ABSTRACT
The British Empire, which attained its maximum territorial extent after the First World War, was one of the largest political entities ever constituted in world history. One of the major features of the structure of the British Empire was decentralisation with a strong element of self-government and indirect rule, both within colonies of European settlement and in protectorates with indigenous rulers. In 1931 the British Empire covered some 35 million square kilometres, or over a quarter of the surface area of the globe, excluding Antarctica, most of which was in any case claimed for the Empire. The British Empire in 1930 was not a closed trading system. The doctrine of free trade which had pervaded political thinking for nearly a century had ensured the growth of British exports and facilitated cheap imports. Extra-territorial extensions of Empire including the concessions of the Chinese treaty ports exhibited similar mixed traits.
