How powerful was the British Empire at its peak?
In 1865, the British economist Jevons described the "empire on which the sun never sets":
"The plains of North America and Russia are our corn fields, Canada and the Baltic Sea are our forest areas, Australia is our pastures, Peru is our silver mines, South Africa and Australia are our gold mines, India is our tea plantations, the East Indies are our sugar cane, coffee, spice plantations, and the southern United States is our cotton plantations."
The British Empire was the most powerful empire in human history, stronger than the United States after World War II.
The British Empire gave birth to industrial civilization and was the chief architect of modern civilization.
The world, except for continental Europe, is almost all fragments of the British Empire, including the current American Empire, and for five hundred years, the influence of the British Empire has spread throughout the Blue Star.
At its peak, the British Empire had a territory of 35.5 million square kilometers and a population of more than 400 million, lasting more than 300 years, making it "the largest and most extensive country in the world." ”
Today, the UK covers an area of only 240,000 square kilometers and has a population of only 67.02 million.
Why did the British Empire, which was so powerful, not turn its colonies into its own territory?
Is it a lack of ability or a lack of subjective will? There are both factors.
First of all, the main purpose of Britain's colonial empire was to obtain economic benefits, expand its influence, and maintain national security.
Turning colonies into national territories was not the main goal of British colonial policy.
In addition, there is a cost to rule.
At the time of the independence of British India, Britain brought back 100,000 civil servants from India, even more than the civil servants in Britain at that time.
These are pure Britons who were born and educated in England and have only been posted to overseas territories.
In order to provide employment for these people, Britain had to build state-owned enterprises after World War II and try to create jobs for these British people who returned home.
The 100,000 civil servants were only the colonies of British India, and if the colonies were to be indigenized, the number of civil servants needed would increase at least several times.
Population of mainland Britain.
As a result, Britain preferred to manage its vast colonies through indirect rule, which minimized administrative costs while maintaining control over resources and trade.
Secondly, there are many practical difficulties in turning colonies into national territory.
- Many colonies were far from the British mainland, which made direct administration difficult and costly.
- Cultural differences: There were huge cultural, linguistic, and religious differences between the colonies and the British mainland, and the direct integration of these regions into the national territory could lead to serious cultural conflicts.
3. Population problem: due to the development of Britain itself, most of the colonies are backward; If the colony were to be incorporated into the country, the colonists would become British citizens, which would lead to large-scale population movements and enormous pressure on the British mainland.
4. Leads to problems with the political structure: The British political system is based on parliamentary democracy, and if the colonies are included in the country, the distribution of parliamentary seats will need to be readjusted, which may change the political landscape of the United Kingdom.
5. Economic considerations: "indirect domination of the colonies" allows Britain to be more flexible in formulating economic policies to maximize its economic interests.
Third, Britain's strategy of "indirect rule" was superior to Russia's annexation and the direct rule of the French Empire.
This strategy allowed Britain to manage the colonies through local ruling elites, maintaining control over the colonies while avoiding the high costs and complexities that come with direct management.
This tactic was widely used in regions such as India and proved to be a relatively effective way to rule.
Historically, Britain did try to bring some of its colonies closer into its ruling system.
For example, the Act of Union of 1707 incorporated Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain. However, this practice was not widely practiced in other colonies, mainly because of the difficulties and challenges mentioned above.
Fourth, changes in the international political environment.
With the rise of nationalism and the development of anti-colonial movements, it became less and less feasible to turn colonies into national territories.
Instead, Britain began to gradually loosen its grip on its colonies, which eventually led to the dissolution of the British Empire and the independence of the colonies.
It is important to note that while Britain did not make most of its colonies its own, it did establish the Commonwealth as a distinct international organization.
The Commonwealth ties the former British colonies together in a loose but meaningful way, maintaining some degree of cultural and political ties while respecting the independence of the member states.
In addition, the UK retains a number of small overseas territories such as Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, etc. These areas, although not part of the British mainland, are largely under the direct jurisdiction of the United Kingdom and can be considered an extension of British territory.
In general, there are many reasons why Britain did not turn its colonies into its own territory, including a combination of geographical, cultural, political, economic and other factors.
Britain opted for a more flexible and cost-effective approach to governance, which, while ultimately leading to the dissolution of the colonial empire, also provided the basis for Britain to maintain global influence in the post-colonial era.
Britain's decision not to turn its colonies into territories reflected its pragmatism in the administration of the empire.
Although this practice did not permanently incorporate the colony into British territory, it effectively safeguarded British interests for a long time and laid the foundation for Britain's international standing in the post-colonial era.