tahiti. Samuel Wallis sighted Tahiti on June eighteenth 1767. The many explorers that followed him described Tahiti as an earthly paradise, because of the people’s carefree nature. However as Europeans began to settle in Tahiti, the Tahitian population declined rapidly. There were once an estimated 200,000 people, but by 1797 there were only 6,000 Tahitians left. This rapid decline in population was caused by diseases such as influenza, typhus, and smallpox, brought by the European visitors. Alcohol and Christianity both disrupted society. The colonization of Tahiti can be represented in this painting. The newborn in the right hand corner resembles the British coming to Tahiti. It represents a new beginning for the Tahitian people. The man at the center is middle aged and has his hands up as if asking for help. This can be related to the Tahitian people wanting the Europeans to leave their land. The person in the left hand corner who is dying, represents the decline in population of the Tahitians with the Europeans colonization (Wikipedia, “Tahiti").
"Paul Gauguin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gaugin
Jennings, Guy. Impressionist Painters. Twickenham, Middlesex: Hamlyn, 1986. Print.
The Women of Algiers, Eugene Delacroix, 1834
The Women of Algiers by Eugene Delacroix was painted in 1834 with oil on canvas. This is a romantic era painting. However, it later served as inspiration for impressionist art. Delacroix uses bright and exotic colors. Delacroix has also placed the women in relaxed positions as they lounge on the floor. He also places many exotic items in the room such as a hookah and the wallpaper which both give this painting an exotic tone. Delacroix also uses the light wonderfully and the three women are basking in the rich light. Thematically this painting offers a lot towards the topic of colonialism. The three women in the center are all relaxing on the floor as the African servant waits on them. The woman in the center even has her head turned toward her servant as if giving her an order. Likewise her servant is turning towards her in recognition of her order. It is also clear that western women are dressed in more elegant clothing than their servant. This shows the racism that the Algerians faced from the French. The Algerians were made into servants, and they had no alternative option (Gombrich, see Romantic Era).
The French came to Algeria for economic opportunity. They got the land from the Turkish after a Turkish governor hit a French ambassador. The French used this as leverage to gain control of Algeria. They wanted the land badly because the French government owed an Algerian merchant a large sum of money. However by taking over Algeria, they were no longer responsible for this payment. After occupying Algeria they thought the Algerians were completely barbaric. They also considered the religion of Islam inhuman, as woman had to wear veils in public. They were also revolted by the amount of control a husband had over his wife. After the arrival of the French the Algerian population suffered because of disease and war. As much as one-third of the population died. Also the Algerians lost most of their farmland to the French. (Algeria)
"Eugène Delacroix - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia."Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugène_Delacroix
Gombrich, E. H. The Story of Art. London: Phaidon, 1995. Print.
Philippine–American War Cartoon, New York Journal, 1902
This cartoon depicts General Jacob H. Smith giving the order to kill Filipino children. These children are blindfolded and held at gun point. This cartoon appeared in the New York Journal on May 5, 1902. General Jacob H. Smith gave an order to “Kill everyone over ten.” This became a very infamous line, and the cartoon depicts this inhumanity. Also the American shield in the background is supposed to have a bald eagle on top. However it has been replaced by a vulture. The vulture is considered a dirty animal, where as the bald eagle is a noble creature. This suggests that the USA is no longer a country of high morals. Another detail in the painting is the organized manner of the American soldiers, versus the chaos seen in the Filipino boys. This cartoon shows the cruelness exhibited during colonialism of the Philippines. (Wikipedia, “History of Philippines”)
This cartoon is about General Jacob H. Smith’s odious line “Kill everyone over ten.” This occurred during the Philippine- American War, which stemmed from the Philippines struggle for independence. Eventually the war broke out on February 4, 1899. The war continued until July 4, 1902 when it officially ended. There was an estimated 34,000 to 1,000,000 casualties. These casualties effected the people, who were concerned with those injured and dead. This caused the Philippines to experience a cultural shift, as English was made the primary language, and America also abrogated Catholicism as the state religion. However the war was not popular amongst some American scholars such as Mark Twain, who in response to the war founded the Anti Imperialist League, which opposed the expansion of America because it violated republicanism. The effects of colonialism ended in total destruction of a country in need of independence.( Bound to Empire: the United States and the Philippines)
"History of the Philippines." Wikimedia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Brands, H. W. Bound to Empire: the United States and the Philippines. New York: Oxford UP, 1992. Print.
Compilation of Pictures that Illustrate the Colonization of The Congo
This picture taken before 1905, illustrates the horrible consequences of colonialism. This collection of photos are specific to the Belgian colonization of Congo. The background in each photo is very simple, and the people in the various photos are all dressed simply. This embodies the thoughts of colonizers on various countries, which they colonized. They thought of the people as barbaric, and in need of western culture.(Congo Free State) They were thought of as lesser humans and therefore allowed to be abused. All of these people in the various photos have lost hands. They have all experienced unimaginable forms of torture, and there was nothing they could do to prevent the atrocities that were committed against them. Women and young children have lost their hands. It is clear that the wellbeing of these people did not concern settlers. This was the result of colonization in Congo. The original people of Congo lost their hands, for not completing their daily task of collecting rubber. They suffered from a very barbaric penalty.(Hochshcild, 10-11)
The colonization of Congo occurred under the rule of King Leopold. He wanted to exploit the economic opportunities in the Congo. King Leopold began to hire his own cabinet of Belgians who were completely loyal, and did his bidding without question. First they were encouraged to take land from the Congolese people. However later Rubber became very profitable, and it was readily available. Leopold began to use the Congolese people as workers. They were told to collect unrealistic amounts of rubber, and when they did not acquire enough they would lose a hand. This was disastrous because the hands were stored in nearby villages. People who had not collected enough rubber would raid the villages for hands. If they were caught they would be killed and there head would be put on a stick in the village. The effort by the west to civilize these countries is rather ironic, as they acted more crudely and violently than the countries they sought to westernize.(Hochschild, p. 115-140)
Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold's Ghost: a Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Print.
"Congo Free State." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
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