Lecture Number 6 PDF

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PX1604: Lecture 6: The Global Age of Revolution 141116 

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So Far: Increased Globalisation era ( Columbus, triangular trade, Indian Ocean Trade) -> Transatlantic Slavery -> Growth of Eurasian Empires ( Mughal, China, Ottoman) -> Agrarian Empires ( most of world population before 1800 lived in multi-ethnic empires) -> Europe = thing of fragments, multiple powers, multiple political players, a fight to expand land in new world -> we’ve moved through 14th 15th 16th 17th Centauries Arrived at 18th/19th Centauries -> The age of Democratic Revolution -> American (1765-1783) and French (1789) Revolutions and Haiti (1791)-> all about popular representation, “democracy”, a change from monarchy, aristocracy and religion to Democracy though there are problems to this term -> more popular representation and equality. American Revolution -> Natural and legal rights: life, liberty and property French Revolution -> Declaration of the rights of man Haiti Revolution -> Radical black republic, multiracial slavery Toussaint-Louverture -> “Whatever their colour…” C.A. Bayly ’the world crisis’, 1720-1840 -> argument of Bayly and lecture that there was an underlying unity to all rebellions and revolution and had similar characteristic which is what the world crisis was.

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World circa 1600-1700 -> a global equilibrium has been established between the EuroAtlantic seaborne world and Eurasian land based world -> linked through trade but are somehow separate. Euro Atlantic seaborne world -> Rivalries between European states over access to trade Atlantic trade and especially over the trade of slaves and Asian trade -> Need silver for trade and navy Eurasian land based world -> Contain internal and external threats and need silver for military -> to maintain a well-disciplined navy and army -> due to this need for silver trade is very important and highlights the equilibrium This equilibrium has grown into chaos and has swept away and goes into a flux of change and global power becomes up for grabs because of this -> What changed? -> Eurasian empires -> Expanded dramatically after 1500 and mostly successful -> had political systems that allowed them to expand relatively easily -> controlled by an emperor that delegates power -> Empire large containing different languages -> By the 18th C -> Empires have reached a point of imperial overstretch-> Spread of power has been spread to thinly Imperial Overstretch = War and its costs -> a balance between control and tax -> for empires to wage war successfully they needed to raise significant amounts of money usually through taxation -> increase tax to much = rebellion, don’t tax enough = can’t maintain control -> none of these empires got this balance correctly -> through this system into doubt Mughal Empire in India -> Power of Mughal Emperor as individual provinces separated Ottoman Empire -> Received series of Rebellion particularly in Egypt declaring independence Qing Empire -> White Lotus Rebellion, 1796 Imperial Overstretch Plunged these Empires into Chaos -> The thing is almost the exact thing is happening to Europe at this time Euro-Atlantic seaborne World -> Control over land and sea route = power -> UK and France in Atlantic -> France vs Prussia, Germany and Ottomans in Europe -> War for Atlantic trade and Land in Europe = must have a balanced between control and tax -> First actual Crisis = 7 years War (1756-1763) -> Basically bankrupts each of the Powers involved -> opened up

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questions of the legitimacy of the regimes that had gone bankrupt and the authority of those regime much like in Eurasia -> American Revolution against British Taxation, Grievances over trade restrictions and Restrictions over White settlement in Indians land -> Britain Lose USA colonies -> France in huge financial Debt -> 1793 = Napoleon expansion into Europe Haiti 1971, Argentina 1810, Peru 1821, Bolivia 1825; Venezuela 1830 Each of the group revolted individually and weren’t necessarily connected and wasn’t happening absolutely everywhere just at the imperial powers and is not necessarily Global -> Was a Crisis for the elites however not the commoners Which take up a higher percentage of the Population -> “Crisis” has a negative connotation suggesting that the change is bad however to the commoners that access to more rights so it could be said the it is is seen as more of a World Revolution in the Eyes of the Majority. Enlightenment figures mould people lead the charge in the way the world is run and ordered -> Commoners vs the Elites Voltaire’s Candide -> Bestseller -> Religious Blasphemy, intellectual hostility -> People like this don’t just exist in Europe and also emerge in our other contests like the Mughal Empires such as Sikh Resistance -> an ideological struggle to establish a Religious rule under Sikhs -> Ottoman empire challenged by the Wahabbi Purist movement What are the Consequences? -> Firstly, our Eurasian Empires land based encountered a Shock but survived yet Weakened -> Euro-Atlantic World = Frances power smashed, Effectively gave Britain free reign to assert its dominance over the Atlantic despite losing their Atlantic Possessions and begun to Expand Territory (Canada, New Zealand, Australia and India) -> aided by the 1815 Concert of Europe allowing things to be handled by Peaceful means allowing Europe to be free to expand elsewhere especially India. -> North America can now claim an interior Settlement This led to the expansion of Europe especially Britain and their rise to power...