How is British Imperialism displayed in Kipling's short story

Question

Rudyard Kipling wrote that it was Britain's patriotic duty to civilize the heathen, child and darkie to learn the morals of the British Empire belief propaganda and the belief that the Victorian British empire.

Answer 1

Rudyard Kipling’s short stories, including The White Man’s Burden (poem) and The Man Who Would Be King, reflect British imperialism by promoting the idea that it was Britain’s duty to civilize non-European peoples. His works often depict imperialism as a noble mission, reinforcing Victorian-era beliefs in racial and cultural superiority.

How British Imperialism is Displayed in Kipling's Work:

1. The “White Man’s Burden” Ideology:
2. Kipling famously wrote The White Man’s Burden (1899), a poem urging the U.S. to take up imperialism, mirroring Britain’s role in India and Africa.
3. It portrays colonization as a moral duty, where the British (and Westerners) must "civilize" non-Western societies, despite the hardships involved.
4. Colonial Superiority and Racism:
5. In The Man Who Would Be King (1888), two British adventurers seek to establish themselves as rulers in a remote part of Afghanistan, assuming that their British identity grants them the right to govern.
6. The story reflects imperialist arrogance, showing how the British believed they had the right to rule over "lesser" civilizations.
7. This aligns with Victorian propaganda, which justified empire-building as a way to educate and improve the “heathens” of the world.
8. Glorification of British Rule:
9. Kipling often portrayed the British Empire as a force of stability, contrasting Western order with Eastern chaos.
10. His stories romanticized the British military, governance, and civilizing mission, reinforcing the belief that colonized people benefited from British rule.
11. The Role of Propaganda:
12. Kipling’s works were widely used to justify imperial expansion, making them part of British nationalist and colonial propaganda.
13. His depictions of native populations often emphasized childlike ignorance, reinforcing the paternalistic attitude of the British toward their colonies.

Conclusion:

Kipling’s short stories and poetry were deeply rooted in British imperialist ideology, portraying the expansion of the empire as a patriotic duty. While his works celebrate the empire’s influence, they also expose its contradictions—especially in stories like The Man Who Would Be King, where the protagonists' imperial ambitions ultimately lead to their downfall. His writings remain significant in discussions about colonialism, propaganda, and British nationalism.

I hope you found this to be helpful. If you have any additional questions, please let me know. Take care!

Dr. Christal-Joy Turner

Answer 2

As a British subject, born in Bombay, India, Rudyard Kipling, saw his patriotic duty as a British subject, to propagate and promote the ethos of Victorian Imperialism. His propaganda spreading the idea as a writer and a journalist, a reporter, a poet, the seminal author of children's books like the "Jungle," "Kim" as well as to arize i of stolid young British children in collection of favorite short stories, demonstrating the mission that the Anglo-Saxon, white and superior, white colonist had an mission to civilize the dark-skinned, child-like natives must learn British traditions, religions, culture because the pure elite must defend civilization.