Hong Kong History - Lecture 2 Overview

Hong Kong Story - Lecture 2: HK as a Crown Jewel of the British Empire

• HK's history is intrinsically linked to British colonial history and legacy.
• Early colonial history focused on British motivations for wanting Hong Kong.
• Was there a harmonious assimilation, or conflict stemming from early colonization?
• The initial British governance had a focus on benevolent rule as well as social class and colonial state relations.
• A significant aspect of the lecture is gauging the success and factors that contributed to HK's rise. 
• Similar terms used to describe HK's success (in textbooks) are geographical advantages, trade, economics, and stewardship.

SD1: HK History as Modernization?

• Hong Kong's natural environment and subsequent colonization led to modernization.
• Development followed a linear, western model of modernization.
• This involved gradual and natural societal advancements.
• The progression is typically depicted as pre-modern vs. modern (e.g., agricultural society vs. industrialization).

High-Definition Image 1: 'De-tours' in Development and Early Colonial Governance

• The natural habitat and British motivations (e.g., trade) for pursuing Hong Kong are key questions explored.
• The early history considers the degree to which this 'modernization' was harmonious or if conflicts arose.
• A focus is on both sides and factors which influenced the 'de-tours' in the development.
• This examines global and regional geopolitical events and its impact on HK.

HD2 & HD3: Ordered Society Without Conflicts and Colonial State-Society Relations

• The lecture highlights the harmonious juxtaposition of East (China) and West (Britain).
• British governance is deemed benevolent, and the local population largely accepted colonial rule without significant conflict.
• The lecture explores early HK social class and colonial governance.

Hong Kong Chronicles

• An overview on the chronicles and overview of HK's chronology.
• Year by year events and English version available are noted.

Birth of the Former Colony

• Clashes between East (China) and West (Britain) over trade resulted in wars and unequal treaties.
• Key treaties and conventions include the Treaty of Nanking (Nanjing), Convention of Peking (Beijing), and conventions related to the expansion of the Hong Kong territory.

Selected Events in Britain (Industrialization 1.0)

• Key events in the period pertaining to Britain's historical context. (Industrial Revolution).
• The events include the introduction of Poor Laws, the establishment of Queen Victoria, the abolition of slavery, and the Opium Wars, and other geopolitical and historical occurrences of the same period.

Treaty of Nanking (1842)

• Aiming to abolish the Canton System, where Cohong and Thirteen Factories monopolised foreign trade.
• A catalyst for the First Opium War (1839-1842) was the ban of Opium trade by Lin Zexu. 
• Opened five treaty ports for trade (Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Ningbo, and Shanghai).
• HK Island granted to Britain.

Was It Hong Kong That the British Wanted? - A Barren Rock?

• Early British perception of Hong Kong: a barren rock, not suitable for significant settlement.
• This directly contrasts with evidence of prior settlements and population.
• Sir Charles Elliot, a British official, played a key role in negotiating Hong Kong's cession.

A Summary: Back to Linear History Argument

• The imposition of 'linear history' suggests a breakdown in the 'smooth' view of HK's development.
• This examination involves a discussion of factors like world historical context, land surveys, police, and global influences.

HD: Formation of Early Social Class

• The formation of early British (and European) and Chinese social classes.
• The differences in the lives and roles of working classes in the archives.
• Did de facto segregation happen?

The British Class and Network

• Jardine Matheson Group in Hong Kong
• Founding of Jardine Matheson and Co; development of JM & Co in Canton; establishment in HK.
• Involvement in business sectors like land, telegraphs, ice-making, and sugar mills.
• The network and intertwining power are also noted.
• The Royal HK Jockey Club (1884)
• The club serves as a marker of British influence and interconnected power structures.

The British/European/Eurasian Class and the Working Class

• Various segments are noted like European soldiers, police officers; sailors, wanderers, smugglers; sex workers, and Eurasians.
• Focus on specific groups and their roles.
• The presence of ethnic minorities like Parsis from India.

The Chinese Working Class

• Discussion on coolie trade as a form of exploitative labor.
• The treatment of Chinese migrant laborers.
• The history of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals' establishment and its related stories.

HD: Early Colonial Rule in Urban Area

• The indirect rule of the Chinese elite, with the Chinese merchant class and the Man Mo Temple representing a form of local power.
• Incorporating aspects of the local Chinese system to aid the colonial rule.

Indirect-Rule by the Chinese Elites

• Examine the role of Chinese merchants (and the Man Mo Temple) in administering local laws.
• Evidence of a local (Chinese) governing structure to help the British maintain order.
• The story of Loo Aqui, a dockworker, and Tam Achoy, a fisherman, exemplifies the complexity by demonstrating how Chinese individuals contributed to the colonial system.
• Accounts of scandals, including the Kwong Fook I-tsz management scandal.

Marginalization and Incorporation

• The Tung Wah Group, including events like the plague, and how the colonial administration responded and interacted with the local population.
• Describing the Chinese community's approach to maintaining their culture and practices (e.g., Tung Wah Group supporting Chinese traditional culture).
• Administrative absorption, 'committees' to intervene in Chinese affairs, with Western education being a significant aspect to absorption.

Marginalization and Incorporation - Administrative Absorption

• Establishing committees and boards to intervene in the local Chinese affairs.
• Chinese elite absorbing Western education with a focus on committees and boards.
• Role of the sanitary board, Chinese members, and the Eurasian elites. (Example: Sir Kai Ho).

Marginalization and Incorporation – The Plague

• The plague's arrival and how it affected the Tung Wah Group.
• Rumors about Western medicine and the efforts to dispel them.
• How the colonial state responded, and how Chinese organizations adapted and changed.

In Short: Colonial Rule

• Complicated nature of colonial rule in Hong Kong.
• Usage of 'bio power' to achieve objectives.
• Colonial cooperation and suppression of the local population.
• Social classes, divided on lines of ethnicity and the segregation experienced.

References

• Listing of the academic sources consulted. (Books, journals, webpages) and their related content.

This quiz explores the significance of Hong Kong in British colonial history, examining the motivations behind colonization and the concepts of assimilation versus conflict. It also discusses the early governance and social dynamics that contributed to Hong Kong's success as a trade hub. Engage with key themes of modernization and geographical advantages in this context.