Write in Brief
Question 1:
Write
a note on:(a) What was meant by the ‘civilising mission’ of the colonisers
(b) Huynh Phu So
(a) The “civilising
mission” of the colonisers was an imperial disguise for controlling
colonies. European powers assumed that their civilisation was the most
advanced, and that it was their humanitarian concern to spread it around
the world, even if this was done by force. Europeans became the
self-professed carriers of light to the colonies, rejecting the latter’s
inherent traditions, religions and cultures as outdated. Also,
education was viewed as a “civilising” tool, but fearing retaliation,
the colonisers—the French in Vietnam, the British in India, did not want
to give full access to the colonised people to Western education. They
were aware that Western education might instill democratic ideals and a
desire for independence. Hence, the “civilising mission” was marred by
double standards and sheer hypocrisy.
(b) Huynh Phu So was a revolutionary leader who
started an anti-French movement known as the Hoa Hoa. He was declared
the “Mad Bonze” and put in a mental asylum by the French. He performed
miracles and helped the poor; condemning unnecessary expenses, gambling,
intoxication and the sale of child brides. Interestingly, he was
declared sane in 1941, but was exiled to Laos after the doctor treating
him also became his follower.
Question 2:
Explain
the following:(a) Only one-third of the students in Vietnam would pass the school-leaving examinations.
(b) The French began building canals and draining lands in the Mekong delta.
(c) The government made the Saigon Native Girls School take back the students it had expelled.
(d) Rats were most common in the modern, newly built areas of Hanoi.
(a) Only one-third of the students in Vietnam would pass the school-leaving examinations because the French colonial administration followed a deliberate policy of failing students in their final year examinations so that they could not qualify for better-paid jobs. Only the wealthy Vietnamese could afford enrolment in these expensive schools, and to add to that, very few would pass the school-leaving examinations.
(b) The French began building canals and draining
lands in the Mekong delta for increased cultivation. This was done under
a garb to “civilise” Vietnam on a European model, but it was actually
an economic idea meant to increase rice production and subsequent export
of rice to the international market.
(c) When the French principal of the Saigon Native
Girls School expelled the students protesting another student's
expulsion, there was widespread remonstration. Considering the gravity
of the situation, the government decided to control the intensity of the
protests by providing an outlet—making the school take back the
students.
(d) Rats were most common in the modern, newly built
areas of Hanoi because the modern and apparently hygienic sewage system
provided ideal breeding grounds for rodents apart from being a good
transport system as well, for the rats. Sewage from the old city was
drained out into the river or overflowed in the streets during heavy
rains. The large sewers now became a protected breeding and living space
for rats. Hanoi, despite its “modernity”, became the chief cause of the
plague in 1903.
Question 3:
Describe
the ideas behind the Tonkin Free School. To what extent was it a
typical example of colonial ideas in Vietnam?
The ideas behind the
Tonkin Free School were predominantly based on policies of
westernisation. Students were taught science, hygiene and French, and
were encouraged to adopt Western styles of dressing.
This school was a typical example of colonial ideas
in Vietnam on account of the aforementioned. It rejected traditional
Vietnamese education and lifestyle, and promoted western ideals and
living.
Question 4:
What
was Phan Chu Trinh’s objective for Vietnam? How were his ideas
different from those of Phan Boi Chau?
Phan Chu Trinh’s
objective for Vietnam was to make it a democratic republic, along the
western ideals of liberty. He accused the French of not following their
own national ideals, and demanded for the setting up of legal
and educational institutions alongside the development of agriculture
and industries.
Unlike Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chu Trinh was extremely
opposed to the monarchy. Hence, their ideas had at their roots this
fundamental difference.
Discuss
Question 1:
With
reference to what you have read in this chapter, discuss the
influence of China on Vietnam’s culture and life.The influence of China on Vietnam’s culture and life was multifarious before the French colonised Vietnam. Even when the latter gained independence in 1945, the rulers maintained the use of Chinese governance systems and culture. The elites were vastly influenced by Chinese culture and life, as has been elucidated in Phan Boi Chau’s book “The History of the Loss of Vietnam”. Chinese language and Confucianism were followed by the upper classes in Vietnam. In 1911, when the Chinese Republic was set up, Vietnamese students followed suit in organising the Association for the Restoration of Vietnam. Vietnamese men also kept their hair long—a Chinese tradition.
Question 2:
What
was the role of religious groups in the development of anti-colonial
feeling in Vietnam?
Religious groups played a very significant role in the development of anti-colonial feeling in Vietnam. Vietnam’s religious beliefs were a mix of Buddhism, Confucianism and local customs. Christianity looked down upon their reverence for the supernatural. In 1868, the Scholars’ Revolt protested against the tyrannical spread of Christianity, and though the movement was defeated, it inspired others to follow suit. The Hoa Hoa movement in 1939 drew upon popular religious ideas of the nineteenth century, and its leader Huynh Phu So was a famous entity. These groups were not in tandem with political parties which tended to look down upon their activities with discomfort. Nevertheless, religious movements were successful in arousing anti-imperialist tendencies in the Vietnamese people.
Question 3:
Explain
the causes of the US involvement in the war in Vietnam. What effect
did this involvement have on life within the US itself?
The US got involved in
the war in Vietnam because it feared that a communist government would
come to power in Vietnam after the National Liberation Front formed a
coalition with the Ho Chi Minh government in the north, against Ngo Dinh
Diem’s regime. US policy-planners feared a spread of communism to other
countries in the area.
This involvement in the Vietnam war affected life
within the US itself because of widespread public dissent. Only
university graduates were exempt from compulsory service in the army and
this caused even more anger amongst the minorities and working-class
families.
Question 4:
Write
an evaluation of the Vietnamese war against the US from the point of(a) a porter on the Ho Chi Minh trail.
(b)
a woman soldier.
The
chapter already gives you a detailed account of the Nationalist
Movement in Vietnam. You can also refer to some additional material
on America’s war on Vietnam. Try looking for this material in
your library. Try to understand and analyze the reasons that led to
the war and the kind of impact it had on the people, i.e., people on
both sides of the war.
This
research will give you a better perspective to attempt the answers to
such questions.
Question 5:
What
was the role of women in the anti-imperial struggle in Vietnam?
Compare this with the role of women in the nationalist struggle in
India.
Women played a crucial
role in the anti-imperial struggle in Vietnam. Women who rebelled
against social conventions were idealised and rebel women of the past
were likewise celebrated. Trieu Au was a popular figure in nationalist
tales. In the 1960s, women were represented as brave soldiers and
workers. They assisted in nursing wounded soldiers, constructing
underground tunnels and fighting the enemy. Interestingly, between 1965
and 1975, 70-80% of the youth working on the Ho Chi Minh trail were
women.
Compared to this very direct and active participation
of Vietnamese women in the anti-imperial struggle, India women did not
play a very dynamic role in the nationalist struggle of India against
Great Britain. They followed Gandhian ideals of boycotting foreign goods
and picketing liquor shops, but mainstream politics was controlled by
men; although women like Sarojini Naidu, Kamla Nehru and Kasturba Gandhi
were keenly involved.