Student

1. How important were economic factors in explaining the colonisation of South east

asia by the West in the 19th century?

Economic factors:

1. Colonies = profit

Ð'* Desire for profit since earliest Spanish colonization

- Dutch and British trade and profit motivated

- although America and France had different motivations

colonies needed to access raw materials eg tin in Malaya

access to China, most proftiable market in Asia, given by colonisation of Vietnam

2.1 Merchant pressure

Need to ensure trade concessions

Some states reneged on trade agreements, eg. Burma

Frequent attempts made by British to ensure King's cooperation, sent Residents, but King

ignored all agreements, even extorted from merchants.

Therefore merchants put pressure on Crown government to colonise Burma, only way for them

to retain privileges and concessions.

2.2. Economic momentum

- Led to competition among merchants for bigger markets

- Competition caused by imperialist profit-gaining

More concessions wanted once they are given

- imperialism and trade factors had culmulative effect

3. Safeguarding Trade and Stability

Anarchy and instablity disrupted trade, colonisation helped prevent this.

eg. Burma

King Thibaw was a weak king, responsible for anarchy

eg. Tonkin

Black flags from China caused trade disruption

made protecterate by French

Pirate bases colonised too. Pirates attacked trade vessels. eg. Aceh, colonised by Dutch

4. Economic Competition

Placed importance on economic dominance

mutal fear of losing out to one another in trade. Only colonisation gave solid footing

in region and a share in trade

eg. possibility

of Germany's interest in acuquring Northern Malaya concerned British

eg. King Thibaw of Burma gave many trade concessions to French, British annexed Burma

paritally to shut French out.

5. New markets for goods

1870s onwards, more and more European countries industrialising.

Competition existed among European countries.Imposed tariffs on imported goods to protect

embryonic industries. So Euro countries looked to cheaper Asian markets to sell goods and

acquire raw materials.

Political factors:

1. Status and Prestige

France equaled acquistion of Indochina with increased prestige

This due to past humiliation from defeat in Franco-Prussian war, produced great

determination to retain prestige in rest of world through colonisation.

2. Protection of existing empire

good example would be British colonisation of Arakan in Burma and later rest of Burma.

Done to prevent turmoil in Burma from 'spilling over' into adjacent India, their empire.

Would have serious implications on trade

Proximity to 'turbulent frontiers' enough. Eg. Strife in Perak/Selangor. Secret society

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