[10], Following military conquest, the British imposed an economic system designed to profit from African labor. In the meantime, public sector spending increased even more dramatically than export earnings. rockin' the west coast prayer group; easy bulky sweater knitting pattern. It backed Yoruba irredentism in the Fulani-ruled emirate of Ilorin in the Northern Region, and separatist movements among non-Igbo in the Eastern Region. While each generated considerable political controversy, they moved the country toward greater internal autonomy, with an increasing role for the political parties. [11], By the 1880s, the National African Company became the dominant commercial power, increasing from 19 to 39 stations between 1882 and 1893. The staff of this office came primarily from the British upper-middle classi.e., university-educated men, primarily not nobility, with fathers in well-respected professions. One place that felt victim to this imperialism was Africa. The first missions were opened by the Church of England's Church Missionary Society (CMS). In the Bight of Biafra, the major ports were Old Calabar (Akwa Akpa), Bonny and New Calabar. The delta masked the mouth of the great river, and for centuries Nigerians chose not to tell Europeans the secrets of the interior. E-mail: tundeoduwobi@yahoo.com Recibido: 15 Marzo 2011 / Revisado: 7 Abril 2011 / Aceptado: 17 Abril . In the north, appeals to Islamic legitimacy upheld the rule of the emirs, so that nationalist sentiments were related to Islamic ideals. Ethnic cleavages intensified in the 1950s. One 1885 treaty read: We, the undersigned King and Chiefs [] with the view to the bettering of the condition of our country and people, do this day cede to the National Africa Company (Limited), their heirs and assigns, forever, the whole of our territory [] We also give the said National African Company (Limited) full power to settle all native disputes arising from any cause whatever, and we pledge ourselves not to enter into any war with other tribes without the sanction of the said National Africa Company (Limited). Regional administrations also varied widely in the quality of local personnel and in the scope of the operations they were willing to undertake. Doctrine of Lapse. Britain also encouraged the formation of the Muslim League of India in 1907. The British Conquest of Benin and the Oba's Return The rapid growth of organised labour in the 1940s also brought new political forces into play. African Resistance to European Imperialism: Conflicts & Impact Significantly, the regional governments controlled public expenditures derived from revenues raised within each region. It was supported not only by the income from huge agricultural surpluses but also by a new range of direct and indirect taxes imposed during the 1950s. British merchants led the trade in palm oil, while the Portuguese and others continued the slave trade. A consul was maintained at Fernando Po to oversee the lucrative palm oil trade in the region called the Oil Rivers. [32] This included a river fleet which it used for retaliatory attacks on uncooperative villages. The CMS initially promoted Africans to responsible positions in the mission field; for instance, they appointed Samuel Ajayi Crowther as the first Anglican Bishop of the Niger. At the same time, British scientists were interested in exploring the course and related settlements along the Niger River. Total revenues of central and regional governments nearly doubled in relation to the gross domestic product during the decade. The Nigeria Regiment of the RWAFF, integrating troops from the north and south, saw action against German colonial forces in Cameroon and in German East Africa. Dike, K. O. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1213. It continued to enjoy special privileges and maintained a de facto monopoly over commerce. There were some specific outcomes and impacts for Africans as a result of WWI. The 1922 constitution provided Nigerians with the chance to elect a handful of representatives to the Legislative Council. But the war had more concrete consequences. The kingdom of Benin - BBC Bitesize [63], The Protectorate was centrally administered by the Colonial Civil Service, staffed by Britons and Africans called the British Native Staffmany of whom originated from outside the territory. The neglect of traditional institutions. The experiment began in 1890 and was repealed in 1939,[71]. Military Conquest | West-African Colonial Administration On 9 May 1913, Lugard submitted a formal proposal to the Colonial Office in which Northern and Southern provinces would have separate administrations, under the control of a "strongly authoritarian" Governor-General. Columbus, in his voyage, sought fame and fortune, as did his Spanish sponsors. Other Protestant denominations from Great Britain, Canada, and the United States also opened missions and, in the 1860s, Roman Catholic religious orders established missions. The Lander brothers were seized by slave traders in the interior and sold down the river to a waiting European ship. An example was that at Onitsha, where they could bargain directly with local suppliers and purchase products likely to turn a profit. Sir Richmond Palmer, acting as Lieutenant Governor in the North, disagreed with Clifford and advocated the principles of Lugard and further decentralisation. British expansion was conducted primarily by commercialists and resulted in more solid economic potential than the French endeavor (Crowder, 1990). The British entry into World War I saw the confiscation of Nigerian palm oil firms operated by expatriates from the Central Powers. Lugard bequeathed to his successor a prosperous colony when his term as Governor-General expired. British Colonize Nigeria Essay - 979 Words | Bartleby In 1957, the Western and the Eastern regions became formally self-governing under the parliamentary system. As a practice, colonialism is traced to the1854 and 1855 conference at Berlin in Germany. [50] In the same year, the British created the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF or WAFF), under the leadership of Colonel Frederick Lugard. Lugard's governmental model for Nigeria was unique and there was apparently not much planning for its future development. The decrease in trade indirectly led to the collapse of states like the Edo Empire. The Treasury used a planned budget for payment of staff and development of public works projects, and therefore could not be spent at the discretion of the local traditional ruler. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriacan low magnesium kill you. They never were able to elect sizeable legislative delegations, but they served as a means of public expression for minority concerns. At the turn of the century, top wages were four bags of salt (company retail price, 3s 9d) for a month of work. The council was headed by a Governor. In the north many emirates did not take military action, but the deposed caliph, Atahiru I, rebelled in 1903. According to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Voyage Database, 308,800 were sold across the Atlantic from Lagos in 17761850. Catholic missionaries were particularly active among the Igbo; the CMS worked among the Yoruba. [8], Through a progressive sequence of regimes, the British imposed Crown Colony government on much of the area of West Africa which came to be known as Nigeria, a form of rule which was both autocratic and bureaucratic. Ouidah (now part of Benin) and Lagos were the major ports on the coast. Alan Lennox-Boyd, M.P., the British Secretary of State for the Colonies. Not wishing to appear out of control or weak, they approved the expedition (two days after it began) on 19 January 1903.,[47] In general, the Colonial Office allowed Lugard's expeditions to continue because they were framed as retaliatory and, as Olivier commented in 1906, "If the millions of people [in Nigeria] who do not want us there once get the notion that our people can be killed with impunity they will not be slow to attempt it."[48]. [73] The spread of the disease was quick and deadly, with an estimated 1.5% of the population of Lagos falling victim. An extensive immigrant population of southerners, especially Igbo, already were living in the north; they dominated clerical positions and were active in many trades. Despite these difficulties, the Action Group rapidly built an effective organisation. Colonial System of Administration In Nigeria: Definition, Historical Ethnic and kinship organisations that often took the form of a tribal union also emerged in the 1920s. Christian missionaries were barred, and the limited government efforts in education were harmonized with Islamic institutions.[67]. [31], In 1891, the consulate established the Niger Coast Protectorate Force or "Oil Rivers Irregulars".[32]. [40] By 1893, most of the other political entities in Yorubaland recognised the practical necessity of signing another treaty with the British, this one explicitly joining them with the protectorate of Lagos. It was a relatively simple adjustment for many Igbo families to transport the oil to rivers and streams that led to the Niger Delta for sale to European merchants. In the main the following factors contributed to the growth of colonies: Firstly, in the first place the discovery of new lands encouraged the various colonies to establish their colonies there. Therefore, other factors exist to explain the institutional design. The Royal Navy bombarded Lagos in November 1851, ousted the pro-slavery Oba Kosoko and established a treaty with the newly installed Oba Akintoye, who was expectedly more amenable to British interests. Lord Lugard recorded a huge success mainly because he used the highly developed traditional system of administration that was already in existence in the Northern Nigeria. While initially organised for professional and fraternal reasons, these were centres of educated people who had chances to develop their leadership skills in the organisations, as well as form broad social networks. It was replaced by a new coalition government led by David Lloyd George featuring Conservatives and Lloyd George's supporters in the Liberal Party, while Asquith and the remainder of the Liberals entered opposition.[69]. The Factors That Led to the Colonization of Africa by the Europeans Aside from the possibility of treasure, the European governments aimed to find a passage through the Americas to Asia. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Final Conquest Verse By Verse Study of The Book Revelation DVD Robert Jeffress at the best online prices at eBay! European slave trading from West Africa began before 1650, with people taken at a rate of about 3,000 per year. PhD dissertation accepted at the Graduate Programme in History, York University, Ontario. Frederick Lugard, who was appointed as High Commissioner of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1900 and served until 1906 in his first term, often has been regarded by the British as their model colonial administrator. 1839 - The Opium Wars between China and Britain, resulting from the trade of opium leading to widespread addictions. Political opposition to colonial rule often assumed religious dimensions. "The Hidden Hand of Overrule: Political Agents and the Establishment of British Colonial Rule in Northern Nigeria, 18861914". 2. How Britain Conquered And Created Nigeria - Politics - Nigeria - Nairaland Quiz. What Britain Did to Nigeria | Hurst Publishers Goods were made available on credit to African middlemen, who were expected to trade them at a pre-arranged price and deliver the proceeds to the company. [23] Regardless, slavery had decimated the population and fuelled militarisation and chaos, thereby paving the way for more aggressive colonisation.[21][24]. All the territories were now under British control, and the search for an identity began, first as Northern and Southern Nigeria and then with eventual amalgamation. The war was driven by the commercial and imperial rivalry between Britain and France, and by the antagonism between Prussia (allied to Britain) and Austria (allied to France). The political parties jockeyed for positions of power in anticipation of the independence of Nigeria. When Faidherbe and his successors proceeded with their conquest of the hinterlands they met with strong and sustained resistance from a number of sources including the Moors, the Toucouleur Empire of Segou under Al Hajj Umar and the powerful Almamy . [17] In 1767, British traders facilitated a notorious massacre of hundreds of people at Calabar after inviting them onto their ships, ostensibly to settle a local dispute. Offers a bold rethink: a clear-eyed, unromanticized history of colonial Nigeria written by a Nigerian. French Roman Catholic missionaries, established in Ouidah (Whydah), arrived in Lagos and considered missionary work on the Niger. it was on that faithful day, 1 st January 1914 that the They selected an increasingly high proportion of African clergy for the missions. The British penetration of Nigeria met with various forms of resistance throughout the country. At the same time, George Dashwood Goldie, a British businessman, bought out all French rivals and created the Royal Niger Company (chartered 1886) in order to control trade on the Niger and administer the immense territories of the Sokoto caliphate and Borno. oriented. During the 1880's through 1914, the start of WWI, was an age of imperialism. Colonialism in Nigeria: positive and negative impacts of Nigerian He said that he did "not consider that their past traditions and their present backward cultural conditions afford to any such experiment a reasonable chance of success". Despite the acceptance of European and North American influences, the nationalists were critical of colonialism for its failure to appreciate the antiquity, richness and complexity of indigenous cultures. . [72] In the south, he saw the possibility of building an elite educated in schools modelled on a European method (and numerous elite children attended high-ranking colleges in Britain during the colonial years). [18], In 1807, the Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted the Slave Trade Act, prohibiting British subjects from participating in the Atlantic slave trade. [73] The colonial government would enact new legislation in reaction to the pandemic including, travel passes for individuals in the colony, increased usage of sanitary practices, and door to door checks on indigenous Nigerian households. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 8(04), 563. doi:10.1017/s0022278x00023909. His political platform called for economic and educational development, Africanization of the civil service, and self-government for Lagos. He was prepared to introduce educational and economic changes to strengthen the north. To start with, European nations were motivated by economic factors arising from the industrial revolution which started in Britain and extended to other European countries such as Belgium, France and Germany (Hochschild, 158).They wanted cheaper mineral resources for their home industries claiming that resources were abundant in Africa for He also led the Nigerian National Democratic Party, which dominated elections in Lagos from its founding in 1922 until the ascendancy of the National Youth Movement in 1938. All these things which I have said the Fulani by conquest took the right to do now pass to the British. Both Africans and Europeans found illegal supplies such as secret stills, obtaining colonial liquor permits, and smuggling. What Britain Did to Nigeria A Short History of Conquest and Rule Max Siollun. A lack of interest in extending the NPC beyond the Northern Region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation. This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 05:21. The history of Nigeria can be traced to the earliest inhabitants whose remains date from at least 13,000 BC through early civilizations such as the Nok culture which began around 1500 BC.Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is known today as Nigeria, such as the Kingdom of Nri, the Benin Empire, and the Oyo Empire. When direct Portuguese contacts in the region were withdrawn, however, the influence of the Catholic missionaries waned. The conference drafted the terms of a new constitution. The colonial period proper in Nigeria lasted from 1900 to 1960, after which Nigeria gained its independence. [29] His servant, Richard Lander, and Lander's brother John were the ones to demonstrate that the Niger flowed into the sea. From 1886 to 1899, much of the country was ruled by the Royal Niger Company, authorised by charter, and governed by George Taubman Goldie. By the eighteenth century, evidence of Christianity had disappeared. "The agents performed similar but more expansive roles as their Company counterparts. Every Sultan and Emir and the principal officers of state will be appointed by the high Commissioner throughout all this country. The Niger Delta and Calabar, which once had been known for the export of slaves, became notable for the export of palm oil. The so-called Macpherson Constitution, after the incumbent Governor-General John Stuart Macpherson, went into effect the following year. "Separatist Agitations in Nigeria Since 1914." The movement brought to public notice a long list of future leaders, including H.O. [12] Trade was also conducted through a mechanism of barter and credit. The British responded to such evidence of rivalry by defending their right to free navigation on the river at the Berlin West Africa Conference of 188485. Its residents were employed in official capacities and were active in business. [55], Under the Colonial Office was the Governor, who managed the administration of his colony and held powers of emergency rule. He insisted on maintaining the territorial integrity of the Northern Region. The delegation was led by Balewa of the NPC and included party leaders Awolowo of the Action Group, Azikiwe of the NCNC, and Bello of the NPC; they were also the premiers of the Western, Eastern and Northern regions, respectively. Officials of the Sokoto Caliphate considered these treaties quite differently; from their perspective, the British were granted only extraterritorial rights that did not prevent similar arrangements with the Germans and the French and certainly did not surrender sovereignty. There were three main factors that contributed to the European colonization Africa which were, political, social, and economic. SLAVE TRADE - Central Connecticut State University In some cases, British assignment of people to ethnic groups, and treatment based along ethnic lines, led to identification with ethnicity where none had existed before.[84]. Recovery came quickly and improvements in port facilities and the transportation infrastructure during World War I furthered economic development. The protectorate was organised to control and develop trade coming down the Niger. In the immediate post-World War II period, Nigeria benefited from a favourable trade balance. Although the capital was not moved, Lugard's bias in favour of the Muslim north was clear at the time. Thanks to this skewed writing of history, many Nigerians today still have Empire nostalgia and view the colonial period through rose-tinted . British expansion accelerated in the last decades of the nineteenth century. History of Nigeria - Wikipedia [61] John Anderson diplomatically suggested: If it is the necessity for formally submitting the drafts that hurts Sir F. Lugard, I should be quite prepared to omit that provision provided that the period of publication of the draft prior to enactment is extended from one month to two. Herbert Richmond Palmer developed details of this model from 1906 to 1911 as the Governor of Northern Nigeria after Lugard.[66]. While they all shared a desire for wealth and power, their motivations for colonization differed somewhat, and thus the pattern and success of their colonies varied significantly. Broadening political participation and expanding educational opportunities and other social services also were viewed as threats to the status quo. In 1805, he set out on a second expedition, sponsored by the British Government, to follow the Niger to the sea. European traders in Nigeria initially made widespread use of the cowrie, which was already valued locally. A third type of organisation that was more pointedly political was the youth or student group, which became the vehicle of intellectuals and professionals. The Royal Niger Company had its own armed forces. Imperialism and the Conquest and Colonization of Africa by Europeans Agents also collected intelligence for the colonial officials; they gathered information on public opinion and the military resources of the local polities; they also spied on rival colonial forces in foreign territories. Their history illustrates that rarely they had put a programme or a plan before themselves and then acted upon it. Nigeria - The arrival of the British | Britannica [70], Lugard's immediate successor (19191925), Sir Hugh Clifford, was an aristocratic professional administrator with liberal instincts who had won recognition for his enlightened governorship of the Gold Coast in 19121919. ", Helen Chapin Metz, ed. The Colonial Civil Service used intermediaries, as the Royal Niger Company had, in an expanded role which included diplomacy, propaganda and espionage. Any activity in the north that might include participation by the federal government (and consequently by southern civil servants) was regarded as a challenge to the primacy of the emirates. Deadly battles broke out sporadically through 1906. Nigerian delegates were selected to represent each region and to reflect various shades of opinion. In the 1920s, Nigerians began to form a variety of associations, such as professional and business associations, like the Nigerian Union of Teachers; the Nigerian Law Association, which brought together lawyers, many of whom had been educated in Britain; and the Nigerian Produce Traders' Association, led by Obafemi Awolowo. Summary of course material Economic freedom in Muslim countries an The rapid expansion in exports, especially after 1830, occurred precisely at the time slave exports collapsed. Although it reserved effective power in the hands of the Governor-General and his appointed Executive Council, the so-called Richards Constitution (after Governor-General Sir Arthur Richards, who was responsible for its formulation) provided for an expanded Legislative Council empowered to deliberate on matters affecting the whole country. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. France sold Louisiana to the United States in 1803, the same year that it gave up on trying to regain Saint-Domingue from the Haitian Revolution. His objective was to conquer the entire region and to obtain recognition of the British protectorate by its indigenous rulers, especially the Fulani emirs of the Sokoto Caliphate. In a sense, you can say that the British were the cause of the Biafran Civil War which happened in Nigeria from 1967 to 1970. They invited missionaries to follow them and, in the 1840s, made themselves available as agents who allowed missionaries and British traders to gain access to such places as Lagos, Abeokuta, Calabar, Lokoja, Onitsha, Brass, and Bonny. For some time, missionaries operated in the area between Lagos and Ibadan. In 1794, the African Association in Great Britain commissioned Mungo Park, an intrepid Scottish physician and naturalist, to search for the headwaters of the Niger and follow the river downstream. They took the right to rule over it, to levy taxes, to depose kings and to create kings. The Crusades and the Reconquista cemented religious intolerance, and the Christians looked to colonization partly as a means of continuing religious conquests. The British High Commissioners could depose emirs and other officials if necessary. [38][39], In 1892 the British Armed Forces set out to fight the Ijebu Kingdom, which had resisted missionaries and foreign traders. 2. [74] The disease first found its home among the many trading ports along the West African coast. There was virtually no pressure for greater unity among the regions until after the end of World War II. [32], In 1880, the British Government and traders demonetised the Maria Theresa dollar, to the considerable dismay of its local holders, in favour of the pound sterling. Kingdoms and empires of precolonial Nigeria, Controversies surrounding the 2007 presidential election, Nigeria under Umaru Musa YarAdua and Goodluck Jonathan, The 2015 elections and electorate concerns, Recession, fight against corruption, and insecurity, Which Country Is Larger By Population? These courts contained majorities British members and represented a new level of presumptive British sovereignty in the Bight of Biafra. The National Youth Movement used nationalist rhetoric to agitate for improvements in education. Britain also annexed Freetown in Sierra Leone, declaring it a Crown Colony in 1808.[20]. African nationalism attempted to transform the identity of Africans. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria One of the most effective tactics, the British used to take over most of India. [72] In line with this attitude, he rejected Lugard's proposal for moving the capital from Lagos, the stronghold of the elite in whom he placed so much confidence for the future. Similar status was acquired by the Northern Region two years later. The Native Administration was headed by the traditional rulersmostly emirs in the north and often obas in the southand their District Heads, who oversaw a larger number of Village Heads. What Were the Effects of the British Taking Over Africa? - The Classroom