Key Administrators - Baring & Milner

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Evelyn Baring

Baring is best known for his position as controller-general in Egypt.

Baring as a reformer

Baring saw himself as a moral reformer as well as an administrator.
- He argued that the “code of Christian morality is the only sure foundation on which the whole of our vast Imperial fabric can be built”.

Attitude towards natives

Despite his position as a reformer, Baring's attitude towards the natives remained dismissive.
- He warned his ministers to “beware of transporting institutions whose natural habitat is Westminster to Calcutta or Cairo”.
Baring distrusted the Egyptian army so he reformed the army and put more British soldiers in it.

The Egyptian economy

The productivity of Egypt's cotton and sugar industries rose by 200% under Baring's rule and in 1902, he presided over the construction of the Aswan Dam (which provided water for irrigation in the agricultural industry).

Religious importance of Egypt

Baring saw Egypt as a battleground between Christianity and Islam.
He felt the Islamic customs were detrimental, so he made a number of changes. The Capitulations allowed Christian Europeans to avoid Muslim laws in Egypt.
Baring tried to stop slavery in Egypt, reporting in 1894 that "there can be little doubt that in course of time slavery in Egypt will entirely disappear, provided continual vigilance be exercised over buyers as well as over dealers."

Sympathies for the working class

Baring felt the working class had more sense and wanted to be protected, governed justly and benevolently.
He felt genuine grievances were material grievances about taxation, land, food, and labour.

Baring's resignation

Baring resigned in 1907 due to the Denshawai incident in 1906.
- In this incident, British soldiers were shooting pigeons owned by local people. In a scuffle afterwards, 1 British soldier was killed and 1 local person wounded.
- Over 50 people were arrested and some sentenced to death for the murder, although evidence suggests that the British soldier died of heatstroke.

George Bernard Shaw's interpretation

George Bernard Shaw said of the incident: "instead of showing understanding for the peasants' self-defense against the officer's tactless blundering, the colonial administrators viewed the natives' actions as a dangerous popular insurgency that had to be dealt with harshly".

Alfred Milner

Alfred Milner was an ardent imperialist who was handpicked by Joseph Chamberlain in 1897 to become High Commissioner for Southern Africa.

Milner's belief in British superiority

Milner was convinced that British people were superior to both the Boers and African people.
- "If, ten years hence, there are three men of British race to two of Dutch, the country will be safe and prosperous. If there are three of Dutch to two of British, we shall have perpetual difficulty”.
Milner regarded the indigenous population as “children, needing and appreciating a just paternal government”.

Milner's rule in South Africa

The resolution of the Boer War was presided over by Milner. Milner approved the segregation of power between white and black people.
Kitchen (1996) says 'the British could not rule South Africa without the consent of the Boers, and the Boers would not be placated if the Africans were to have a share of political power. Without a colour bar, there could be no union'.
Winston Churchill branded Natal "the hooligan of the British Empire" because of the racist treatment of Indians and Africans in the region. Milner oversaw British rule in South Africa at the time.

The Boer War and its aftermath

Milner negotiated the peace at Vereeniging in 1902 to end the Boer War.
After the war, he and a group of promising young administrators and lawyers − “Milner’s Kindergarten” − worked to resettle the Boers and promote economic growth (particularly the gold mining industry).

Encouraging migration

Milner hoped to attract British settlers and introduced a vigorous English educational programme to try to anglicise South Africa, which fitted with his belief in British superiority.
- To achieve this, he founded some English-speaking 'Milner schools' in Pretoria and Johannesburg, which were the 2 main cities in the Transvaal.

Milner's downfall

The new Liberal government rejected Milner’s plans for the future of the Transvaal.
Kitchen (1996) says of Milner, he "thought it [South Africa] was at best a mess and at worst a tyranny", suggesting some consciousness of the future problems around Apartheid.
He was an administrator of Cecil Rhodes' will and became the Chairman of the Rio Tinto mining business when back in London, again highlighting the links between the traders and businesses of the Empire and its administration.

1High Water Mark of the British Empire, 1857-1914

1.1Development of Imperialism, 1857-1890

1.1.1Empires over Time

1.1.2Key Questions About Empires

1.1.3Expansion into Africa

1.1.4History of Egypt

1.1.5Control of Egypt

1.1.6Control of Sudan

1.2Imperial & Colonial Policy, 1857-1890

1.2.1The British Empire & India

1.2.2The British Raj

1.2.3International Relations with other Powers

1.2.4Scramble for Africa

1.2.5The Informal Empire

1.3Trade & Commerce, 1857-1890

1.3.1Trade & Commerce in the Empire

1.3.2Infrastructure of Trade & Commerce

1.3.3Products of Trade & Commerce

1.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1857-1890

1.4.1Explorers

1.4.2Missionaries

1.4.3Traders & Colonial Administrators

1.4.4Government Attitudes Towards Imperialism

1.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1857-1890

1.5.1Relations with India

1.5.2Relations with South Africa

1.5.3British-Boer Relations

2Imperial Consolidation & Liberal Rule, 1890-1914

2.1Consolidation & Expansion in Africa, 1890-1914

2.1.1Consolidation & Expansion into Africa

2.1.2Consolidation & Expansion in South Africa

2.1.3Historical Interpretations: Expansion into Africa

2.2Imperial & Colonial Policy, 1890-1914

2.2.1Policy in India

2.2.2Policy in Egypt

2.2.3Native Policy in Colonies

2.2.4International Relations with Other Powers

2.3Trade & Commerce, 1890-1914

2.3.1The Benefits of Trade

2.3.2Costs of the Empire

2.3.3Debates Over Trade

2.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1890-1914

2.4.1Key Administrators - Chamberlain & Rhodes

2.4.2Key Administrators - Baring & Milner

2.4.3Key Administrators - Curzon

2.4.4Government Attitudes to the Empire

2.4.5National Efficiency & the Boer War

2.4.6Popular Attitudes Towards Imperialism

2.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1890-1914

2.5.1Challenges in India

2.5.2Challenges in Africa

2.5.3Challenges in South Africa

2.5.4Historical Interpretations of the Boer War

2.5.5Relations & Business with Iran

3Imperialism Challenged, 1914-1967

3.1Expansion & Contraction of Empire, 1914-1947

3.1.1Impact of WW1

3.1.2Palestine

3.1.3Ireland & WW1

3.1.4Impact of WW2 on the British Empire

3.2Colonial Policy & Administration, 1914-1947

3.2.1Administration in India & Palestine

3.2.2Administration in Iraq & the Dominions

3.2.3Imperial Defence

3.3Trade, Commerce & Economic Impact of War

3.3.1Economic Impact of WW1

3.3.2Inter-War Trade & Commerce

3.3.3Economic Impact of WW2

3.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1890-1914

3.4.1Colonial Administrators

3.4.2Trusteeship

3.4.3Gandhi

3.4.4Montagu, Haig & Linlithgow

3.4.5Cameron, Mitchell, Cohen & Furse - African Admins

3.4.6Imperialist Ideals

3.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1914-1947

3.5.1Ireland & India 1914-1947

3.5.2The Middle East and Africa

4The Wind of Change, 1947-1967

4.1Decolonisation in Africa & Asia, 1947-1967

4.1.1Reasons for Decolonisation

4.1.2Decolonisation in East & West Africa

4.1.3Decolonisation in Central & South Africa

4.1.4Decolonisation in Asia

4.2Colonial Policy & Administration, 1947-1967

4.2.1Relations & Business with Iran after WW2

4.2.2The 'Winds of Change'

4.2.3The Suez Canal Crisis - 1956

4.2.4International Relations 1947-1967

4.3Trade & Commerce, 1947-1967

4.3.1The Economic Impact of WW2

4.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1947-1967

4.4.1Colonial Administrators: Cohen & Arden-Clarke

4.4.2Local Leaders in the Independence Movement

4.4.3Pan-Africanism in Nationalism

4.5Post-Colonial Ties, 1947-1967

4.5.1Windrush & Immigration

4.5.2Commonwealth Immigrants Act

4.5.3Residual Impact of the Empire

4.6Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1947-1967

4.6.1Challenges to Colonial Rule Post 1947

4.6.2Kenya & the Mau Mau Uprising

4.6.3Nigeria & Rhodesia

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