First Published in 1988. These essays have been written to mark the retirement of Ronald Robinson as Beit Professor of the History of the British Commonwealth at the University of Oxford. The contributors have all at various times worked closely with ‘Robbie’ as pupils, colleagues and friends. They offer this volume to him with their thanks and great affection, both in recognition of his immense contribution to the revival and development of imperial or commonwealth history, and in the conviction that he has still much to offer all scholars in the field.

First Published in 1988. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The philosopher W.B. Gallie argued many years ago that there could be no simple definition of words such as 'freedom' because they embodied what he called 'essentially contested concepts'. They were words whose meaning had to be fought over and whose compteting definitions arose out of political struggle and conflict. Imperialism, and its close ally, colonialism, are two such contested concepts. This set will give readers an insight in to the main lines of debate about the meanings of imperialism and colonialism over the last two centuries.

This open access book analyses Iberian expansion by using knowledge accumulated in recent years to test some of the most important theories regarding Europe’s economic development. Adopting a comparative perspective, it considers the impact of early globalization on Iberian and Western European institutions, social development and political economies. In spite of globalization’s minor importance from the commercial perspective before 1750, this book finds its impact decisive for institutional development, political economies, and processes of state-building in Iberia and Europe. The book engages current historiographies and revindicates the need to take the concept of composite monarchies as a point of departure in order to understand the period’s economic and social developments, analysing the institutions and societies resulting from contact with Iberian peoples in America and Asia. The outcome is a study that nuances and contests an excessively-negative yet prevalent image of the Iberian societies, explores the difficult relationship between empires and globalization and opens paths for comparisons to other imperial formations.

First published in 2004. This is Volume III in a collection on Imperialism, Critical Concepts in Historical Studies and includes PART V Cultural and ‘Postcolonial’ Critiques.

Queen Victoria, who also bore the title of Empress of India, had a real and abiding interest in the British Empire, but other European monarchs also ruled over possessions 'beyond the seas'. This collection of original essays explores the connections between monarchy and colonialism, from the old regime empires down to the Commonwealth of today. With case studies drawn from Britain, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, the chapters analyse constitutional questions about the role of the crown in overseas empires, the pomp and pageantry of the monarchy as it transferred to the colonies, and the fate of indigenous sovereigns under European colonial control. The volume, with chapters on North America, Asia, Africa and Australasia, provides new perspectives on colonial history, the governance of empire, and the transnational history of monarchies in modern Europe.

The collection of essays in this volume offers an overview of scholarly approaches to the ways in which diverse actors, representing the colonised or the colonising nations, or indeed the international community, reacted to colonialism during the lifetime of the modern colonial empires or in their aftermath. The coverage is broad in terms of geographical scope and historical period, with articles on the major colonial empires in Asia and Africa and the imperial centres of Paris, London and Berlin, from the conquests of the late nineteenth century to the period of decolonisation. The selection also reflects recent academic trends by focusing on countries whose colonial past and experience of decolonisation have been studied and debated with particular intensity, such as Algeria, Kenya and India. The volume draws on previously published articles and book chapters by leading international scholars writing in, or translated into, English and includes a critical introduction which situates each essay in relation to recent debates in this dynamic and expanding field of study.

This collection aims to enable the reader to disentangle some of the ambiguities and confusions which have characterized the use of the term 'historiography'.

The undisputed best introduction to the history of the world-wide pattern of British activity in the nineteenth century, embracing its expansive spirit as well as its formal territorial empire. The dynamics of this extraordinary enterprise are considered broadly: the high-political concerns of strategy and international geopolitics are analyzed, as well as the economic dimension, missionary activity, and racial attitudes, together with a wide range of cultural aspects, including sport and the pursuit of sexual opportunity. Nor is the personal contribution of some of the leading Victorian figures neglected.

Understanding the British Empire draws on a lifetime's research and reflection on the history of the British Empire by one of the senior figures in the field. Essays cover six key themes: the geopolitical and economic dynamics of empire, religion and ethics, imperial bureaucracy, the contribution of political leaders, the significance of sexuality, and the shaping of imperial historiography. A major new introductory chapter draws together the wider framework of Dr Hyam's studies and several new chapters focus on lesser known figures. Other chapters are revised versions of earlier papers, reflecting some of the debates and controversies raised by the author's work, including the issue of sexual exploitation, the European intrusion into Africa, including the African response to missionaries, trusteeship, and Winston Churchill's imperial attitudes. Combining traditional archival research with newer forms of cultural exploration, this is an unusually wide-ranging approach to key aspects of empire.