History ult notes

HistoryUltNotes Chp1:CasestudyofBritishColonialruleinMalaya,1870s-1920s ● Overview○ Reasonforintervention○ Impactsofintervention/Colonisation○ Actors/Actions ReasonsforBritishinterventioninMalaya BritishinterventioninMalayaafter1874wasduetoeconomicreasons● Discoveryoflargetindeposits→ Economicprofitsduetoemergingcanningindustry.● Rivalsecretsocietiesfoughtforcontrolofthetinmines● ThisworsenedwhenclaimantstothethroneinPeraktooksidesintheconflict.● ↓Britishaccesstothetinmines,disruptedtrade.●Thus,theBritishfeltneedtoextendandexercisecontrolovertheMalayPeninsula. →establishpeaceandmaintainorderinMalaya. →steady,undisruptedgrowthofthetinandrubberindustries→economicgrowthinBritain. BritishinterventioninMalayaafter1874wasduetosocialreasons● LarutWars○ TheGheeHinsandtheHaiSans,whocontrolledtheminesintheirrespectiveareasfoughtoveranewGheeHins-discoveredmine. → Instabilityintheregionandreducedaccesstothemines→↓ profit■ Inaddition,claimantstothethroneinPerakweretakingsidestotheLarutWars.→ Worsenedtheconflict○ LocalmerchantsandbusinessmenappealedforBritishinterventioninMalay states ⇾ restorelawandorder■ LarutWarsinterruptedbusinessandtrading,SuccessionDisputeworsenedthis○ Thus,theBritishfelttheneedtosolvetheproblemcausedbytheSuccessionDisputeandLarutWars,allowingforgreateraccesstothetinmines,andreducedunrestamongtheMalayans,andthussmoothbusiness.● SuccessionDispute○ Theineffectivenessoftherotationsystem,whichdeterminedtheSultan,causedthreemainclaimantstofightforthethrone(Nooneruler) → PoliticalinstabilityinMalaya○ PeopleofMalayawereatunrest duetothelackofaleader → Malayacannotfunctionproperly,diminishingthegeographicalandeconomicbenefits whichtheBritishsoughtfromit.○ Thus,theBritishwasspurredtotakeaction,winningthefavouroftheMalayans,duetothemfearinglosingcontroloftheMalayStatesandthereforeitstradelinkswhichhelpsthemmaintaineconomicdominance. BritishinterventioninMalayaafter1874wasduetoPoliticalreasons ● ChangeinBritishcolonialpolicy○ NewgovernmentchangedBritain’sstance■ FreeTrade→ Favouringacquiringterritories1. ↑prestigeviacontrollingoverseasterritories 2.Pre-emptagainstthreatsfromtheotherpowers ● CompetitionfromotherEuropeanpowers○ TheLongDepression → Britainlosteconomicdominancetonewlyindustrialisedcountries(e.g.Germany)○ Threatenedby↓ dominance,wanttocontrolmoreterritories → protecttradelinks,maintaintheirdominance.○ However,otherEuropeancountriesalsowant↑territories

○TheBritishfearedthatiftheydidnotseizetheMalaystate,theotherEuropeancountriesmostlikelywill → threateneconomicinterests.○Atthesametime,MalayrulerswantedBritish’shelptoresolvelocalconflicts○LocalrulersmightturntootherEuropeanpowersiftheydidnotfollowthroughwiththeirrequest. ● HencetheBritishinterveneddueto 1.FearoftheotherEuropeanpowersusurpingitseconomicdominance2.fearthatMalayrulerswouldturnonthemiftheydidnothelpwiththeirlocalconflict3.NewBritishgovernmentwantedtomaintaindominance,getprestigeandprotectagainstthreats ImpactofBritishrule DOMAIN DETAILS(WHATHAPPENED?) IMPACT(WHATCHANGED/RESULTED?) POLITICAL 1889 HughLow’sreforms:EstablishmentofPerakStateCouncil●Collectionofrevenue(Saleoflandandcollectionoftaxes)wasnowcollectedbyResident●Lawsenacted○Regulatelanduse○Registerlandtitles.●FormedtheCourtsofJustice.●Perak( ➗ )intodistrictswhichweresub-dividedintovillagesledbyheadmen.●TheCouncilgavetheSultanandhischiefs asayinstateaffairs. ●By1889,thestatehadanannualrevenue(>$2mil)andasurplusbalance.●Payedoffdebtof800,000Straitsdollars.●Peace&orderamongthedistricts●Sultanlostallhispoliticalpowerandauthority,becomingnothingmorethanafigurehead(contextofResidentialSystem). POLITICAL 1884 HughLow’sreforms:Abolishmentofdebt-slavery●Abolishedin1884●Slaveownerswerecompensated.(Owningslaves→ symbolofpower) ●TraditionalMalayruleaffected → changedbasisofpoweroftheSultanandMalayChiefs.●Theirpositionofauthorityremainedintactinmattersofreligionandceremony.

POLITICAL establishedin1896,Dunbarin1897 EstablishmentofFederatedMalayStates(FMS),1896*Resident-General FrankSwettenham*Context(“Situation”)●Differentprogressacrossthefourstates(Perak,Selangor,NegiriSembilan,Pahang)duetodifferentadministrativemethods.→ PerakandSelangor↑prosperousthanPahangandNegiriSembilan.●Lackofcoordinationandresource-sharingbetweenstates.(e.g.Roads&railwayswithinastatedidnotruntotheotherstates) Intent●↑↑administrativeefficiency&communication.●Commontreasuryavailableforpoorerstatestotaponforeconomicgrowth. CreationofDunbar●Platformtodiscussmattersconcerningthefourstates.●4Sultans+4Residents+1Resident-General●1stDunbarheldin1897. ●Federalgovernment↑centralisedpowerinthehandsoftheResident-General●Sultans↓ involvementinadministrativemattersacrossthefourstates,leavingthemtolookaftermatterspertainingtoMalaycustomsandreligion. Economic TinIndustry ●PoliticalstabilityandhigherregulatorystandardsofFederatedMalayStates(FMS)allowedfortheforeigncapitalandadvancedtechnologyofEuropeanbusinessmenwhoowntin-miningcompaniestoengageinthelocaleconomy.●Chineselabourmetthemanpowerneedsoftheindustry●SomeChinesewereabletoearnalotofmoneyandwererecognisedasleadersintheircommunities. ●Tinindustryflourished →→ ImprovedeconomyofFMS→ FMSbecametheworld’slargestproduceroftin→ createsjobs,employment,higherstandardofliving→ Europeanbusinessmenbenefitted→ Tinexportsrosefrom26,000tons(1889)to70,000tons(1929).●Tinindustry →importanttoFMS’economy

Economic RubberIndustry Context ●Growthoftheautomobileindustry→Demandforrubberwasespeciallyhighfromthelate19thcentury ●RubberbecameMalaya’smostprofitableexport(moreimportantthantin)Whathappened●Europeanbusinessmeninvestedheavilyinlargeplantationestates+introducedmodernproductionmethods ●Increasedno.ofjobs●SizeofrubberestatesinMalayagrewfrom345acres(1897)to50,000acres(1905)●ChineseandIndiansmallholderswereabletobenefitfinancially Economic Changesfromasubsistence-basedeconomytoexport-oriented Context(BeforeBritish) ●Precolonialperiod →theMalayaneconomywaslargelysubsistence-based●Peopleonlyconsumedwhattheygrew.●Nolarge-scaleplantationsproducingcashcropsforexport Whathappened(AfterBritish) ●Economybecamelargelyexport-oriented ●Localeconomydependentontheglobaleconomy●Peopledependedonwagesor salaries ⇾ Linkedtothepricesofgoodsexported.●Pricesroseandfellaccordingtoworlddemand

Economic Developmentofinfrastructure ●Tin&Rubberindustryneededtransportinfrastructure●Builttoconnectthetinminesandrubberplantations●Firstrailwaylineopenedin1885 ⇾ Allowedtrainstooperatebetweentownsandplantations→ ConnectedTaipinginLaruttoPortWeld●By1896,fourrailwaylineswereinoperation ●Allowedfor↑coordinationofrailwaylines →↑coordination&efficiencyofFMS●Supportedthetinandrubberindustries●Created jobs ⇾Countrysidepeoplegoingtotownstolookforjobs●Mosttownsdevelopedalongthewesterncoast,closetotheexportindustries Economic Standardisationofcurrencies Context ●<19thcentury,differenttypesofcurrencieswereusedinMalaya●StraitsSettlements-SpanishDollarwithlocalcoins●PrivateBanksissuedtheirownnotes● Useofdifferentcurrenciesmadetradeconfusing. Whathappened●Britishfelttheneedforastandardunitofcurrencyfortradeundertheircontrol ●In1889,theBritishestablishedaCurrencyBoard○standardiseandregulatethecurrencies.■OnlytheCurrencyBoardcouldissuenotes →StraitDollars●In1904,StraitDollarwasmadetheonlylegalcurrencyintheStraitSettlementsandadoptedintheMalayStates ●Madetradeeasier → Moreforeigninvestmentinthetinandrubberindustries

Social Growthofpluralsocietiesandtownships Context●BritishhadopenmigrationpolicyinMalaya●Migrationpolicychangedethniccomposition→ In1800,populationwasmostlyMalays→ by1941,Malaysaccountedforonly40%ofpopulation→ StartofaPluralsociety(femaleimmigrantsallowed,migrantsbeganformingfamiliesinMalaya)→Ethnicgroupsmetforcommercialactivitiesbutmainlykepttotheirowncommunities.●AsmigrantfamiliessettledinMalaya,theirparticipationinsocietyandpoliticsbecamegreater(1920,1930onwards)Whathappened (Notneededtorevise) Chineseimmigrants●Broughtwiththemsecretsocieties●ManyChinese-ownedbusinessesincitieslikeMelaka,IpohandPenangIndianimmigrants●CametoMalayainhopeofimprovingtheireconomicsituationan