Pan-Asianism and Euro-American Colonialism

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Pan-Asianism and Euro-American Colonialism By: ---- For: Professor Lam HIS483H5S March 2011 Despite certain similarities, there are broad variations in the conceptual framework of colonialism, both formally and structurally. Two of the primary modes of colonialist thought were the pan-Asian model espoused by Imperial Japan and the traditional European hegemonic model. While both these ideologies encompassed the common element of paternalism through socio-political domination of indigenous societies, the Japanese and Euro-American versions were motivated by distinct underlying ideological factors and included discernable differences in public administration, economic distribution, and cultural autonomy. Thus, it will be argued that both models were ideologically based on hierarchical ethnic constructs, yet the Japanese case was shaped largely through fear of European imperialism while the Euro-American cases were more grounded in the necessity of enhanced market access. In terms of practical comparisons, both models incorporated the need for resource and labour extraction, yet the Japanese model featured capital and human investments for mutual economic gain, whereas the Euro-American model was a relatively one-sided exchange of commodities for the sole benefit of the metropole, and the Japanese model was predicated on the assimilation of Japanese cultural norms in colonial environments, whereas the Euro-American model tended to avoid direct infringement on local tribal customs so long as military and political authority went unchallenged. There were some outward similarities in the Euro-American and Japanese empires; both developed hierarchical models of ethnicity, for instance. The colonizers generally believed that the world was composed of competing peoples, some more adept at pursuing economic wealth, military success, organizational stability,
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