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• Myanmar is a Southeast Asian country. In 1599 the Portuguese defeated the king of one of the kingdoms in Myanmar.
• However, in 1611 various dynasties ruling in Myanmar got together, defeated the Portuguese, and amalgamated their kingdoms.
• United Myanmar adopted an expansionist policy and conquered Manipur and Assam.
• It means that the British Indian territory was under threat of being invaded, a situation that caused three wars between the British and Myanmar is known as the Anglo-Burmese war.
• The first war in 1826 was won by the British and they took over Assam and Manipur and Arakan.
• British also defeated Myanmar in the second war. At about the same time the French had taken over the regions of ‘Upper Burma’.
• In the third war, the British won this region too, thereby ruling over the entire Myanmar.
• In this way during three AngloBurmese wars British annexed the entire Myanmar.

Correct option: (b) decolonisation

The leader of the Indian National Movement Mahatma Gandhi.

Muhammad Thakuruphanu Al Azam

An organisation responsible for facilitating the process of decolonisation after World War II United Nations.

Correct option: (a) Colombo

Correct option: (c) Aung San

(a) to manage the administration of the colonies which were under the control of Germany and Turkey

(c) During the Second World War the British and the; French began to give some rights to the people in their colonies

The place where the fifth Pan-African Congress was held in 1945 Manchester.

• The concept of African unity was first put forward by H.S. Williams. He formed an organization while in London, called as ‘African Association’ (later called as Pan-African Association).
• He organised its first conference in 1900. W.E.B. Du Bois, an American sociologist of African origin was present at this conference.
• In 1919, the second conference of African leaders and thinkers was held in Paris, known as the ‘Pan-African Congress’.
• Thereafter, W.E.B. Du Bois and his associates called a series of Pan-African Congress at various places. This resulted in the idea of Pan-African unity taking deep roots in Africa.
• The 5th Pan-African Congress was held at Manchester in 1945 by people of African origin living in Manchester.

Correct option: (c) Pan-African Association

Correct option: (c) The United Republic of Tanzania

‘Burma Independence Army’

Correct Answer is:

India – 15th August 1947

Correct option: (d) Germany

Correct option: (b) Asian

The country that called the first conference of Asian countries India.

Incorrect pair is:

Manchester – The 5th Pan-African Congress in 1945

Correct option: (d) Bandung

W.E.B.Du Bois

• India called the first conference of Asian countries in 1947 which was attended by the representatives of 25 Asian countries.
• In this conference, the concept of Asian regionalism was shaped. The issues like common problems faced by Asian people, the social, economic, and cultural problems of the Asian countries, and the need for mutual cooperation among Asian countries were discussed in this conference.
• This conference was followed by the first conference of Asian and African countries held in 1955 at Bandung in Indonesia. This is known as the ‘Bandung Conference’.
• In this conference, the problems of Afro-Asian countries were discussed and it was decided to focus on world peace and mutual co-operation.

Correct option: (a) Myanmar

General Erwin Rommel

• During the 15 year period of 1950-1965 people in the European colonies in Africa freed themselves from the foreign rule.
• The education system imposed by the Europeans was alien to them. Ironically, African leaders were trained in this alien educational system.
• Their education had introduced them to American Independence Struggle, French Revolution, and Nationalism.
• The African people became aware of nationalism and national pride.
• After Second World War England and France gradually began to grant more rights to the Africans in their colonies.
• This strengthened the independence movements in African nations.

Introduction: The decolonisation of Asia was the gradual growth of independence movements in Asia, leading ultimately to the retreat of foreign powers and the creation of a number of nation-states in the region. A number of events were catalysts for this shift, most importantly the Second World War.

The freedom struggle of some of the countries like Sri Lanka, Maldives is mentioned in the textbook. The countries of Asia and Africa which got independence from British rule are as follows:

1. British colonies in Asia:

Hong Kong:

• Hong Kong is a coastal city and major port in southern China.
• It was returned to the United Kingdom following its war. It was controlled directly by a British governor until the expiry of the 99-year lease of the New Territories which occurred in 1997. From that date, the territories were called as a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

2. Singapore:

• Singapore officially known as the Republic of Singapore is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia.
• In 1819, Sir Thomas Raffles negotiated a treaty whereby King Johor allowed the British to locate a trading port on the island, leading to the establishment of the British crown colony of Singapore.
• After the end of World War II British granted self-government culminating in Singapore’s merger with Malaysia.
• On 9th August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state.

3. India:

• India is situated in South East Asia surrounded by the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Indian Ocean on the south.
• India got independence from British rule on 15^th August 1947. Indian National Movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi played an important role in the freedom of the country.

4. Pakistan:

• Pakistan is in Asia, the neighbouring country of India.
• As the United Kingdom agreed to the partitioning of India in 1947, the modern state of Pakistan was established on 14th August 1947.

5. Cyprus:

• Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea in Western Asia.
• In 1914 it was annexed by U.K Between 1945 and 1959 EOKA was created that fought a campaign for the end of British rule in Cyprus.
• An independent ‘The Republic of Cyprus’ was created in 1960.

6. British colonies in Africa:

• On 31st May 1910, Britain gave South Africa nominal independence.
• This union was a dominion that included the former colonies of the Cape and Natal.
• This union only became fully sovereign in 1931 when all powers Britain had over the country were abolished.

7. Egypt:

• Egypt has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea, the River Nile, and the Red Sea.
• The Egyptian Revolution of 1919 was a countrywide revolution against the British occupation of Egypt.
• The revolution led to Great Britain’s later recognition of Egyptian independence in 1922.

8. Nigeria:

• Lagos was invaded by British forces in 1851 and annexed in 1865.
• It became a British protectorate in 1901 while her colonization lasted until 1960 when an independence movement succeeded in gaining independence and Nigeria became an independent republic in 1979.

9. Ghana: Got independence on 6 March 1957.

10. Kenya: Became independent on 12 December 1963.

• The African battlefield in the Second World War had spread from Morocco and Libya in the north to Ethiopia and Somali Land on the eastern border of Africa.
• The British empire in Africa was in danger because of the aggressions of Italy and the German General Erwin Rommel.
• Indian soldiers in the British army fought with great resilience. With their help, the British could compel the combined armies of Italy and Germany and they had to lose their colonies in Africa at the end of the Second World War in 1945.

(c) of the aggression of Italy and the German

The Atlantic Charter was a pivotal policy statement issued on August 14, 1941, that defined goals for the post-war world. The Atlantic Charter was drafted by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President F.D. Roosevelt at the Atlantic Conference in Newfoundland. All the allies of World War II later confirmed it.

Introduction: The Atlantic Charter was a pivotal policy statement issued on August 14, 1941, that defined goals for the post-war world. The Atlantic Charter was drafted by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President F.D. Roosevelt at the Atlantic Conference in Newfoundland. All the allies of World War II later confirmed it. 

The terms of the Atlantic Charter were as follows:

• No territorial expansion and territorial changes were against the wishes of the people.
• All people had a right to self determination.
• No territorial gains were sought by the U.S. and the U.K.
• Trade and barriers were to be lowered.
• There was to be global economic cooperation and advancement of social welfare.
• The participants would work for a world free of want and fear.
• The participants would work for freedom of the seas.
• There was to be disarmament of aggressor nations and post-war common disarmament. This agreement proved to be one of the first steps towards the formation of the United Nation.

• An introduction of western education created awareness and feelings of nationalism among the African people.
• European colonies in Africa were involved in First World War. After the defeat of Germany in the war, allied nations began to compete with each other for occupying German colonies in Africa.
• On the advice of American President Woodrow Wilson, the ‘League of Nations decided with the mutual understanding that England, France, and Belgium should divide the colonies among themselves.
• The four British colonies namely Cape Colony, Natal, Orange Free State, and Transvaal were amalgamated and the state of South Africa was created in 1920.
• Egypt got its independence before the end of the Second World War. Following it Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Ghana became independent one after another.
• In the middle of the 20th century in all the 12 French colonies, such as Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali in central Africa became independent. Somalia, Cameroon, and other European colonies under the care of ‘League of Nations became independent one by one.
• Algeria became independent by conducting a plebiscite in 1962. In 1964 Tanganyika and Zanzibar were amalgamated and ‘The United Republic of Tanzania’ came into existence.
• At the end of the Second World War Italy and Germany had to lose their colonies in Africa.

Correct option: (c) United Nations

• The Second World War dealt a serious blow to the colonial powers, depriving them of their former prestige.
• The process of decolonisation accelerated in a short time because of the conflicts among European coloniser countries and the anti-colonial movements in the colonies.
• The European countries could not have reasoned out colonisation and the exploitation of colonies from an intellectual platform.
• The Asian and African continents were filled with a heightened spirit of independence movements.
• The awareness about these movements spread rapidly. Many countries in both continents obtained their freedom.
• In ten years following the end of the Second World War, with successive waves of decolonisation in Asia and Africa, the Third World took its place as a new player in the international arena.

By the end of the 20^th-century colonialism came to an end and the process of decolonisation was completed.

(a) Maldives:

• Portuguese entered the Maldives in 1529. Since then Maldives began to pay tribute to the Portuguese in Goa.
• Sultan Muhammad Thakuruphanu A1 Azam from Malabar ended the Portuguese rule and signed a treaty with the Dutch and gave them administrative responsibility of Maldives.
• the Later Maldives was taken over by the British. They built naval bases and radio transmission centers in the Maldives. They also took Indian labourers to work in the paddy fields in the Maldives.
• the Maldives became independent on 26th July 1965, by a treaty signed at Colombo.

(b) Sri Lanka:

• The British ruled Sri Lanka (Ceylon) from 1798 to 1948. They defeated the Portuguese and Dutch.
• There were uprisings in Sri Lanka against British rule. The British plantation owners had taken many labourers from Tamil Nadu to work in coffee plantations.
• In Sri Lanka, the British dominated the production of coffee, tea, rubber, and coconut. They developed Colombo as an international port city.
• They established colleges and universities in Sri Lanka and encouraged Buddhist studies. Sri Lanka became independent in 1948.

(c) Myanmar:

• In 1599, the Portuguese annexed Myanmar, however, in 1611 Portuguese were defeated and United Myanmar was formed. Now Myanmar followed expansionist policy and attacked the British territories of Assam and Manipur in India.
• This situation caused three wars between Myanmar and the British also known as Anglo- Burmese war. The British won the third war and got the control of entire Myanmar.
• Till 1935 it was a part of province of British India. In 1935 it was separated from India and granted autonomy. After 1937 the people of Myanmar formed an organization called ‘Burma Independence Army’ under the leadership of Aung San.
• The British granted independence to Myanmar on 4^th January 1948 and appointed Aung San as Vice President.