Imperialism in the Middle East and South Asia

opening gambit:
is the US an imperial power today? if yes, in what sense? in what forms?

imperialisms are multiple
        not just European
        3 “traditional Islamic” empires contemporary with European expansion:
                Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal
        trading-post empires from 1500 on

here emphasis on European imperialism,
        especially at expense of Ottoman Empire (Jan 28 lecture and readings)

takes multiple forms of control
        of the seas
        of the technology of communication and transport
        of the technology of destruction (armaments)
                culminating in nuclear power
        of industrial production of all kinds
        of supplies of raw materials and markets for manufactured products
                key role of oil across 20th c
        of the financial infrastructure
        of the intellectual and scientific infrastructure:
                universities, presses, laboratories, patents, new fields, etc.
        of the definition of issues:
                human rights, conventions, environmental, health, etc.
        of the land: physical territorial occupation (colonialism or colonial rule)
       
sets processes in motion
        secularism and secularization
        nationalism and strong ethnic consciousness
                Benjamin Anderson’s “imagined communities”
        technological modernization and modernity
                including military
        education and press
        capitalism
                in ambiguous relationship with imperialism?
        democracy and democratization
                in conflict with imperialism?

“Islamism” as a response to this? for next week and beyond

some signposts
        late 18th on, OE: expansion around Black Sea and Balkans at expense of OE
        1798-1801, Egypt: Napoleon’s occupation, military and scientific
        throughout 19th: India
                British expansion at expense of Mughal Empire et al
                more “direct” rule after Indian Mutinyof 1857
        1830, Algeria: French take over Algiers
        1867, Suez Canal
        1882, Egypt: British occupation
        1916ff, “Arab revolt” against OE: British and French working with Sharif of Mecca
        1917, Palestine: Balfour declaration about Jewish homeland in Palestine
        1919ff, Arab Middle East: Western allies divvying up the rest of the old OE
                including Syria-Lebanon, Iraq, Transjordan, Palestine
                almost including Anatolia (Turkey)
        1923-4, OE: end of the sultanate and then the caliphate (OE)
        1948, Palestine-Israel: recognition of Jewish state by most of UN, lst war
        1952, Egypt: military and Nasser to power, often taken as Egyptian independence
        1954-62, Algeria: “savage war for peace” and independence
        1975, Lebanon: beginning of civil war, great involvement of outside forces
        1979, Iran: overthrow of Shah, emergence of Ayatollah Khomeini, Americans as hostages
        late 1970s-1980s, Afghanistan: USSR domination
                mujahidin mobilize with US, Saudi and other support
        1990-1, Iraq: invasion of Kuwait, American-led coalition drives back
                American forces stationed on Saudi (“holy”) soil

video: “The Middle East. Independence: Egypt and Algeria”