Quiz: Imperialism: A Study

12 questions drawn at random. Score 80% for a silver medal.

1. Which of Hobson’s three conditions for legitimate rule over a “lower race” does he say is unfulfilled everywhere, and fundamental to the other two? Consent of the subject people through an elected representative assembly Service to the civilisation of the world as a whole Sanction by some organised representation of civilised humanity Benefit to the people brought under control
2. What does Hobson’s source give as the utmost density of population India can comfortably support outside towns and irrigated districts? A man to an acre, or 640 to the square mile A family to every hundred acres of cultivated land Two men to an acre, or 1,280 to the square mile Ten men to an acre of well-watered rice land
3. How does Hobson characterise British exports to the new tropical possessions? Coal, iron and steel for building up local industry and public works Mainly machinery and railway equipment for opening up the far interior Luxury goods for the European settlers and officials in the new colonies Cheap textiles and hardware, with much gunpowder, spirits and tobacco
4. What did the Glen Grey Act’s “labour-tax” require? A hut-tax of £2 a year on every native dwelling in the Transvaal and Natal Compulsory service as carriers for military expeditions Four months’ unpaid work each year from every able-bodied man in Rhodesia Ten shillings a year from every male native unless he had worked three months outside his district
5. What, according to Hobson, does “social efficiency” mean in the imperialists’ “natural history” argument? Success in free trade Simply the capacity to beat other races in the struggle A high level of moral and intellectual culture The ability to govern by consent
6. In the passage from J. S. Mill that Hobson quotes, what is the strongest cause of the feeling of nationality? Community of religion, binding the people in a single faith Identity of political antecedents: a shared national history Community of language, which makes a common literature possible Identity of race and descent: a shared blood and common ancestry
7. Which territory does Hobson offer as the best illustration of a “true imperial” policy? The Congo Free State Basutoland Natal and Zululand Southern Rhodesia
8. According to Hobson, what would doubling Britain’s volunteer standing army probably require? Recruiting entirely from the agricultural districts Quadrupling the rate of pay Abolishing the militia and merging it into the line Doubling the rate of pay
9. How many of the 367 million British subjects outside the British Isles does Hobson say have any real self-government? Not more than ten million, or one in thirty-seven None at all, since every colony is ruled from Downing Street About fifty million, or one in seven About half, mainly in India and Egypt
10. Whose statement does Hobson quote to show that British officials in Egypt had no intention of introducing popular government? Richard Cobden Lord Milner Lord Salisbury Lord Rosebery
11. On what economic basis does Hobson say imperialism logically rests? The gold standard Free Trade Protection Bimetallism
12. What is Hobson’s verdict on the claim that the Empire trains its subjects in self-government? Where British rule is real it brings no freedom; where it brings freedom it is not real It is achieved everywhere through the representative councils set up in the Crown colonies It is the Empire’s chief aim but proceeds too slowly It succeeds in India but fails in Africa

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