This book analyzes the economic impact of the early development of railways in different Asian countries, linking the inlands with port cities and with a global network of connections. This is looked at in the context of the rise of imperialism in the last decades of the 19th century and the redistribution of spheres of influence in Asia. The book considers the increase of exports of plantation economies in the context of the global market and the importance of China, and the struggle between the great powers for the economic penetration in the Chinese empire. Its comparative approach provides an original contribution to global economic history and will be valuable reading for students and researchers of economic history, transport economics, and Asian history more broadly.
Author(s): Dídac Cubeiro Rodríguez
Series: Palgrave Studies in Economic History
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 234
City: Cham
Contents
List of Figures
1 Introduction: Ports, Telegraphs, and Railways at the New Globalization Era in Southeast Asia
An Empire of Engineers
The Advent of Steam Navigation: The Control of Rivers and Seas
Motivations of the Western Powers in Asia in the Nineteenth Century
The Strategic Importance of Southeast Asia in the Nineteenth Century
The Markets of China and Japan in the Nineteenth Century
The Rise of Port Cities in the Nineteenth Century
References
2 Four Colonies and the Race for the Chinese Market
A Favorable Environment
Trade Policy
A Note on Growth
References
3 The French Railway to China: The Red River Railway
The French sphere of Influence in the China Sea
The Treaty of Tianjin of 1885
Western Investment in China
Yunnan Railway
Burmese Competition
Yunnan Economy and Main Exports
Opium Distribution Networks
Tin Mining in Yunnan
French Control over Yunnan Railway
Connection to the International Market
Yunnan's Growing Autonomy
References
4 The Burmese Railway to China: The Irrawaddy River Railway
Historical Introduction
The Impact of Colonialism
Colonial Economy
Investment in Transportation Networks
Railroad Expansion in Burmese Territory
The Commitment to the Expansion of Burmese Investments
The Integration of the Shan States
Toward Privatization of the Railroads
The Link to an Internationalized Economy: The City of Rangoon
Rangoon Port Expansion
Port Administration
Expansion Works
References
5 The Philippines Railway: A Link with Hong Kong
Philippines in the Nineteenth Century
An Increasingly Interconnected World
The Railway Under Spanish Administration
The Link with Hong Kong
The Railroad Under North American Administration
The Port of Manila
The Manila Streetcar
The Road Network
Economic Development at the Turn of the Century
References
6 The Dutch East Indies Railway in Java
Introduction
Historical Scenario of the Dutch East Indies in the Nineteenth Century
The Railroad Between Semarang and the Vorstenlanden (N.I.S.M.)
The Fort of Willem I and the Railway Connection with the N.I.S.M. Line
State Railroads or Staats Spoorwegen
Light Rail to Cirebon or SCS
Private Railroads: Light Railroad to Cepu (Jowana) or SJS
Connection Between the Three Main Lines: N.I.S.M, S.S., and S.C.S.
Narrow-Gauge Railroad Batavia–Buitenzorg (N.I.S.M.)—Cilacap (S.S.)
Batavia's Connection to the Port of Tanjung Priok (S.S.)
Magelang–Yogyakarta Railway Line
Toward a Railway Network in Java
Impact of the Railroad on Java
The Growth of Cities
References
7 Epilogue: The Economic Impact of the Railways on the Colonial Budget
State Planning and Colonial Development
Colonial Administration
Public Spending, Infrastructure, and Social Coverage
Rising Social Inequality
Foreign Investment Stimulus Policies: The Open Door Policy
The Railroad as a Key Element in Export Logistics Platforms
References
Index
