In some ways, the story of democracy in Asia is similar to what happened in Africa; although, some ancient Asian civilizations, while not exactly democracies, were even more progressive than Europe. For most of its history, Asia was controlled by emperors and dynasties, ranging from the Qing in China to the Guptas of India. Much of the region had been trading with the West as early as 1,000 BC, and global commerce really picked up when the Roman Empire helped establish the Silk Road, a trading route from China to the Mediterranean. This early form of globalism led to the exchange of ideas and materials but did not end in colonization. The spread of Christianity caused some parts of Asian society, especially in China, to limit European access to the continent's interior.
By the 1600s, though, Portuguese traders were establishing colonies in India. Other regions of Southeast Asia were occupied by Europeans, who then approached China and Japan for trade. By the 1700s, Britain and France dominated much of South and Southeast Asia, and trade companies were replaced by direct colonial rule. In this way, Europe gradually subjugated societies that predated them by thousands of years. Following World War II, though, many of these colonial powers began to crumble, and by the 1970s, Europe was largely gone from Asia, leaving in its wake a series of developing nations.
Use the tabs below to learn about three Asian nations that attempted to build democracies with varying degrees of success.
India
Japan
Taiwan
The region that is now India was once a patchwork of cultures that were periodically united under various Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim empires. The Portuguese set up colonies there, but these were soon bought out by the British East India Company, a private company with royal backing. The East India Company ruled India ruthlessly, leading to the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857, which in turn led to total control by Britain under the British Raj.
By the end of World War II and with the leadership of Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, British India pressed for freedom. In 1947, Britain withdrew, and the region was partitioned into Hindu India and Muslim East and West Pakistan, which then became Pakistan and Bangladesh. Since its secular constitution of 1950, India has largely been a democratic success with a free press and protected civil liberties. It still has corruption, however, and sees separatist rebellions in several regions, as well as a high amount of poverty. But with a population of over 1.3 billion people, such conditions are not unexpected.
Japanese culture is very ancient and was influenced at times by the Chinese. As far back as is known, Japan has always had an emperor, and the current leader of the Empire, Akihito, can trace his lineage to the first, Jimmu. However, emperors have had varying degrees of power throughout Japan's history. At times they had absolute power and generally suppressed opposition to their rule, such as during the shogunate from the 13th-15th centuries. Japan also shut itself off to the outside world, fearing cultural change. By 1850, though, European and American imperialism was putting great pressure on Japan to modernize itself to compete, and it did so quickly, while still remaining an empire mostly closed to outsiders.
In 1930, Japan's military seized control of the country in response to a faltering economy related to the Great Depression in the Western world. Falling into a Fascist mold much like Germany, Japan devoted its resources to controlling all of Asia, a shift that led to its participation in World War II. By 1945, Japan was forced to surrender to the Allies and had been badly destroyed in the process. Afterwards, with American influence and aid, Japan organized itself into a democracy with the emperor serving as a mere figurehead. Today, Japan has one of the most diverse economies in the world, but it is still rather autocratic with powerful businesses replacing the authority of feudal lords. Japan is currently facing a demographic dilemma: the elderly will soon outnumber the young.
The history of Taiwan is really the history of China, especially since its proper name is the Republic of China. The Chinese, with their ancient history of imperialism and innovation, explored Southeast Asia thoroughly and asserted their culture in other nations. They also shut themselves off from the West for a time, but were forced to reestablish trade relations, just as Japan had. At that point, both the emperor and Chinese culture more generally fell under the influence of Europe, which led to a weakening of imperial authority. By 1912, the empire had dissolved, and a democratic government had formed instead. At the same time, though, Japan was fighting to spread its authority throughout Asia, and it seized control of China to make use of its resources. To counter Japanese aggression, China formed a coalition with communists in the region who were influenced by the Soviet Union.
Following World War II, the Republic of China was restored, only to enter a civil war pitting its democratic government against the Communist party. In October 1949, China’s leader at the time, Chang Kai-shek, moved the country's troops and millions of refugees to the island of Taiwan, where they continued the fight to be recognized as the true China. Meanwhile, the communist state that had formed in Beijing continued to control the mainland. A relatively free and democratic society, Taiwan has had tremendous growth economically and is a major player in Pacific trade.
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