6.3 Indigenous Responses to Imperialism

There were many indigenous responses to imperialism around the world, as people and communities sought to resist the expansion and control of European and North American powers. These responses varied widely depending on the specific context and the resources and strategies available to indigenous peoples. Some examples of indigenous responses to imperialism include:

These are just a few examples of the many ways in which indigenous peoples have responded to imperialism throughout history.

Indigenous people responded to imperialist invasions and pressures in a variety of ways. In some cases, indigenous elites cooperated with imperialists in exchange for authority and opportunities for profit.

In 1857, Indian soldiers employed by the East India Company with support of the leaders of independent Indian states rebelled against British control. This event is known by many names, including the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Great Rebellion of 1857, First Indian War of Independence, Indian Mutiny, and Sepoy Mutiny.

The British defeated this rebellion, leading to India becoming a crown colony, as the British Parliament declared the Queen of England to also be Empress of India.

The Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Indian Mutiny, was a significant uprising in India against British rule. It began as a mutiny of sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British army) in the Bengal Presidency, but quickly spread to become a widespread rebellion against British rule.

The rebellion was sparked by a number of factors, including resentment towards British rule and policies, discrimination against Indians by the British, and opposition to the cultural changes introduced by the British. The rebellion was brutally suppressed by the British, and it had a significant impact on the relationship between Britain and India. It also marked a turning point in the history of British rule in India, as it led to the end of the East India Company's rule and the assumption of direct control of India by the British government.

The Empress of India was a title used by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The title was conferred upon her by the Royal Titles Act of 1876, which granted her the title "Empress of India" in addition to her other titles as queen of the United Kingdom and its dependencies.

The title was symbolic and did not give Victoria any actual political power in India, which was ruled by the British government. However, it did reflect the significant influence and status of the British Empire, of which India was a major part. Queen Victoria was the first and only British monarch to hold the title of Empress of India, and it was discontinued after her death in 1901.

In West Africa, armed groups resisted Europeans attempting to expand into the interior. In West Africa Samory Touré led Islamist force successfully limited French expansion for several decades. Similarly, the Ashanti Empire resisted the British for most of the 1800s, including during the Yaa Asantewaa War.

The Yaa Asantewaa War, also known as the Asante War of Independence, was a conflict in the Ashanti Empire (now part of modern-day Ghana) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The war was sparked by the refusal of the Ashanti people, led by Yaa Asantewaa, to accept the British demand that the Ashanti King, Prempeh I, be exiled to the Seychelles. The Ashanti people resisted the British demand and declared war, leading to a conflict that lasted from 1900 to 1901.

Yaa Asantewaa, who was the Queen Mother of the Ashanti people, played a key role in leading the resistance against the British. Although the Ashanti were eventually defeated by the British, the war is remembered as an important moment in the history of Ghana and as an example of resistance to imperialism.

New states resisted empires. In the Balkans (southeastern Europe) new nation-states, such as Greece and Romania, broke away from the Ottoman Empire. In Africa, the Sokoto Caliphate (West Africa) and the Zulu nation (Southern Africa) formed in resistance British Expansion.

The Xhosa Cattle-Killing Movements was a similar religious response to displacement from British and Dutch settler colonialism in Southern Africa. While in northeast Africa the Mahdist wars combined traditional Islam with a military organization in opposition to Anglo-Egyptian control of Sudan.

The Xhosa Cattle-Killing Movements were a series of movements that took place in the Xhosa communities of South Africa in the 19th century. The movements were characterized by the mass killing of cattle and the destruction of crops by Xhosa people, who believed that these actions would bring about the fulfillment of prophecies that would drive out the British colonizers and restore the Xhosa people to their former greatness.

The first Cattle-Killing Movement took place in 1856, and a second, more widespread movement occurred in 1877-78. The movements had a devastating impact on the Xhosa people, as they resulted in widespread famine and economic hardship. They also had a significant impact on the relations between the Xhosa and the British, and are remembered as an important moment in the history of South Africa.

American Indian resistance to Euro-American expansion was another form of anti-imperialism. The Cherokee Nation was a new state formed in response to imperialism at the beginning of this period. At the end of the period, with the United States, a much more powerful state, the Ghost Dance movement on the Great Plains used a new religious vision to oppose cultural imperialism.

The Cherokee Nation was a sovereign nation of Native Americans in the southeastern United States. The Cherokee Nation was made up of the Cherokee people, one of the largest and most influential Native American tribes in the region. The Cherokee Nation had a complex society, with a written language, a system of government, and a flourishing culture. The Cherokee Nation was forcibly removed from its ancestral lands in the southeastern United States in the 19th century as a result of the Indian Removal Act, a law passed by the United States government in 1830 that called for the removal of all Native Americans from the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). This forced removal, known as the "Trail of Tears," resulted in the deaths of thousands of Cherokee people. Today, the Cherokee Nation is a sovereign nation within the United States and has a population of over 350,000 enrolled tribal members.

The Ghost Dance movement was a Native American religious movement that originated in the late 19th century and spread throughout the Western United States. The movement was founded by a Paiute prophet named Wovoka, who claimed to have had a vision in which he saw the return of the dead, the restoration of the land to its pre-colonial state, and the end of white American rule.

Wovoka preached that the Ghost Dance, a religious ceremony that involved dancing and chanting, would bring about these changes and bring about a new age of peace and prosperity. The movement spread rapidly among Native American communities, and it was seen as a threat by the United States government, which responded with force and repression. The Ghost Dance movement is remembered as an important moment in the history of Native American resistance to colonialism and assimilation.

The 1800s were a time of massive imperialist expansion which in turn created many resistance movements and organizations. Those described above are illustrative examples from the College Board course description, and students can use any other significant example of resistance in their writings, such as the Afghan Wars or the Boxer Rebellions.

Other indigenous people organized armed resistance to expanding empires throughout this period. In 1780 an Indian leader from the Andes took the name Tupac Amaru II led a bloody revolt against the Spanish Viceroy of Peru that shook, but did not break imperialist control.

Tupac Amaru II was the leader of a rebellion against Spanish rule in the Andean region of South America in the late 18th century. He was a member of the Inca nobility and was descended from the last Inca ruler, Tupac Amaru I. Tupac Amaru II led an uprising in 1780 against the Spanish colonizers, who had ruled the region for more than 300 years. The rebellion was sparked by a number of grievances, including the harsh treatment of the indigenous population by the Spanish, high taxes, and attempts to suppress native culture.

The rebellion spread rapidly and gained widespread support, but it was eventually crushed by the Spanish. Tupac Amaru II was captured, imprisoned, and eventually executed by the Spanish in 1781. The rebellion he led is remembered as an important moment in the history of resistance to colonial rule in South America.