On colonialism
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| On colonialism - by K. Marx and F. Engels |
Excerpt from the publisher's note:
This collection includes works by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels on the history of colonialism. They contain a strictly scientific Marxist analysis of the economic causes behind the "predatory colonial policy of the capitalist countries, reveal the organic connection between colonialism and capitalism, and expose the monstrous exploitation of the colonial peoples by Great Britain and other capitalist countries. Articles devoted to the national-liberation movement show the historic importance of this movement and its prospects.
The first and biggest part of the collection is devoted to articles. Most of these were written in the eighteen-fifties when powerful anti-colonial movements developed in Asia. In 1853, Marx wrote a series of articles on India for the progressive American New York Daily Tribune. In them, he exposed "the profound hypocrisy and inherent - barbarism of bourgeois civilization," and showed that in al_L its stages British policy in India was shaped exclusively by the selfish interests of Britain's ruling classes. India and others present a startling picture of oppression and ruin imposed upon the Indian people by the colonialists.
There cannot, however, remain any doubt," Marx noted, "but that the misery inflicted by the British on Hindustan is of an essentially different and infinitely more intensive-kind than_all Hindustan had to suffer before."
The British bourgeoisie, Marx wrote, "drags individuals and peoples through blood and dirt, through misery and de- gradation," while being forced itself to sow the seeds of capitalist industry in India. But "all the English bourgeoisie may be forced to do evil neither Emancipate nor materially mend the social condition of the mass of the people, depending not only on the development of the productive powers but on their appropriation by the people."
And Marx drew the following conclusion: the liberation of India from the British yoke is the only thing that can bring about the "regeneration of that great and interesting country."
When a national revolt against British rule broke out in India in 1857, Marx and Engels, who followed the struggle of the Indians for their freedom with great attention and heartfelt sympathy, came out with a series of articles in the New-York Daily Tribune, in which they analysed the progress of the uprising, showed its causes, its nationwide scope, and its connection with "a general disaffection exhibited against English supremacy on the part of the great Asiatic nations."
Some of these articles have also been included in this collection. A large number of articles is devoted to China. Beginning with the first Opium War of 1839-42, British troops, and those of France and the United States, have repeatedly attacked China with the purpose of conquering it and turning it into a colony. Marx's articles, "The British Quarrel with China," "English Ferocity in China," "The Opium Trade," and others, were written in connection with the Second Opium War started by the British against China in 1856. British smugglers engaged in the criminal opium trade and "greedy English industrialists" who viewed the boundless Chinese market as a source of fabulous profit — it was this bracket of the capitalist class in whose interests British forces killed, plundered and tormented the peaceable Chinese civilian population in 1839-42, 1856-58, and 1860.
We live at a time when the Asian, African and Latin American peoples, who have risen in a heroic struggle for liberation and independence; have already made considerable progress. Something like 1,500 million people, that is, one-half of the world population, have cast off the chains of colonial slavery and established sovereign states.
As pointed out in the new Party Programme adopted at the Twenty-Second Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, "the existence of the world socialist system and the weakening of imperialism offer the peoples of the newly-free countries the prospect of a national renascence, of ending age-long backwardness and poverty, and achieving economic independence."
The proposal for the complete and final abolition of colonialism submitted by N. S. Khrushchov, the head of the Soviet Government, to the U. N. General Assembly in September 1960, was enthusiastically received by the peoples.
In the contemporary epoch, the works of Marx and Engels presented in this collection are of special interest. They offer an insight into the causes and help to assess the significance and the consequences of the developments underway in the world today.
The articles from the New York Daily Tribune are re-produced in this collection in accordance with the newspaper texts. The spelling of geographical and proper names has in some cases been amended to fit the accepted modern spelling. Articles that appeared in the New York Daily Tribune without a heading have been supplied titles by the Institute of Marxism-Leninism of the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U.
In all cases where the New York Daily Tribune editors inserted their own passages into the text of Marx's and Engels's articles, these were deleted since they do not belong to the authors.
some contents:
First International Review (Excerpt). By Karl Marx and Fred- erick Engels 13
Revolution in China and in Europe. By Karl Marx 15
Revolution in China and in Europe. By Karl Marx 15
India. By Karl Marx 24
Sir Charles Wood's East Indian Reforms. By Karl Marx ... 27
The British Rule in India. By Karl Marx 32 -- '
India. By Karl Marx 40. ^
The East India Company — Its History and Results. By Karl Marx
The Indian Question — Irish Tenant Right. By Karl Marx
The Government of India. By Karl Marx 62^
The East India Question. By Karl Marx 72 i.
War in Burma. By Karl Marx
India. By Karl Marx
The Future Results of the British Rule in India. By Karl Marx
Anglo-Persian War. By Karl Marx VI
The British Quarrel with China. By Karl Marx 94
Parliamentary Debates on the Chinese Hostilities. By Karl Marx 101
The Coming Election in England. By Karl Marx 108
English Ferocity in China. By Karl Marx 113
The New English Expedition in China. By Frederick Engels . . 118
Persia and China. By Frederick Engels 123
The Revolt in the Indian Army. By Karl Marx 13£l
The Revolt in India. By Karl Marx
The Indian Question. By Karl Marx
The Indian Revolt. By Karl Marx
Investigation of Tortures in India. By Karl Marx
British Incomes in India. By Karl Marx 157
The Approaching Indian Loan. By Karl Marx 162
Details of the Attack on Lucknow. By Frederick Engels . . . 167
The Annexation of Oudh. By Karl Marx 174
Lord Canning's Proclamation and Land Tenure in India. By Karl Marx 181
The British Army in India. By Frederick Engels 186
The British Government and the Slave Trade. By Karl Marx. 191
Taxes in India. By Karl Marx 197
The Indian Bill. By Karl Marx
Sir Charles Wood's East Indian Reforms. By Karl Marx ... 27
The British Rule in India. By Karl Marx 32 -- '
India. By Karl Marx 40. ^
The East India Company — Its History and Results. By Karl Marx
The Indian Question — Irish Tenant Right. By Karl Marx
The Government of India. By Karl Marx 62^
The East India Question. By Karl Marx 72 i.
War in Burma. By Karl Marx
India. By Karl Marx
The Future Results of the British Rule in India. By Karl Marx
Anglo-Persian War. By Karl Marx VI
The British Quarrel with China. By Karl Marx 94
Parliamentary Debates on the Chinese Hostilities. By Karl Marx 101
The Coming Election in England. By Karl Marx 108
English Ferocity in China. By Karl Marx 113
The New English Expedition in China. By Frederick Engels . . 118
Persia and China. By Frederick Engels 123
The Revolt in the Indian Army. By Karl Marx 13£l
The Revolt in India. By Karl Marx
The Indian Question. By Karl Marx
The Indian Revolt. By Karl Marx
Investigation of Tortures in India. By Karl Marx
British Incomes in India. By Karl Marx 157
The Approaching Indian Loan. By Karl Marx 162
Details of the Attack on Lucknow. By Frederick Engels . . . 167
The Annexation of Oudh. By Karl Marx 174
Lord Canning's Proclamation and Land Tenure in India. By Karl Marx 181
The British Army in India. By Frederick Engels 186
The British Government and the Slave Trade. By Karl Marx. 191
Taxes in India. By Karl Marx 197
The Indian Bill. By Karl Marx
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