During its height in the 19th century, the British Empire was the largest empire in history and covered 1/4 of the world. The theocratic interpretation of history, the idea that God ordains Empire carried forward in this American/British Empire today, shows in this encyclopedia article on the British Empire: The British Empire was, at one time, referred to as the empire on which the sun never sets because the empires span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous colonies. On the one hand, the British developed a sense of their own destiny and moral responsibility in the world, believing that many of her colonial subjects required guidance, that it was British rule that prevented anarchy and chaos. Positively, the education system sponsored by the British promulgated an awareness of such values as freedom, human dignity, equality—even though those taught often observed that their colonial masters did not practice what they preached. Negatively, peoples and resources were exploited at Britains advantage and more often than not at the cost of her overseas possessions. Many British thought their ascendancy providential, part of the divine plan. Anyone who believes that history is not merely a series of accidents might well see Gods hand behind the creation of an empire that, despite all the ills of an imperial system imposed on unwilling subjects, also left a cultural, literary, legal and political legacy that binds people of different religions and races together. newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/British_Empire
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 13:03:57 +0000
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