A Research On Cecil Rhodes And His Colonial Enterprise

Cecil Rhodes was one of the main planners and actors who carried out colonial expansion in Southern Africa for the interests of England in late 19th century.He persisted in keeping open a road to the north from the Cape and building a railway from the Cape to Cairo.Rhodes played a pivatal role in a series of important events of region,such as occupying Bechuanaland,opening up access to north,obtaining the Charter,establishing British South Africa Company,forming Rhodesia by invading Mashonaland and Matabeleland and taking part in "Jameson Raid" against Kruger.No matter in modern history of Southern Africa or in African colonial history did Rhodes be an important influential figure. Therefore,it remains a meaningful matter to research on his colonial enterprise and thinking.Based on the principle that all the materials,such as speeches,letters,archival documents,biographies and all kinds of books and articles would be judged and used,this thesis examines many topics.For example,Rhodes'colonial history,Rhodes'colonial ideology and his influence on Southern Africa.Besides the preface and the epilogue,there are five chapters in this thesis.Chapter One plays a role in the background.The chapter,including two parts,elaborates several topics as followed:Rhodes'family circumstances, his childhood and adolescence in England, the reason why he went to South Africa,and late access to Oxford University. In addition,the chapter investigates the development of the train of Rhodes'thoughts and the initial formation of his colonial thinking.Chapter Two mainly discusses Rhodes'economic colonization behaviors after 1877 and details important accounts of his founding de Beers Mining Company, amalgamating all the diamond mines of Kimberley to found the de Beers Consolidated Mines Company and establish Goldfields Company. The conclusion is that these economic activities are an important component of Rhodes'African colonial enterprise,which lay the economic foundation to achieve his political aspirations and promote his future political activities.Chapter Three mainly elaborates the history of colonial expansion of Rhodes and England in Southern Africa in late 19th century goes into details a series of events which influence the political situation in Southern Africa. It analyses Rhodes' instigation of the British Government strongly to win Bechuanaland and open up the Great Northern Road. It also probes into the capture of a broad river district and the formation of Rhodesia after Rhodes. It looks into the "Jameson Raid" which seriously intensified the contradiction between the British and Boer and foreshadowed the outbreak of Anglo-Boer War when Rhodes'political ideal of establishing the Union of South Union encounter with Kruger. It can be seen that Rhodes exerted a considerable dominant in colonization process in Southern Africa in late 19th century.Chapter Four discusses the colonial ideology of Rhodes,based mainly on his speeches and other raw materials that combined with his political practice.The characteristic of strong racism is the main feature of Rhodes'colonial ideology,which can be divided into two parts.One is emphasis on the thinking of white racial superiority,the other is the idea of discrimination against African natives.The first part underwent a process of development and change. There are three different components in it,including supremacy of Anglo-Saxon nation,union of Anglo-Boer and the union of the English-speaking peoples throughout the world,which is to win over the United States.The second part can be subdivided into two levels,such as the thought of discrimination against blacks and apartheid. Overall,the two parts of Rhodes'colonial ideology are complementary.The author emphasized that the colonial ideology is a deep thrust for colonization.On the basis of above four chapters,chapter Five holds the dual mission of Marxist theory as the theoretical tools and discusses the role of Rhodes in colonization process in Southern Africa in late 19th century. Adhere to evidence-based analysis of specific issues and attitudes, this chapter makes an objective assessment on Rhodes. There are three topics as followed:(1) the relationship between Rhodes and the formation of the new political situation in Southern Africa,(2)the relationship between Rhodes and the modern development in the region,(3)exploitation and plunder on natives in Southern Africa.Through out research and analysis of Rhodes,the epilogue emphasizes and points out that the intention of the thesis is to clerify and resolve three problems,such as the relationship between the individual and the times and the social forms,the relationship between economic colonial problems and political colonial problem and the understanding of the dual mission.Through the above efforts,the thesis would make a contribution to the history of colonialism in our country.