Today’s Class

• Colonialism

– Case Study: Yakut of Siberia

• Modern World System

Imperialism & Colonialism

• Imperialism: policy of extending rule of a nation or empire over foreign nations and holding foreign colonies

• Colonialism: Political, social, economic, and cultural domination of a territory and its people by a foreign power

Colonialism

• Early Colonialism

• Modern Colonialism

– European “Age of Discovery”

– 1492

– Early European Colonies:

• Portugal (Brazil)

• Spain (Americas & Caribbean)

British Colonialism

• Two stages

– 1) 16^th Century Voyages, 17^th Century Colonies (Eastern US; Canada; Caribbean; India; Africa)

• Ends with American Revolution

– 2) 19^th Century Renewal

• England looks for secure markets

• Australia; South Africa; Singapore; India*; East Africa

• British commercial, naval, & financial power

• Search for new markets—profit driven expansion

– Especially after industrialization

Industrialization

• Begins ~1750 in Europe

• “Traditional” vs. “Modern” Economy

• Increases Production

– Farming

– Manufacturing

• Invention

• Urbanism

Population Growth

• Population growth fuels consumption

• Already colonial empire but increases imports & exports

Energy Consumption

Society Daily kcal/person

Bands & Tribes 4000-12,000

Preindustrial States <26,000

Early Industrial States 70,000

Americans (1970) 230,000

Americans (1990) 275,000

British Colonialism

• Power peaks in 1914

– 1/5 land, 1/4 population

• British Justification

– “White Man’s Burden”

• Christianize & Civilize Native Inhabitants

• Racist Doctrine

• Similar to France’s “Mission Civilisatrice”

• Ethnocentrism

• Post World War II

– Empire collapses

– India Independence 1947

– Africa & Asia 1950s

• Post-World War II African nations become independent

Effects of Imperialism

• Destruction of indigenous economies, environments, and populations

• 1800 – 50 mil. people beyond periphery (politically indep.)

– 20% of pop.

– 1/2 of surface of planet

• Today all within states; all connected to world system

Colonialism & Identity

• Created political units and social labels under colonialism

• Many “tribes” as colonial constructions

• e.g., West Africa

– Linguistic, political, & economic contrasts promoted under colonialism

Post-Colonial Studies

• Relations & Interactions

• Since WWII

• Settler vs. Non-Settler vs. Mixed

Case Study on Colonialism / Imperialism

• Yakut of Siberia

– Russian Colonization

– Soviet Period

– Post-Soviet

Yakut

• Eastern Siberian Indigenous Population

– Sakha Republic of Russia

• 380,000 People

Traditional Yakut Lifeways

• Locally variable subsistence

– Lena River Valley: Pastoralism

– Taiga: Hunting/gathering/fishing/reindeer herding

• Mongolian/Turkic Language

Russians in Siberia

• Russians into Siberia – 16^th century

• Furs

– Wave of extirpation

• Tribute system (yasak)

– Intensified hunting / trapping

• Peasant Settlers

– Seize land

– Agriculture / Land clearing

• 1700: More Russians than Siberians

Yakut – Russian Contact

• 1620

• Yasak

• Yakutsk established 1632

• “Marriages” to Yakut women / concubinage

• Yasak Intensified

– Change in Social Organization

• Chief responsible for yasak

• Yakut fur traders emerge

• Emergence of native lords à Feudalization

• Yasak Intensified

– Trade

• Intensified to meet yasak

• Trade goods

Soviet Period

• Russian Revolution: Little Effect on Yakut

• Collectivization (Stalin)- 1930s & 1940s

– Reforms to:

• “Enlighten” indigenous people

• “Liberate” from nomadic ways

• Introduce “balanced” diet

• Assimilate

Collectivization

• Forced Sedentism

• Consolidation in Cooperatives

– Collective Farms & Fisheries

– Subsistence Levels to Production Levels

• Imported Foods

• Industrialization

– Mining Industry

– Resource Extraction

• Food & Resources to core and industrial centers

– Dependent on core for employment, food, & essential goods

• Creation of Classless Society

– Wealthy Individuals “Removed”

• Peasant Influx

• Homogenization

– Reduce Ethnic Identity

Post-Soviet Period

• 1991 Collapse of USSR

– Food Deliveries Stopped

– Environmental Destruction

– Health Problems

• Life expectancy in indig. Siberians

– Men: 45 years

– Women: 55 years

• Economy structured for extraction

• Export to core (Moscow)

• Government subsidies to periphery

• Rural Yakut

– Return to traditional subsistence practices

• Subsistence farming, herding, fishing, hunting, gathering

• Some government pensions

• Some service sector salaries

• In Horobut, ~50% of people obtain all their food from subsistence activities

Horobut

Horse & Cow Pastoralism

Haycutting

Fishing

• Gathered Foods

• Home Vegetable Gardens

• Storage