Draft:Legacy of the British Empire
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The British Empire had a very significant impact on the world, having been one of the largest empires in history.
History
[edit]The Indians will, I hope, soon stand in the same position towards us in which we once stood towards the Romans. [...] From being obstinate enemies, the Britons soon became attached and confiding friends; and they made more strenuous efforts to retain the Romans, than their ancestors had done to resist their invasion.
During the colonial era, emphasis was given to study of the classical Greco-Roman heritage and their experience with empire, aiming to parse how that heritage could be applied to improve the future of the colonies.[2] In the aftermath of British dominance, American hegemony, which throughout its early rise had challenged British claims of being the "New Rome",[3] emerged as a global successor, with the two countries' historical similarities and wartime collaboration supporting a peaceful handoff of power after World War II.[4]
As for the United Kingdom itself, discourse around the former Empire has continued to impact the nation's present-day understanding of itself, as seen in the debate leading up to its decision to leave the European Union in 2016.[5] British views of the former Empire are more positive than is the case with other post-imperial nations.[6]
Culture
[edit]Sport
[edit]Cricket, used during the Empire to encourage British norms of civility and for cultural unification purposes,[7] went on to become a sport of unparalleled popularity in South Asia.[8]
Some sports were also invented or standardised in the former colonies, such as badminton, polo, and snooker in India.[9]
Language
[edit]
The English language's global predominance began during the Empire, as it was a major language of administration and trade. Britain's importance to global science and innovation was also a factor in the language's rise in importance.[10]
Education
[edit]British educational institutions remain popular in the present day, in part due to the importance of the English language and the similarity of curriculums in the former colonies to modern British offerings.[11]
Geopolitics
[edit]Government and law
[edit]After the mid-18th century, a greater degree of variance became visible in the application of English law in the various colonies, due to the idea that the long-term nature of a colony could be shaped through these means.[12]
Nation-building
[edit]Some forms of nationalism produced within the Empire sought to reconcile themselves with or organise themselves within the overall imperial structure, rather than seeking total independence.[13]
In the aftermath of decolonisation, it has been observed that almost every former colony that emerged as an independent democratic state is a former British colony,[14] though this correlation greatly declines in strength after 30 years of an ex-colony's independence.[15]
Globalisation
[edit]Various forms of Western technologies and architecture were globalised through the Empire, as necessitated by erstwhile military and administrative requirements.[16] Integration into the global economy was another legacy of the Empire.[17]
Migration
[edit]About half of all immigration to the Commonwealth nations occurs between them.[18]
Science and technology
[edit]The Industrial Revolution, originating from the United Kingdom, occurred at the same time as the British Empire, with some debate occurring as to what extent the Empire was essential or conducive to the conditions involved in the industrialisation process.[19]
Standardised conventions
[edit]Measurement
[edit]The predominant measurement system in much of the world before the rise of the metric system was the imperial system. In the United States, this survives in a slightly modified form as the United States customary units.[20]
Transportation
[edit]Religion
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Robinson, David (2017-08-10). "The gift of civilisation: how imperial Britons saw their mission in India". The Conversation. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ Kumar, Krishan (2012). "Greece and Rome in the British Empire: Contrasting Role Models". Journal of British Studies. 51 (1): 76–101. doi:10.1086/662545. ISSN 1545-6986.
- ^ Malamud, Margaret (2010-10-07), Bradley, Mark (ed.), "10 Translatio Imperii: America as the New Rome c.1900", Classics and Imperialism in the British Empire, Oxford University Press, p. 0, ISBN 978-0-19-958472-7, retrieved 2025-01-08
- ^ Schake, Kori (2017). Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony. Harvard University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctv24w62xt. ISBN 978-0-674-97507-1. JSTOR j.ctv24w62xt.
- ^ Foley, James (2023-08-30). "Race, nation, empire? Historicising outward and inward-facing British nationalism". International Relations: 00471178231196073. doi:10.1177/00471178231196073. ISSN 0047-1178.
- ^ "Britain misses its empire more than other major post-colonial powers, poll finds". The Independent.
- ^ "Insider: Dr Michael Collins | Cricket, empire and the making of modern Britain | Portico Magazine | UCL". magazine.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ Goswami, Samadrita. "Caste, class and cricket: How a colonial sport became a religion in South Asia". South Asia Monitor. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ "Imperialism". sso.sagepub.com. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ Mufwene, Salikoko S. (2016-03-14). "English: the Empire is dead. Long live the Empire". The Conversation. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ Morrison, Nick. "Why The World Loves A British Education". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ Burset, Christian R (2023-09-26). An Empire of Laws. Yale University Press. doi:10.12987/yale/9780300253238.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-300-25323-8.
- ^ Colclough, Kevin (2007). "Imperial Nationalism: Nationalism and the Empire in late nineteenth century Scotland and British Canada".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "America's Lessons From the Legacy of British Empire | Arts | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ Lee, Alexander; Paine, Jack (2019-09-01). "British colonialism and democracy: Divergent inheritances and diminishing legacies". Journal of Comparative Economics. 47 (3): 487–503. doi:10.1016/j.jce.2019.02.001. ISSN 0147-5967.
- ^ MacKenzie, John M. (2020-03-09). The British Empire through buildings. Manchester University Press. doi:10.7765/9781526145970. ISBN 978-1-5261-4597-0.
- ^ Thomas, Martin; Thompson, Andrew (2014-01-01). "Empire and Globalisation: from 'High Imperialism' to Decolonisation". The International History Review. 36: 142–170. doi:10.1080/07075332.2013.828643. ISSN 0707-5332.
- ^ Nurse, Keith (2016-02-26). The Diasporic Economy, Trade and Investment Linkages in the Commonwealth. International Trade Working Paper. Commonwealth iLibrary. doi:10.14217/5jm2jfg8c26c-en.
- ^ "When was the industrial revolution?". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ^ Swain, Judith L. (2008-11-03). "Our United States legacy: lessons learned from the British Empire". Journal of Clinical Investigation. 118 (11): 3802–3804. doi:10.1172/JCI37558. ISSN 0021-9738. PMC 2575706. PMID 18982166.