Problems of the Far East: Japan, Korea, China

Following his election to Parliament and extensive travels through Asia, George Nathaniel Curzon (1859-1925) published in 1894 this consideration of the present state of Japan, Korea and China within a changing international landscape. Later viceroy of India, Curzon was fascinated by the rich cultural heritage of the Far East, yet he remained a staunch supporter of British imperialism. He explains that the book’s purpose is to delve deeper into political, social and economic conditions, rather than present a travel narrative of ‘temples, tea-houses and bric-a-brac’. After devoting a substantial section to each country, Curzon closes with ‘The Prospect’, exploring what he envisages for the future of the whole region. The favourable reception of this title and his 1892 work, Persia and the Persian Question (also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection), highlighted Curzon’s diligently acquired knowledge of Asian affairs and how they affected Britain’s imperial interests.