Introduction
The rise and expansion of the western empires such as the British had a significant impact on the lives of the communities they conquered. The paper aims to examine the effects of Western power in the nineteenth century as depicted by Abina and Jamal al-Afghani.
Difference in reaction
The rise of the British Empire had a negative impact on the Asian and African continents, which served as their colonies. However, the British played a significant role in ending the slave trade and conquest of most of their colonies worldwide. However, there are differences in how the subjects of the former British colonies viewed their occupation. In “Abina and the important men” Abina views the established colonial system as the “saviour” for her right to work and lead-free from oppression in Gold Coast[1]. Adina is happy to realize that freedom from slavery is a constitutional right imposed by the White Man to safeguard the community’s interest. She believes that the new decree by the queen of England will enable her secure justice for wrongful detention and slavery from her master. This is evident because she is willing to participate in a judicial process even though she is advised to avoid the trial.
In contrast, the Two Essays by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, show how the latter reacts to the presence and domination of the British system and way of life in Islamic societies. Jamal al-Din al-Afghani views the British system with a negative connotation. The latter claims that Christianity has been used as a weapon to target Islam religious practices, which are fundamental in sustaining the identity and authenticity of Muslim societies.
Moreover, to advocate for justice and quality in society, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani utilized the power of Islam to advocate for political free will and the rule of law that is not influenced by the British. That is, “his main goal was political, but he recognized the power of religion and made use of it. Moreover, by recognizing the appeal of Islam, he was able to integrate his calls for internal reform into an Islamic context.” This is different from Abina, who had minimal resources but “took” advantage of the prevailing constitution to advocate for equality and fairness among the oppressed in the society. there are similarities in how both Abina and react to the rise of Western power in the nineteenth century. In both situations, both observed and experienced the corrupt nature of the prevailing British ideology. For instance, in Abina situation, she was unable to attain justice despite her effort to accuse the elite members of her society of enslavement.
Similarly, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani’s work explores how the British occupation in various parts of Asia controlled and influenced much of their Muslim cultures. According to Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, such “control” placed by the occupation of the western powers limited the ability of Muslim nations’ ability to develop and grow their societies. Thus, both Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Abina perceive the authority of the western power as irrelevant in the progressiveness of their community. This is because the few elites in the society in both contexts are “protected” by the western powers as means to expand their ideology and agenda in the wider society. Thus, undermining the societal and cultural heritage held by the natives before the being conquered by the western powers.
Imperial culture opportunity
Ideally, Cultural imperialism is responsible for spreading some positive values, including democracy and equal rights. In both Abina and Jamal al-Din al-Afghani context, the concept of democracy and the result of the law was present in their societies. Essentially, the rise of Western power in the nineteenth century was characterized by establishing the democratic process, which was instrumental in safeguarding the interests of the imperialist and, to some extent, the natives. Abina’s quest to seek justice was guaranteed by the established democratic process in Gold Cost, which ensured that she could “bring” charges to an elite member of society. This was impossible or difficult before establishing the democratic processes, especially given that she was a native woman. The presence of a democratic process and equality allowed Jamal al-Din al-Afghani to transverse in various British colonies advocating for political separations and tolerance from the British Empire. He writing directly criticized the system he was using to raise his grievances. Essentially, “from that time, Al-Afghani was on the move, living in different Muslim countries and, in one way or another, spreading his anti-imperialist ideas[2].” This demonstrates how Al-Afghani utilized the benefit of the imperialism culture to advocate or champion for anti-imperialism ideology.
Furthermore, it can be cited that education was a critical contribution of imperial culture in most of the conquered territory. Education played an important role in elevating the social and economic status of most natives through increasing their interaction with foreigners through trade and politics. To uphold constitutional and democratic processes, locals were provided with the opportunity to acquire tertiary education, which benefited most of the illiterate natives. For instance, Abina was able to gain proper court presentation despite her lack of knowledge and understanding of legal matters. This allowed her to acquire legal guidance and counsel from an educated native on presenting the case to the court. Al-Afghani received Shia educational training from a young age. More so, he was able to gain knowledge reading the occupation of the western powers in most parts of the Muslim nations/ territory. Furthermore, his writings indicate that he acquired a tertiary level education, which enabled him to become a political agitator, Muslim politician, and advocate. Overall, the educational system provided by the imperial cultural benefit directly or indirectly native of the occupied territory at the local or elite level as demonstrated by Al-Afghani and Abina texts.
Imperial culture obstacle
Despite the various opportunities presented by the imperial cultures, it also brought about the demise of many indigenous cultures and languages and provided a justification for colonialism. This propagated a culture of impunity where the elite in the society were not published for their wrongdoing. In 1807, the British monarchy enslaved laws to end slavery across its colonies. The move was critical in ending the transatlantic and Indian Ocean slave trades. Nevertheless, a significant population continued to enslave people, as noted in the Abina narrative. The chief or leaders in the community were in cohorts with white government officials to facilitate “low level” slavery in various parts of Gold Coats. The practice of slavery was catalyzed by a culture of impunity where the community elders were not charged for their illegal activities of enslaving young girls like Abina. The lack of equality and fairness as dictated by the Slavery Ordinance Act prompted Abina to file a legal case against his former master, whom she claimed had enslaved her and other girls. Thus, Abina reaction to the culture of impunity cultivated by the imperial culture was to pursue legal action as dictated or guaranteed by the prevailing constitution.
One of the western power objectives was to use Christianity as a tool to facilitate territorial conquest. This meant that other religious practices such as Islam were suppressed, especially in the Asian and Middle East continents. The western powers viewed Islam as an obstacle towards social, economic, and political stability in Muslim populated areas and territories. According to Al-Afghani, the imperial cultures negatively impacted Islam, which undermined the development of Muslim territories. To minimize the spread of British ideology and beliefs- Al-Afghani lobbied against the collaboration of Muslim faith leaders with the British. For instance, he was able to integrate his calls for internal reform into an Islamic context. Rather than perceiving reform to be a Western imposition, he viewed it as a return to true Islam.
Empire, domination and collaboration
Domination is the fundamental aspect of an established empire; over time, a majority of empires tend to use collaborative links to rule by using peripheral elites. Such as collaborative partners can be less or more reciprocal. The two stories fit into the broader picture of empire, collaboration, and resistance. In the sense that the British Empire used collaborative links to rule in various critical areas in the Gold Coast and other countries in the Middle East and Asia. The empire relied on the appointment and collaboration of local administrative workers such as communities’ leaders as means to expand on their powers. For instance, in Al-Afghani essay depicts Qajar monarch Nasir al-Din Shah and Khedive Tawfiq as collaborative links who ensure the growth and continuity of the British empires in the Middle East regions. Similarly, Quamina Eddoo serves as the collaborative link in ensuring the remnants of slavery drive the economic productivity that benefits the British empires[3]. He is allowed to harbour a young girl as a slave because of his contribution and collaboration towards the British Monarchy. Their activities in both stories create a sense of resistance as a constitutive of empires.
Resistance is viewed as the “flip side” of domination. It explores how empires are challenged with the rise of resistance. Ideally, resistance can be explored based on how an empire squashes small resistance or collapses in the face of the resistance. There are no direct illustrations or representations of any formidable resistance offered by the main characters towards the British as an Empire in the Abina context. However, the introduction of legal processes, equality and fairness depicts the dwindling control and influence of the British Empire in the Gold Coast region.
In contrast, Al-Afghani resistance to the penetration and spread of the western culture imposed by the British Monarchy. He engaged in the political and religious discussion that aimed to influence Muslim leaders to resent the indoctrination of western ideology. Al-Afghani’s contribution did not lodge a significant resistance to the British Empire; however, it played an essential role in the proceeding century in enabling most Muslim countries to gain their independence and minimize the Christina-based ideologies.
Conclusion
The Abina and Al-Afghani stories highlight the impact of western imperialism culture on the economic, social, cultural, and religious practices of indigenous communities in the controlled territories.
Bibliography
Keddie, Nikki R. “Imperialism, Science and Religion: Two Essays by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani 1883 and 1884”.” Modern Middle East Sourcebook Project (2004): 1-10.
Getz, Trevor R., and Liz Clarke. Abina and the important men: A graphic history. Oxford University Press, USA, 2016.
[1] Getz, Trevor R., and Liz Clarke. Abina and the important men: A graphic history. Oxford University Press, USA, 2016.
[2] Keddie, Nikki R. “Imperialism, Science and Religion: Two Essays by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani 1883 and 1884”.” Modern Middle East Sourcebook Project (2004): 1-10.
[3] Getz, Trevor R., and Liz Clarke. Abina and the important men: A graphic history. Oxford University Press, USA, 2016.
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