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Unit 6 Emergence of Nationalism

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Unit 6 Emergence of Nationalism UNIT 6 EMERGENCE OF NATIONALISM Structure Objectives Introduction Bases of the Emerging Nationalism 6.2.1 Land 6.2.2 People 6.2.3 Economy 6.2.4 Culture External Factors 6.3.1 Resentment against Britain 6.3.2 Anti-War Sentiment Political Dimensions 6.4.1 Politics and Parties 6.4.2 Emergence of Independent States 6.4.3 Foundation of the Commonwealth Changing Pattern of Nationalism 6.5.1 White Australia Policy 6.5.2 Foreign Policy and Policy .bf Multiculturalism 6.5 3 Movement for a Republic of Australia Let Us Sum Up Key Words Some Useful Books Answers to Check Your Progress Exerclses 6.0 OBJECTIVES This unit discusses the emergence of nationalism in Australia. After going through the unit you will be able to: trace the history of the emergence of Australian nationalism; identify the factors responsible for the emergence of Australian nationalism; a prove that a segment of a historically developed nation can develop a separate sense of nationalism in a different geographical condition; and understand the changing patterns of Aust~aliannationalism. 6.1 INTRODUCTION Nationalism is an ideology which is expressed in the advocacy of national independence, economic self-reliance and a strong desire for an identity. Australia is a nation with a definite nationalism of its own. Australia was 'discovered' for the Europeans by an English sailor Captain Cook in the third quarter ofthe 18th century (1769-71). lrn~nediatelyafter this event, migration from United Kingdom began. The mainstream population of Australia consists of the descendants of the people who had migrated from the United Kingdom. They had the British.culture, and spoke the.same English language. They claimed to be the inherltors of the old British heritage for a considerable period of time. Despite that Australian born English people have developed a nat~onal~s~not their own. It could have happened because of their noteworthy achievements both in the economic and political domains. These achievements help develop cultural identity which is Australian in spirit, form and theme. ,- 6.2 BASES OF THE EMERGENCE OF NATIONALISM The bases of Australian nationalism are the territorial location, growth of Australian born population, rapid economic development and p culture based on developing Australian values. Together they helped develop a sense of Australian identity which gave birth to nationalism. *b 6.H Land Emergence of ~atiosnii~m Australia is a country situated in the Southern Hemisphere between the lndian Ocean and the South Pacific, Australia has no frontier and is an island continent, surrounded by sea. It is open from all sides to the high seas. Its nearest neighbours are Papua New Guinea and lndonesia to the north, the Polynesians and the Melanesian of the Pacific Islands to the east, and New Zealand in the Southeast. The country is nearer to Asia islands of the Pacific ocean and is much farther to Europe. The Commonwealth of Australia, the official name of the country, covers an area of 7,682,300 Sq. Km., much larger than the United Kingdom. Nearly 39 p.c. of its landmass lies within the Tropics. ~usGaliaspans a distance of 3,134 km. from north to south and 3,782 km. from east to west. The country is compact in shape. Three-quarters of its area consists of plains. It is a country of one nation, known as Australia and the Australians are the sole owners of the land. Australia is lobated far off from England from where the mainstream of the population had come. In fact it is on the other side of the European world. Though the vast majority of the people originated from British stock, the physical distance of the land from England contributed to the development of a feeling of isolation from the motherland. The people first started calling Great Britain the "Old Country" and the "land of the other people" and Australia was their country and the land of the people who lived there. There has been a persistent feeling that Australia is for Australians. 6.2.2 People 'The growth of Australian born English men and the developing multi-ethnic character of the country were the factors responsible for the emergence of Australian nationalism. To recall what we have studied in unit 4, the Britishers began to colonize Australia on 26 January 1788 when some British people raised a settlement in Sydney, then known as Port Jackson. The early settlers were mostly from among the British transported prisoners. Subsequently free settlers arrived. However till 1830 more than 90 p.c. of the total white population were either convicts, former convicts or relatives of the convicts. In 1840 the transportation of convicts was abolished. By that time new and thriving white communities emerged in different pockets of permanent and free settlements. he 1891 census established that more than two-thirds of the population of Australians by birth and 20 p.c. of the total white population were of lrish origin. This became the population basis for the growth of nationalism. Australia is now technically a multi-ethnic country. But the number of peopIe belonging to the British origin is so large that the country appears to be a homogenous one. It is primariljl a white country. Only a sinall percentage of the total population is non-white. The Aboriginal or the indigenous people and a few descendants of the Chinese who had migrated before the pro~nl~lgationof 'white alone' policy, were the only non-white population until the end of World War 11. At present among the various ethnic groups living in Australia more than 50 p.c are of British (English) origin, one-fifth Irish, one tentl? of Welsh origin. There are a few Celtics as well. After World War 11, other European nationals migrated and settled in Australia. But they did not allow any other community to settle there. In 1966 the policy was pal-tially relaxed, and in 1973 all restrictions were lifted. Non-white peoples have since been then getting the necessary opportunities to migrate and settle in Australia. The Aboriginal populatio~ihave at last got the right of citizenship and the vote. According to a recent estimate (1999) the total population of Australia is 17,892,423, (1.78 crores) out of whom 352,970 are Aboriginal groups. 6.2.3 Economy The material basis to a growing nationalist feeling was the economic prosperity of a country. The migrants achieved it within a very short period a prosperous standard of living which they could have hardly hoped for in Britain. White Australia experienced a spectacular growth Society and C111tul-e of economic activity 111 the second half of the 19th century. The growth had resulted from the expansion of pastoral and mining industries and of the urban centres. The "Gold Rush" of the 1850s also stimulated the economy. Sustainable econornic development could be achieved because of migration of people from Europe, helped by British capital investment and active official participation in the development of infrastructure, pastoral farming, mining, small scale manufacturing industries and urban land transactions. Australia was thus rapidly urbanized and a new urban society emerged. A vast majority of the total population was the urban dwellers. As the number of entrepreneurs (capitalists) increased, the size of the working class also increased; standard of living improved; and a determination to maintain the high standard of living arose. This determination helped to create a sense of identity in the people and a love and hate relationship of the British system. The Australians were no longer willing to allow British investors to transfer the surplus value to England. The tempo of economic development has continued. Now Australia is no longer predominantly an agricultural nation. It has emerged as one of the industralized and mining nations of the i world. Since the end of World War I (1 9 14-1 8), the fundamental development policy has been the encouragement of immigration (from Europe), widening the facilities fo; capital investment, expansion of foreign trade, emphasis on industrialization and improvement of 1 living conditions in the rural areas. A high tariff charge was imposed to protect the nascent i manufacturing sector. The manufacturing sector which was flourishing because of protection I from foreign manufacturing goods opened up new avenues for absorbing the growing labour a force made available due to the Great Depression of the 1930's. Many migrated to Australia from Europe. Industrialization was another step forward towards a self-reliant Aiistralia. which further strengthened an already emerglng nationai~sm. I ! 6.2.4 Culture The origin of Australian culture can be traced back to the fifth decade of the 19th century. The period is also important because the demand for self-rule arose then. Common people started pronouncing the English language with an Australian accent. A body of folk literature expressing the Australian spirit. forming the theme of ballads, folksongs, lyrics, stories etc. began to emerge in the 1850s. This treasury was discovered in later decades of the 19Ih century and early decades of the 20th century by the urbanized highly educated authors, journalists and other intellectuals. The educated class who had so long looked to England for inspiration learned about Australia through these discoveries. They also discovered Australian idioms, phrases and other indi~enoustraits. The hitherto White Australia now found its "inner self'. They were thoroughly inspired by this growing indigenous culture and began to identify themselves with the country and to call themselves Australians. The movements, first for self-rule and subsequently Commonwealth (Federation), coupled with developing knowledge on growing indigenous oral culture, gave birth to modern authors, artists and journalists in the 1890's.
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