I've mentioned the British National Archives on here a few times - they are a repository of records relating to British history - but now they've come in for some stiff criticism. Over recent decades it's become ever more popular to offer a blanket criticism to all of British imperial history, a past which at one point saw the country rule a third of the world's population. An exhibition at the Archive's museum unashamedly takes this view. However, a counter trend appears to be emerging, and a number of academics have lined up to attack the display. They've been helped immensely by - what appears to be - the accidental labelling of a photograph. They've put "East African slaves taken aboard HMS Daphne from a dhow, 1 November 1868" but neglected to mention they were being rescued at the time. A small error, but one news reports like this has seized upon. Of course, you can't discuss the 'Empire' (it generally just gets mentioned by the one word in Britain) without going overboard, and some critics have decided to call the display 'anti-British'. Which takes the whole thing out of history and into politics.
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Comments
The ancient Greek city states were imperialists as were the Phoenicians.
These early imperialists managed to plant colonies amongst the barbarians and watch their colonists turn into independent city states.
Assyrians,Persians and Alexander did the same thing a little later.
By the time you get to Rome and watch them create an empire you may have the idea one locale will conquer and subdue another set of states.
In ancient times they used the term “fortune”.It’s a suitable term and it fits most of history.
I believe the present day wants to forget the misfortunes of others and only present these as minorities,oppressed minorities. Yet, the great wheel of time allows for fortune to shift,and minorities can become oppressors,a delightful turn of events for the fortunate,and a disaster for the unfortunate.
The brief reign of England serves as a reminder the sun does set without help from England who now watches their Celtic firebrands seize slices of an ever diminishing Albion.The Welsh and Scots prove once more how fragile Merry Old England may be.