History of colonialism colonies had acquired independence during the Latin American revolutions at the beginning of the 19th century. In Asia, The Great Game, which lasted from 1813 to 1907, opposed the British Empire against Imperial Russia for supremacy in central Asia. China was opened to Western influence starting with the First and Second Opium Wars (1839–1842; 1856–1860). After the visits of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1852–1854, Japan opened itself to the Western world during the Meiji Era (1868–1912). Imperialism also took place in Burma, Indonesia (Netherlands East Indies), Malaya and the Philippines. Burma had been under British rule for nearly a hundred
An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China by Staunton brought back detailed descriptions and observations on the Chinese culture that were received with curiosity in the West and led to the commercial success of the book and the publication of several translations and subsequent writings on the Macartney Mission. In the title of the account the King of Great Britain is presented equal if not superior to the Emperor of China, as both names are written in capitals, with King George III's names printed in a larger font. This shows the immense confidence with which the English Empire faced the Ancient Chinese Empire. This confidence is also