This thesis investigates the impact of US military imperialism on the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam, centering on local perceptions and experiences. Employing qualitative thematic analysis and...Show moreThis thesis investigates the impact of US military imperialism on the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam, centering on local perceptions and experiences. Employing qualitative thematic analysis and comparative case studies, this research contends how colonial legacies shape discourse and resistance. The findings indicate that economic dependencies and social hierarchies perpetuate US dominance, while local media and resistance movements protest this influence. This study advocates for a decolonial approach to US policy and emphasizes the need for context-specific analyses and interdisciplinary research. Fundamentally, this thesis contributes to the comprehension of the persistent impact of colonialism on discourse creation and narratives around autonomy.Show less
The topic of ancient trade in the Indian Ocean has been popular for a while already. But, most of the attention was directed toward the commercial connections that the Roman Empire established with...Show moreThe topic of ancient trade in the Indian Ocean has been popular for a while already. But, most of the attention was directed toward the commercial connections that the Roman Empire established with India and China under the framework of the Silk Roads. This resulted in the research of Roman ceramic containers, the amphorae. Consequently, other aspects of the Indian Ocean trade were often ignored. However, after the discovery of Sassanian ceramic containers known as Torpedo Jars, the role of this imperial player in the Indian Oceans started being questioned by many researchers such as R. Tomber. My thesis aims to evaluate Sasanian strategies in geopolitics, trade, and economy through the use of Torpedo Jars as an archaeological marker. Through the use of literature on the topics of Torpedo Jars, Sassanian imperialism, trade, and economy my thesis aims to compare information and expand possible conclusions. The thesis introduces a thematic chapter each contributing to the discussion on the relevance of Torpedo Jars in the Sassanian activity in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. Based on the findings from the chapters, a wide network created by Sassanians was revealed. The primary objective of the Sassanian Empire was to secure the Persian Gulf for security and economic reasons. This allowed them to possess an influential stake in the Indian Ocean trade causing a wide distribution of Torpedo Jars in the region, especially in the main trading region of India. Moreover, Sassanians in contrast to the Parthians made an effort to centralize their economy of transport container production, also supporting the further distribution of Torpedo Jars. This was exemplified by a study on the chaff-tempered ovoid jars (predecessor of Torpedo Jars in the Persian Gulf) and a comparative analysis of the production of transport containers in the Roman Mediterranean and the Sassanian Persian Gulf. Nevertheless, the topic of Torpedo Jars is still not studied enough. More excavations and archaeological surveys need to be conducted to find further evidence of the production and function of Torpedo Jars. Based on my thesis I would also encourage conducting a quantitative research method on the distribution of Torpedo Jars in the Indian Ocean producing a wide dataset with proportions.Show less
This thesis focuses on Dutch foreign policy towards Japan during the tumultuous Bakumatsu Period (1853-1868) and situates said foreign policy within the broader context of Dutch neutrality and...Show moreThis thesis focuses on Dutch foreign policy towards Japan during the tumultuous Bakumatsu Period (1853-1868) and situates said foreign policy within the broader context of Dutch neutrality and imperialism of the nineteenth century. The study concludes that even though the Dutch government viewed the Netherlands as a small power in Europe, it was a large imperial power in Asia, and as such it had to pursue active foreign policy in East/Southeast Asia to protect Dutch interests in light of encroaching Western imperialism in the region. Contrary to previous studies, this thesis argues that Dutch neutrality did not imply passivity, but instead proved to be a unique form of Dutch foreign policy amidst larger imperial powers and Japan, in which the ingenuity, character and actions of Dutch actors in Japan was crucial.Show less
The purpose of this study is to examine the foreign policy of the Greek city-state of Syracuse between the second half of the fifth and the first half of the fourth centuries BC, and in particular...Show moreThe purpose of this study is to examine the foreign policy of the Greek city-state of Syracuse between the second half of the fifth and the first half of the fourth centuries BC, and in particular from the beginning of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC, to the death of Dionysius the Elder in 367 BC. This study is specifically focused on ancient contemporary as well as modern perceptions of Syracuse as an imperialist, expansionist power. The study aims to demonstrate that Syracuse was a typical city-state which to a large extent reacted to external events and pursued a limited and modest foreign policy aimed at preserving the city in light of an increasingly unstable political environment, while occasionally taking advantage of unique opportunities to pursue limited expansion. By the end of the study, the reader should be able to discern the bias of ancient authors, understand their motivations, and form a more pragmatic and realistic assessment of Syracusan foreign policy. It will be demonstrated that Syracuse was a typical city-state with limited resources, and well-defined, consistent goals, as opposed to the more adventurous imperialistic and at times opportunistic goals ascribed to Syracuse by authors influenced by Classical Athenian imperialism. It will be shown how and why Syracuse fell short of the exaggerated expectations of friend and foe alike, concerning the city’s capabilities and the role which it was envisaged playing in various regions of the Classical world.Show less
The government of the Netherlands had an immediate interest in the political developments on the Arabian peninsula during the 1918-1930 period. Large numbers of its Dutch East Indies Muslim...Show moreThe government of the Netherlands had an immediate interest in the political developments on the Arabian peninsula during the 1918-1930 period. Large numbers of its Dutch East Indies Muslim colonial subjects made the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina every year. The Indies colonial authorities were bent on controlling and regulating this journey in an effort to control the pilgrims themselves. Especially because Mecca was suspected of being the centre of an anti-colonial conspiracy in the eyes of some officials like the Delft professor and journalist Salomon Keyzer and the Dutch consul at Jeddah J.A. Kruijt . A good working relationship with the authorities of Mecca and Medina and by extent the whole of the Hijaz would certainly help to achieve this. By 1927 this relationship was apparently very good. How did this come to be? The main question of this master thesis will be: how did the different Dutch consuls and Dutch East Indies civil servants perceive the political developments on the Arabian peninsula in the period 1918-1930? I will argue that the observations and conclusions of these two groups, the Jeddah consuls and the Dutch East Indies civil servants, were to a very large extent determined by two different and contrary streams in Dutch colonial philosophy: the ‘ethical school’ and a conservative reaction to this ‘school’.Show less
For more than 400 years, Puerto Rico has been subject to colonialism and imperialism. After being colonized by Spain it became a United States possession in 1898 which it remains today, albeit in...Show moreFor more than 400 years, Puerto Rico has been subject to colonialism and imperialism. After being colonized by Spain it became a United States possession in 1898 which it remains today, albeit in the form of a Commonwealth. United States policies shaped Puerto Rico’s political and economic landscape with severe consequences for life on the island. This particularly became clear in August 2017 when first Hurricane Irma, but especially Hurricane Maria devastated the island. The current study investigates the role that imperialist policies have played in the federal relief aid after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. A content analysis of news items, official documents, and Donald Trump’s Twitter messages indicate that imperialist policies – expressed through preferential treatment between states and Puerto Rico, economic constraints and bureaucratic hurdles, and the behavior and language use of the president – indeed inhibited an effective recovery mission on the island. It underscores that imperialism still guides the diplomatic relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico.Show less
Sport is never just a game. In an imperial context, it connotes a host of ideals and values directly linked to foreign political authority. In treaty port Shanghai, competition between the city’s...Show moreSport is never just a game. In an imperial context, it connotes a host of ideals and values directly linked to foreign political authority. In treaty port Shanghai, competition between the city’s many national communities was similarly conceived of as a tool to strengthen foreign power. The practice of protest at international sports events by Shanghai’s Chinese population subverted these attempts and enabled protestors to undermine foreign legitimacy. This thesis applies the lens of political culture to examine how meaning was attached to protest at international sporting events and analyse how this was received by Shanghai’s foreign community. Sport has frequently been overlooked in the wider historiography of protest. However, an investigation of the practice of sports protest is highly relevant for providing valuable insights into the nature of social relations. While historians have generally assumed that Shanghai’s foreign society was insular, studying protest shows not only that there was significant contact, but that this was exploited for political aims. Sport provided a unique avenue for protest by encapsulating foreign rituals of rule, which could be spontaneously usurped to mount a symbolic challenge. Comparison with formal colonial contexts illustrates that sport as a channel for protest was shaped by Shanghai’s semi-colonial arrangement, illuminating the broader complexities and vulnerabilities of semi-colonial control.Show less
In the wake of The Supreme Court of India's decision to decriminalise homosexuality, this paper studies how British colonialism structured the perceptions and representations of same-sex intimacies...Show moreIn the wake of The Supreme Court of India's decision to decriminalise homosexuality, this paper studies how British colonialism structured the perceptions and representations of same-sex intimacies and sexual fluidity in India. Combining discourse analysis and historiographical approaches, this paper focuses on various aspects of Indian history and society, from the many examples of homo-eroticism in Indo-Muslim literature and Indian religious traditions to the medicalisation of sexuality and the internalisation of British ideals of masculinity and sexuality in the discourse around same-sex intimacies, as well as the parallels between this and the modern Hindutva movement.Show less
Between 1911 and the end of the 1920s a large number of single female Protestant missionaries from the United States was working in China. By this time, the work of missionaries had evolved from...Show moreBetween 1911 and the end of the 1920s a large number of single female Protestant missionaries from the United States was working in China. By this time, the work of missionaries had evolved from being engaged in direct evangelism to providing social services in educational and medical institutions, and through these services indirectly spreading Christian civilization. This thesis questions if imperialism carried out by missionaries can be beneficent, and specifically focuses on the American New Women who came to China as single female missionaries. The reasons why these women came to China were diverse, some came because of their vocation others because they were longing for adventure. However, many of these women had more practical reasons. At the beginning of the 20th century it was difficult for educated women to find suitable jobs in the United States, China offered them career possibilities as well as a social position. The American government supported the missionaries in their effort to spread Christianity and American civilization, but the reasons for this support were far from altruistic.Show less
In a relatively short time Great Britain founded Iraq out of the three Ottoman vilayets Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. When British forces went ashore in Mesopotamia in a hurry to fight the Ottoman...Show moreIn a relatively short time Great Britain founded Iraq out of the three Ottoman vilayets Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. When British forces went ashore in Mesopotamia in a hurry to fight the Ottoman Empire because it had joined the First World War as one of the Axis, many policy issues had not been clarified yet. Too often did not only the army and the political officers on the ground, but the government officials in London as well work without a clear goal in mind. The question that begs to be asked is who was responsible for the policy in Mesopotamia. Hence, this is a study of the interaction within the British Empire during and right after World War I and its effects on policy development in Mesopotamia. When you zoom in on the British Empire, you will notice a diverse range of interests. This world encompassing Empire was not a monolith. Different regions and different political entities had conflicting ideas on the future of Mesopotamia. This thesis analyzes the British Empire itself to understand the confusion and contradictions in British policy-making following 1914 by leaving the core-periphery binary often assumed in imperialist historiography, and by paying attention to the webbed character of empires; multiple metropoles connected in a competing network.Show less
Drawing on a relatively recent trend in Melville criticism, this BA thesis gives a detailed close analysis of some passages in Moby-Dick to demonstrate Melville’s destabilisation of Orientalist...Show moreDrawing on a relatively recent trend in Melville criticism, this BA thesis gives a detailed close analysis of some passages in Moby-Dick to demonstrate Melville’s destabilisation of Orientalist stereotypes and his deconstruction of contemporary racial theories.Show less
This essay asks what the differences and similarities were between the Seikan debate and the debate surrounding the Taiwan Expedition. By comparing the motivations behind and rhetoric around these...Show moreThis essay asks what the differences and similarities were between the Seikan debate and the debate surrounding the Taiwan Expedition. By comparing the motivations behind and rhetoric around these two instances of aggressive foreign policy, this essay aims to shed a light on the degree of Western and traditional ideological influence and consequently show how Japan saw great changes in its ideological discourse during the early years of Meiji rule (1868–1877).Show less
This BA final paper analyzes the large amount of classical Chinese style poetry (known in Japanese as kanshi) written by Japanese poets during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and attempts to...Show moreThis BA final paper analyzes the large amount of classical Chinese style poetry (known in Japanese as kanshi) written by Japanese poets during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and attempts to place it in the larger context of Meiji society, Meiji world views (particularly of China) and international relations. Throughout the argument of this paper it becomes clear that, despite the fact that these poets employed the classical Chinese language and were fond of many aspects of classical Chinese culture, they considered their nation as the true successor to this classical Chinese legacy and that their judgement on modern China was harsh.Show less
