Race and Imperialism in the British Empire: A Lateral View

This essay is an attempt to consider the British Empire in the last years of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century from an alternative point of view. Most authors view the empire from a 'North-South' perspective: London's impact on the world; the world's reaction to London. The emphasis here is rather on the links that developed at Britain's expense - between the white ruled Dominions and between the African and Asian people over whom they ruled. This is undertaken in the context of Britain's increasing awareness of its weakness and vulnerability, despite the empire appearing to be at its zenith. The aim of this essay is to outline official attempts in London at systematising imperial rule in the early twentieth century and then to sketch the reactions across the empire.