HIST 285 - Technology in Historical Perspective

Department of History and PoliticsDrexel University

Professor Lloyd Ackert

“Instruments of Empire”

I. Introduction

1. Technology and Imperialism

Overseas empires

Reciprocal relationship

Profit in empire?

2. Steamships, telegraphs, railroads

Phases of empire:

a. Penetration

-warships, medicineb. Consolidation

- public works

Breech-loading rifle

3. “Free trade”

End of the East India Company monopoly.

4. History of medicine

Chinchona tree – tropical diseases

II. Steamships and trade

1. Introduction of steam power.

2. Anglo-Burmese war (1824-1826)

A. Irrawaddy river

-Diana “fire devil”

http://michelhoude.com/

B. mapping as a technology of imperialism

-James Rennell’s Map of Hindoostan (1782) and Bengal Atlas (1779)

James Rennell (1742-1830)

Hindoostan

Bengal Atlas

C. The Ganges river between Calcutta and Allahabad (1834- )

-Hugh Lindsay (2 80 hp engines, Suez Canal (1869), Mediterranean, Bombay)

Hooghly River, 1915

Hugh Lindsay

Suez Canal

- Opium

Opium Den in Calcutta

—The following table, compiled from official documents, exhibits the growth of the three most important sources of the public revenue of India, namely, land, opium and salt, in the

ten financial years, ending March 31, 1871-80:

http://www.econlib.org/library/YPDBooks/Lalor/llCy393.html

III. Telegraphs

1. Different contexts:

A. Western Europe and North America

B. India

2 Marquis of Dalhousie

A. cotton in Nagpur for example

B. Network

C. The so-called ‘Indian Mutiny’ (1857)

circa 1850: British politician and administrator James Andrew Broun-Ramsey (1812 - 1860). Ramsay, the 10th Earl of Dalhousie, was elected governor-general of India in 1847 and held the post until 1856. He was created Marquis of Dalhousie in 1849 but the title died with him. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

3. Public Works Department

A. Dharwad cotton

B. Royal Indian Engineering School at Cooper’s Hill

Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt's Royal Indian Engineering College at Cooper's Hill, overlooking the Thames at Runnymede,

IV. Railroads

1. Powerful influence on commerce, politics and society

2. Large banking investments

A. India

B. South Africa

V. Conclusions