Throughout its history, Vietnam's key foreign relationship has been with its largest neighbour and one-time imperial master, China.

As in the Balkans and the former Soviet Union, the borders of sub-Saharan Africa were imposed to suit the convenience of past imperial masters.

However, the Philippines remained under pressure to adopt a political and economic system similar to their old imperial master.

"The imperial master is gone now," Mr. Gordon said.

"In royal houses it is customary for chamberlains to imitate the handwriting of their imperial masters."

Furthermore, Hashemite monarchic rule could not be divorced from the image of imperial masters behind the monarchy.

They also waged a jihad against their imperial masters the Ottomans, believing that Arabs, not Turks, should lead the Muslim peoples.

The first major challenge to British rule came in 1857, when much of north and central India rose up against their imperial masters.

From the number of women they brought, I judged that they knew the weakness of their imperial master.

After all, regulation was used as a colonial instrument: the power of the paper, as opposed to the soldier in the village, to enact the imperial master's wishes.