European History Actions between Australia and Sri-Lanka - Essay Example

Compare and Contrast European History Actions between Australia and Sri-Lanka Introduction Colonization is when a militarily robust country invades and takes sovereignty over another area which is consequently referred to as a colony. It is usually accompanied by the development of settlements inhabited by emigrants from the country that is conducting the colonization. Countries colonize other countries for varied reasons. Colonization is propelled by needs and consequently has advantages and disadvantages. The essay will compare and contrast European history actions which will be inclusive of colonization, first settlers and federation of Australia. Body Colonization The colonization of Australia took place in 1791, when Western Australia was claimed by George Vancouver. The initial relationship between the inhabitants was cordial as it was based on trade. However, the relationship became sour when the inhabitants realized that the new comers were after their land and scarce resources (Australian Government Culture Portal, 2008). Sri-Lanka had three Europeans taking interest in them; the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. The Portuguese settled in Sri –Lanka in 1517 and slowly extended their rule over the coastal region. However, the local inhabitants did not like the Portuguese and moved to welcome any foreigners who would facilitate their over throwing of the Portuguese administration. The Dutch inhabited Sri-Lanka in 1638. This was as a result of their assisting the King of Kandy to evacuate the Portuguese from their land. They proved to be more brutal than their Portuguese counterparts. The British colonized Sri-Lanka in 1815 (Tripod, 2000). Reasons for colonization Australia was colonized for the following reasons; to alleviate the overcrowding of prisons by the establishment of a penal colony, to enable the expansion of the British Empire and thus prevent the French from obtaining a foothold within the Australian continent, the continent was endowed with resources that appealed to the English and lastly the mere ad-vocation of British settlement (Australian Government Culture Portal, 2008). The British colonized Sri-Lanka since they had an interest with Sri-Lanka’s Trincomalee harbor. The British were greatly interested in the acquisition of an all-weather port. The British were also interested in Sri-Lanka’s land resources which were suited for the cultivation of tea, rubber and coffee. The Dutch were interested in trade while the Portuguese had an interest in the running of the coastal region (Tripod, 2000). First settlers The first Australian settlers were European Mariners who touched base in 1606 as a result of their observation of the land which was dubbed the Terra Australis Incognita (also referred to as the southern land). The very first ship was called the Duyfken and was captained by Willem Janszoon. The first settlers in Sri Lanka were of the Portuguese decent. They were the first Europeans to set foot in Sri Lanka and they arrived in 1505. The first Portuguese to arrive was Francisco Almeida. They arrived to find the kingdom at war which made it easier for them to conquer Sri- Lanka. The Portuguese established a fort in Colombo in the year 1517. They slowly extended their control over other coastal areas. Social changes that is the social cultural effects In Australia due to the British colonization; the major Christian denomination was that of the Church of England. Catholicism also took root due to the presence of Irish convicts. The minority denominations also present were the Dissenters and Methodists. The adopted education was informal and was home based. The habitation of Australia by the foreigners also came with illnesses such as syphilis. The adoption of plantation farming was adopted in Sri-Lanka, thanks to the British and their new technology which they developed in Jamaica. The most successful of their crops was coffee which was so successful that it led to the change of the Island’s economy from subsistence farming to plantation farming. Christianity also came with the Europeans. The Europeans forced Christianity on Sri-Lanka’s native inhabitants. The British introduced the natives to democratic elements such as self-government. Self-governance was introduced as early as 1833. Federation in Australia A federation is a form of sovereign state that is characterized by the merging of self-governing states that is united by a federal government. In this mode of governance the constituting states are constitutionally embedded and may not be changed by any unilateral decision made by the central government. Australia became a federation thanks to a movement spear headed by Alfred Deakinm Edmund Barton and Henry Parkes to convert the six Australian colonies that constituted of a 3.7 million population into a single country. The federation process resulted into the self governing colonies of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania forming a federation. The colonies ultimately became Commonwealth states of Australia (Australian Government Culture Portal, 2008). Sri-Lanka Sri-Lanka is run as a constitutional structure. After its 1948 independence obtained from the United Kingdom it started a parliamentary system which was in the Commonwealth. The country established the republic status in 1972 and then changed to the presidential-parliamentary system in 1978. This form of governance is similar to that of the French and vests most of its power on the president. The president is restricted to a two six year term. The unicameral legislation is made up of 225 members are appointed by the proportional legislation for a period of six year terms (The Library of Congress, 2001). Conclusion Colonization is driven by one need or another and with it comes advantages and disadvantages. For instance Australia was colonized by the Britain primarily due to their need to relive their prisons of the great number of prisoners. On the other hand, Sri-Lanka was colonized due to the need of an all weather port by the British. With colonization come advantages and disadvantages for both the colonizing and the colonized countries. With colonization came the advent of plantation farming in Sri-Lanka but it also came with a lot of bloodshed during the fight for independence. The parliamentary system of governance adopted by Sri-Lanka put an end to their civil war. In Australia; colonization came with religion and education. On the downside it came with foreign ailments that killed the Australian natives. In both countries it saw the start of new governing systems. To the colonizers came more resources and thus was extremely beneficial to them. References Australian Government Culture Portal (2008). European Discovery and the Colonisation of Australia. Retrieved 7th May 7, 2010. Available at: http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/australianhistory/ Tripod (2000). Sri-Lanka Historical and Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 7th May 7, 2010. Available at: http://hettiarachchi.tripod.com/history.htm The library of congress (2001). The British in Sri-Lanka. Retrieved 7th May. Available at: http://www.lankalibrary.com/geo/British/history4.htm Read More