Summary
Highlights
The video introduces the topic of the 'rise of the West' but shifts the focus to how people outside the West, particularly in East Asia and the Middle East, experienced and responded to European imperialism. It highlights that the discussion will rely on the writings of intellectuals, mentioning Pankaj Mishra's book 'The Ruins of Empire' and three prominent Asian thinkers: Sayyid Jamal Ad-Din Al-Afghani, Liang Qichao, and Rabindranath Tagore.
For many Asians, the impact of European imperialism began earlier than the late 19th century, with events like the Opium Wars in China and the destruction of the Summer Palace in 1860. Al-Afghani's quote from 1896 illustrates the dehumanizing experience of Muslims under European rule, highlighting how foreigners subjected them to servitude and insult. Asian intellectuals recognized Europe's industrial and organizational superiority as the reason for their dominance.
An initial response to European dominance was to adopt their models of military organization and education. Examples include the Tanzimat reforms in the Ottoman Empire, which Al-Afghani initially supported. Similarly, Chinese intellectuals advocated for 'self-strengthening' after the Opium Wars, a challenging proposition given China's Confucian-based education system. Yan Fu's comparison of Chinese and Western governance highlights the cultural differences. Kang Youwei attempted to blend Western and Chinese ideas by updating Confucianism for political reform.
Asian intellectuals also believed Europe's strength lay in its political organization as nation-states. Some, like Al-Afghani, became proponents of nationalism, advocating that Muslims should think of themselves as a culturally unified nation. India's experience with nationalism was complex due to its diverse religious landscape. Some, like Aurobindo Ghose, worried about the negative impact of European materialism on India's soul. Japan's successful modernization served as a model for some Asian intellectuals, though its own imperial expansion complicated this ideal.
By the early 20th century, many Asian intellectuals began to look beyond Western models. Some considered supranational movements like pan-Asianism and pan-Arabism. Al-Afghani, after experiencing disillusionment with Western modernization, concluded that the best defense against the West was to embrace Islam, believing it held the keys to internal reform and societal transformation. In China, Liang Qichao, after the Boxer Rebellion, advocated for a strong, authoritarian state to resist Western influence.
Liang Qichao's visit to the United States reinforced his skepticism about liberal democracies due to their discrimination against Asians. World War I and the Treaty of Versailles further alienated many, as the outcome mirrored pre-war imperialism. Gandhi profoundly criticized Western modernism, rejecting its materialism and lack of spiritual freedom. Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel laureate, also critiqued the West's civilization, calling it destructive and advocating for the spiritual wisdom of the East to temper it.
The video concludes by emphasizing that our perception of historical events is shaped by our perspective. While we might view the development of liberal nation-states as inevitable and positive, looking at the responses of Asians who experienced imperialism firsthand reveals a different picture. Asian thinkers were critical of the West from the very beginning of the new imperialism, and their ideas continue to influence perspectives on the West today, even from within Western societies.