The Untold History of British Kings and Queens in Southeast Asia, from Elizabeth I to Charles III
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Mabuhay, or in Kapampangan, Luwid Kayo!
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Welcome back to my channel to another history video.
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It's me, Kirby Arroyo, your friendly Pinoy historian.
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And if you are new to my channel and you like learning about history, culture, and everything in between,
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from the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and beyond,
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don't forget to like, share this video, comment down below, and please subscribe.
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But before we continue with today's topic, here's a few reminders.
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Today's video is just a brief overview of the British Crown and the British Empire in Southeast Asia,
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between the 1600s to the present day.
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So check out the links below for a list of sources and recommended readings to learn more.
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And also, if there's anything that I missed or anything that you want to add,
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please let us know in the comments below.
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Let us all learn from one another.
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And for those of you who would like to support my channel and my research,
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please be my patron on Patreon, be a member of my YouTube channel,
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or get copies of any of my books, coloring books, and ebooks,
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or any of the merch linked down below.
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Now, back to our topic, back to the English and British monarchs in the history of Southeast Asia,
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let's start with the formidable Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I.
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Now, although English knowledge of Southeast Asia was only beginning to emerge at the time,
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as you know, the Europeans first began exploring beyond India into the East Indies
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and the South China Sea, or what is now Southeast Asia,
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the first English monarch who could be said to have played a role in Southeast Asia
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was Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled England between 1558 and 1603.
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Elizabeth's long reign saw the first emergence of a desire amongst England's colonial theorists
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and mercantile community to begin building an overseas empire,
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one which would make England into a great nation,
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just like what Spain had become with its vast territorial empire in the Americas and the Pacific.
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Thus, it was that in the 1600s that the English East India Company was established in London
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and given a royal charter by the Queen.
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The following year, the company sent an expedition under Sir James Lancaster aboard the Red Dragon,
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which visited the East Indies, or what is now Southeast Asia,
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and returned with a very rich bounty therefrom.
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And this allowed the East India Company to begin setting up trading stations
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on the islands of Bantam and Java, in what is now Indonesia,
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to manage the English involvement in the lucrative spice trade between Southeast Asia and the world.
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King James VI of Scotland succeeded the childless Elizabeth I as King of England in 1603.
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He would rule England, Scotland, and Ireland as the first British monarch in history.
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And during his reign, English overseas colonial activity expanded dramatically,
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with the first permanent settlements established in North America
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around what are now Virginia and New England.
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Now, in Southeast Asia, these years saw the English East India Company
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continuing to send out small fleets annually to trade in the East Indies.
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These were very lucrative, though they had to contend with foreign aggressors,
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like the Portuguese and the Dutch,
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who had already established themselves in the region in the 1500s.
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And they were anxious to keep competition out.
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Thus, for instance, we find the East India Company fighting a Portuguese contingent
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at the Battle of Suwali in the Indian Ocean back in 1612,
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when the shipping routes to Southeast Asia became a battleground in the Spice Wars.
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Meanwhile, the East India Company established its first trading stations
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and bases in the Bengal region of India in 1615.
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And British expansion in India would provide the basis
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for a further eastward expansion into the region we now call Southeast Asia
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in the decades and centuries to come.
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Now, the reign of Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685,
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is notable in terms of English and British activity in Southeast Asia,
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because this was a period of pronounced tension between England
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and the Dutch Republic for the dominance of world trade.
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Now, much of this concerned the Atlantic trade,
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but some of it actually related to Southeast Asia,
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particularly the control over the nutmeg and mace trade from the island of Rhone.
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England would eventually emerge victorious in the Anglo-Dutch Wars.
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But while the Dutch lost their territories in North America
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and their dominant position as the major mercantile power of Europe,
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they retained control of much of the East Indies,
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particularly what are now the islands of Indonesia.
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James II succeeded his brother Charles in 1685,
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but it would be a brief reign because he was removed from power in 1689
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due to his adherence to the Roman Catholic faith.
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Now, despite the brevity of his tenure,
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his reign is actually notable in terms of English involvement in Southeast Asia
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for the Anglo-Siamese War, which broke out in 1687.
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And this was effectively a clash between the English East India Company
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and the Kingdom of Siam or Ayodhya in what is now Thailand.
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And it was a war over trading rights in the region
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and the pirate attacks on the English merchants traveling to and from the Spice Islands.
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Now, the war eventually fizzled out as both Ayodhya and England
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were hit by their own civil wars back at home in the late 1680s.
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The first half of the 18th century or the 1700s
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saw little change in the effective functioning of British involvement in Southeast Asia.
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But the reign of George II from 1727 to 1760 was important in one way.
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The last years of his reign saw the English East India Company
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and its famous commander, Robert Clive,
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begin making a series of astonishing military conquests across the subcontinent of India.
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And this formed the basis for the rapid expansion of the British rule
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across India and the surrounding regions in the decades that followed.
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And as British rule expanded in India,
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their designs on Southeast Asia became more ambitious.
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The long reign of George III between 1760 and 1820
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was immensely important in the history of British involvement in Southeast Asia.
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For instance, in the 1770s, the English East India Company instructed
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one of their senior explorers and employees, Captain Francis Light,
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to form new trade links with the Malay Peninsula
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as the company sought to expand their trade eastwards into Southeast Asia.
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Captain Francis Light subsequently came upon the island of Penang
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off the northwest coast of the Malay Peninsula
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and recommended that it should be colonized.
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Now, this plan was duly initiated in 1786
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with the town of Georgetown established here,
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forming the first major British colonial enclave in Southeast Asia
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and beginning the British conquest of Malaysia.
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The Napoleonic Wars allowed the British to interfere with the Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia.
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And in 1811, the British captured the island of Java.
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And finally, in 1819, a British colonial official,
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Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles,
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began establishing a trading settlement on the island of Singapore,
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marking the beginnings of the present-day independent city-state of Singapore.
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Now, for my Filipino subscribers,
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it was also during this reign that
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the British invasion and occupation of Manila in 1762 occurred
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during the Seven Years' War,
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marking a pivotal moment in the region's history,
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one that left a lasting impact on the Philippines.
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While the British occupation of Manila was, you know, pretty short,
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lasting only two years,
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it was characterized by a brutal and exploitative regime
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that saw the pillaging, looting, and plundering of Manila's wealth and cultural heritage.
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The British forces were notorious for their indiscriminate violence
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against the local population,
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resulting in a legacy of resentment and trauma
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that persisted long after the British had left.
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The invasion also disrupted the social and economic fabric of the region,
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causing lasting harm to local communities.
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Thus, the legacy of the British occupation of Manila
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is a reminder of the impact of colonialism
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and the ongoing need to address the historical injustices
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inflicted upon colonized people.
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So if you want to learn more about this topic,
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check out my series, my two-part series
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on the British occupation and invasion of Manila.
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And, you know, find out the answer what it would've been like
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if the Philippines remained a British colony.
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But for now, let's jump back in time, back to the 1800s.
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The son of George III became King George IV in 1820,
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and his would be a brief reign,
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lasting only until 1830,
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as he was already 57 years of age at the time of his accession.
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However, it was also notable in terms of British colonization in Southeast Asia
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for the First Anglo-Burmese War which broke out in 1824
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and ended in 1826,
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with the Burmese Empire effectively relinquishing control
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of much of the coastal region of Burma or modern-day Myanmar
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southwards towards Thailand to the British Empire.
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Now, one of the most famous British monarchs in history
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was none other than Queen Victoria.
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It is hard to underestimate the significance of the reign of Queen Victoria,
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who ruled the British Empire for over six decades,
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between 1837 and 1901.
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So what exactly was her involvement in Southeast Asia?
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At the very outset of her long reign,
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British efforts to expand into Southeast Asian markets and East Asian markets,
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you know, to offload excess opium from India,
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which by the late 1830s was almost entirely
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under the control of the English East India Company,
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led to a war with the Qing Dynasty of China.
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And the First Opium War between 1839 and 1842
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saw the British forcing China to open its ports,
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leading to the British annexation of Hong Kong,
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which they began developing as their main port and base in the region.
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And then, as Victoria's reign matured,
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the European powers and the United States
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entered into a new age of aggressive imperialism,
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in which they began a race to conquer and annex
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all of those parts of the world which remained outside of Western control.
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Britain was in a position to consolidate its control over the region,
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although Siam remained one of the few non-European nations in the world
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which avoided direct colonial rule.
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And we can talk more about this in future videos,
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so let me know in the comments below.
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British Malaya was created as a new colony in 1867.
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Elsewhere in the East Indies,
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the North Borneo Chartered Company was founded in 1881
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with the goal of securing the rights to exploit
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the natural resources of North Borneo.
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And thus, trading concessions and charters were acquired
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from the Sultan of Sulu and the Sultan of Brunei.
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And so, for decades to come,
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North Borneo would be ruled as a semi-private colony
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by the North Borneo Chartered Company.
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Although, with some oversight from the British government.
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Three years later in 1884,
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the British government acquired a stake in the territory of Papua,
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which covered much of the southeast of the island of New Guinea.
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And it was formed into an official colony in 1888.
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Through all of this,
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the British acquired extensive access to oil,
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and rubber deposits across Southeast Asia.
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It is also worth noting that the impact of the British Empire in Sabah
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and the Sultanates of Sulu and Brunei
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is marked by numerous and complicated consequences.
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The British legacy in North Borneo
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has resulted in colonial-era land grabbing,
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artificial borders,
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and the blatant disregard for the rights
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and the sovereignty of the indigenous peoples in the region.
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These actions have contributed to the ongoing tensions
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and have perpetuated unresolved conflicts in the region,
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affecting millions of native and indigenous people today.
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The legacy of British colonialism in North Borneo
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has led to deep-seated resentment and grievances
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among the affected communities,
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highlighting the long-lasting detrimental impact
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of colonialism and imperialism across Southeast Asia.
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And if you are new to my channel,
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I also have a series of videos
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about the history behind the dispute over Sabah.
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Digging deeper into the untold history of North Borneo,
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the Sultanates of Brunei,
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the Sultanate of Sulu,
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So if you haven't seen it yet,
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make sure to watch it after this video.
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But for now, back to our topic.
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By the end of Victoria's reign,
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Britain had secured control over its major colonies in Southeast Asia.
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As such, there was little of notable significance
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in terms of British rule which occurred across the region
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during the reigns of Victoria's immediate successors.
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Her son, King Edward VII,
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and her grandson, King George V.
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However, the latter's reign,
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which extended from 1910 to 1936,
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would be important at a future date
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as the British Commonwealth of Nations
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was created in 1931,
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with George V serving as its first head.
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As the decolonization of the British Empire
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accelerated in the decades that followed,
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numerous nations in Southeast Asia
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would end up becoming members of the Commonwealth.
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The British presence in Southeast Asia
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was fundamentally transformed
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during the reign of King George VI,
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who succeeded to the throne unexpectedly
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after his brother abdicated in 1936
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and who reigned until 1952.
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The outbreak of the Second World War
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and the entry of the Japanese Empire into the war in 1941
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saw many of Britain's colonies overrun by the Japanese,
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notably Malaysia and Singapore.
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While the British government was forced
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to give promises to India
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that it would take seriously the calls
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for India's independence after the war
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if India provided extensive support
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to the British during the conflict.
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Thus, it was in 1947
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that India became independent of Britain.
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With this, calls for independence intensified
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within the other British colonies
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across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
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But it would be during the reign
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of George's daughter and successor
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that Britain's colonies in Southeast Asia
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acquired their own independence.
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And so we come to the reign
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of Queen Elizabeth II,
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Britain's longest-serving monarch
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who ruled for over 70 years
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from 1952 to 2022.
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It was during her reign
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that the British Empire was dismantled,
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including its territories in Southeast Asia.
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Malaysia became an independent state in 1957
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as the Federation of Malaya.
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While North Borneo and Sarawak
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would join later to form
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the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
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Now, the city of Singapore
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was given internal self-rule in 1959.
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And six years later, in 1965,
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they acquired full independence.
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A decade later, the territory of Papua,
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which Britain had acquired
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as a colony in 1888,
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was made the independent state
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of Papua New Guinea.
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And finally, in 1997,
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Britain handed over
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its last remaining colony
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facing Southeast Asia to China
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when Hong Kong became part
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of the People's Republic of China
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under the one country,
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two systems rule.
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At the occasion to mark
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the historic return of Hong Kong
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to China in 1997,
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it was actually Charles,
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the Prince of Wales,
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rather than Queen Elizabeth II
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the British monarchy in Hong Kong.
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And upon the Queen's death in 2022,
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Prince Charles became
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King Charles III.
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he became the head
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of the British Commonwealth of Nations,
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which continues to include
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the Southeast Asian nations
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of Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.
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Now, the legacy of British colonialism
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in Southeast Asia
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is undoubtedly complex and multifaceted.
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While the British brought about
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significant changes in Southeast Asia,
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the British Empire had devastating effects
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on the region's people and environment.
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British colonial rule
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was marked by the exploitation
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of natural resources,
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by the exploitation of the workers,
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and the economic inequalities
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across the region,
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which have contributed
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to Southeast Asia's ongoing challenges
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with poverty and development.
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The policies of divided rule
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employed by the British Empire
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ethnic and religious tensions,
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which sadly continue to affect
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the political and social dynamics
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The legacy of British colonialism
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also contributed to the marginalization
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of local cultures and traditions,
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and the exploitations
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of the indigenous communities.
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Many of our indigenous communities
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are still struggling to survive
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in the face of globalization
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and modernization.
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the legacy of the British crown
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in Southeast Asia
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cannot be understood
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without acknowledging
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in which it perpetuated
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and reinforced systems of power
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That continued to shape
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the region today.
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And that is it for me today.
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what you think about today's topic
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in the comments below.
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And if you like this video
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and learned a thing or two,
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don't forget to like,
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share this video,
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comment down below,
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and please, please subscribe.
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Now, this video will not be possible.
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This channel will not exist
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and the support of my patrons,
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and viewers like you
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throughout these years.
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See you next time!
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I'll see you in the next video.
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I'll see you in the next video.
