Asian Empires of the 19th Centurys
Rebecca Ducharme
Professor Estey
World History-HIS 271 A
22 February 2012
Asian Empires of the 19th Century During the rise of European Powers, in the times of the Industrial Revolution, the Asian Empires were quickly falling behind. Each nation in the Asian Empire had a strong and rigid internal focus and due to their refusal to adapt to the changing times each empire was lead to its decline. By the start of the nineteenth century the technological gap was increasingly clear. It was not until the rise of imperialism that this gap became an issue. As European Powers began to intrude on the boundaries of the Asian Empires they could not compete with the advanced weaponry and complex strategies of European military and naval forces. The intrusions weakened the empires and pushed them further down the slippery slope of decline. It is evident that the Asian Nations of the nineteenth century did everything in their power to keep hold of their declining empires however, the actions taken were not effective or successful enough to revitalize the nations to the great powers they once were. Three of the major Asian Empires analyzed will be the Ottoman, Russian and finally, the Chinese. Each of these nations faced similar struggles in some respects, but also quite different. The Ottoman Empire spanned over much desirable land, during these imperialistic times many empires coveted the numerous nations under Ottoman rule. The empire was already in decline, and they were certain they could not compete with the ways of advanced European military warfare. The Janissaries, the major force behind the Ottoman military power was beginning to break down. They opted out of training and refused to take on advanced weaponry. Governmental power diminished because of the loss of military force. Meanwhile, the empire was becoming smaller and smaller. Austrian and Russian forces took over the territories that the Ottomans failed to defend. Nationalist uprisings also swept the empire.
Professor Estey
World History-HIS 271 A
22 February 2012
Asian Empires of the 19th Century During the rise of European Powers, in the times of the Industrial Revolution, the Asian Empires were quickly falling behind. Each nation in the Asian Empire had a strong and rigid internal focus and due to their refusal to adapt to the changing times each empire was lead to its decline. By the start of the nineteenth century the technological gap was increasingly clear. It was not until the rise of imperialism that this gap became an issue. As European Powers began to intrude on the boundaries of the Asian Empires they could not compete with the advanced weaponry and complex strategies of European military and naval forces. The intrusions weakened the empires and pushed them further down the slippery slope of decline. It is evident that the Asian Nations of the nineteenth century did everything in their power to keep hold of their declining empires however, the actions taken were not effective or successful enough to revitalize the nations to the great powers they once were. Three of the major Asian Empires analyzed will be the Ottoman, Russian and finally, the Chinese. Each of these nations faced similar struggles in some respects, but also quite different. The Ottoman Empire spanned over much desirable land, during these imperialistic times many empires coveted the numerous nations under Ottoman rule. The empire was already in decline, and they were certain they could not compete with the ways of advanced European military warfare. The Janissaries, the major force behind the Ottoman military power was beginning to break down. They opted out of training and refused to take on advanced weaponry. Governmental power diminished because of the loss of military force. Meanwhile, the empire was becoming smaller and smaller. Austrian and Russian forces took over the territories that the Ottomans failed to defend. Nationalist uprisings also swept the empire.
Cited: Bentley, Jerry H., and Herbert F. Ziegler. "Societies at Crossroads." Traditions and Encounters: Global Perspective on the Past. Vol. II. New York: McGraw-Hill College, 2006. 878-904. Print. ----------------------- [1] All historical information from this paragraph was taken from Bentley 880-886 [2] All historical information from this paragraph was taken from Bentley 886-892 [3] All historical information from this paragraph was taken from Bentley 892-904 [4] All historical information from this section was taken from Bentley 880-886 [5] All historical information from this section was taken from Bentley 886-892 [6] All historical information from this section was taken from Bentley 892-904