He definitely laid the basis for British claims. To raise additional revenues, Lugard took steps to institute a uniform tax structure patterned on the traditional system that he had adopted in the north during his tenure there. Some of the treaties contained prohibitions on diplomacy conducted without British permission, or other promises to abide by British rule. The NPC captured 142 seats in the new legislature. Regional administrations also varied widely in the quality of local personnel and in the scope of the operations they were willing to undertake. Even before gaining its charter, the Company signed treaties with local leaders which granted it broad sovereign powers. [73] In direct reaction to the epidemic, colonial authorities allowed African doctors and medical personnel to work with influenza patients due to the severity of the situation. Although this trade grew to significant proportionspalm oil exports alone were worth 1 billion a year by 1840it was concentrated near the coast, where palm trees grew in abundance. In elections that year, the NYM ended the domination of the NNDP in the Legislative Council and worked to establish a national network of affiliates. [73], Africa as a whole was hit by three waves of H1N1 influenza A, the first and second would be the most deadly for the colony of Nigeria. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The only significant interruption in economic development arose from natural disasterthe Great Drought of 191314. The Anglicans and other religious groups had a conscious "native church" policy to develop indigenous ecclesiastical institutions to become independent of Europeans. In consideration of the foregoing, the said National African Company (Limited) bind themselves not to interfere with any of the native laws or customs of the country, consistently with the maintenance of order and good government [and] agree to pay native owners of land a reasonable amount for any portion they may require. British exploitation of their fatherland. In 1916, Sir Edward Carson led the majority of the Conservative and Unionist Party to vote against Party Leader Bonar Law on the issue, forcing it to withdraw from the Asquith coalition and for the government to begin to break apart. From Lugard's point of view, clear-cut military victories were necessary because the surrenders of the defeated peoples weakened resistance elsewhere. British colony and protectorate from 1914 to 1960, Contemporary photograph of the same building, now housing the, Developments in colonial policy under Clifford, Emergence of Southern Nigerian nationalism, Constitutional conferences in the UK (195758), All of this section to this point is from. [52], The territory of the Royal Niger Company became the Northern Nigeria Protectorate, and the Company itself became a private corporation which continued to do business in Nigeria. African nationalism is a political movement for the unification of Africa (Pan-Africanism) and for national self-determination. From 1886 to 1899, much of the country was ruled by the Royal Niger Company, authorised by charter, and governed by George Taubman Goldie. In the 1850s, quinine had been found to combat malaria, and aided by the medicine, a Liverpool merchant, Macgregor Laird, opened the river. 12 tribes of israel family tree; why did poseidon often adopt the shape of a steed. . A chief of Bonny in 1860 explained that he refused a British treaty due to the tendency to "induce the Chiefs to sign a treaty whose meaning they did not understand, and then seize upon the country".[14]. The legal justification for this campaign was a treaty signed in 1886, when the British had interceded as peacemakers to end the Ekiti Parapo war, which imposed free trade requirements and mandated that all parties continue to use British channels for diplomacy. The emirs gave support to limited modernization largely from fears of the unsettling presence of southerners in the north, and by observing the improvements in living conditions in the South. Some European traders switched to legitimate business only when the commerce in slaves became too hazardous. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1921. The Action Group consistently supported minority-group demands for autonomous states within a federal structure, as well as the severance of a midwest state from the Western Region. In the Northern Cameroons, however, the largely Muslim electorate chose to merge with Nigeria's Northern Region. The Governor-General, in turn, was responsible for appointing the prime minister and for choosing a candidate from among contending leaders when there was no parliamentary majority. ", Simon Heap, "'We think prohibition is a farce': drinking in the alcohol-prohibited zone of colonial northern Nigeria. 0 Wishlist. With these events, the daily routines of the royal court were . [19] This scenario provided an opportunity for naval expeditions and reconnaissance throughout the region. Du Bois. Britain also encouraged the formation of the Muslim League of India in 1907. From there, the strategy to conquer the additional portions of what would be Nigeria was planned and executed until nearly all of what is today Nigeria was under British control in 1905. The British annexed Lagos in 1861 in order to protect Akitoyes son and successor, foil Kosokos bid to return, and secure a base for further activities. The British also created "divide and rule" policies, pitting Hindu and Muslim Indians against one another. A revelatory account of British imperialism's shameful impact on Africa's most populous state. THE FULANI CONQUEST AND RULE OF THE HAUSA KINGDOM 235 from 1804, the date of the Hegira. That's human geography 101. 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. Sir Richmond Palmer, acting as Lieutenant Governor in the North, disagreed with Clifford and advocated the principles of Lugard and further decentralisation. The classic example in English history was the victory of the Parliament over the king. The experiment began in 1890 and was repealed in 1939,[71]. The colonial economic policies in Nigeria, for instance, discouraged indigenous industrialization, but promoted export crop and mineral production to feed the British factories. In 1851 deposed king Akintoye of Lagos sought British help in restoring him to the throne. 1821 - Sierra Leone, Gambia and the Gold Coast form British West Africa. Alienated by the anonymity of the urban environment and drawn together by ties to their ethnic homelandsas well as by the need for mutual aidthe new city dwellers formed local clubs that later expanded into federations covering whole regions. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. The Sokoto jihad and the Yoruba wars stimulated the slave trade at a time when the British were actively trying to stop it. Progressive constitutions after World War II provided for increasing representation and electoral government by Nigerians. Islam reached Nigeria through the Bornu Empire . [27] To produce all this oil, the economy of the southern region crossed over from mostly subsistence to the production of palm oil as a cash crop.[28]. [19] Although the Ijebu had some weapons they were wiped out by British Maxims, the earliest machine gun. The similarity between the federal and regional constitutions was deceptive, however, and the conduct of public affairs reflected wide differences among the regions. The first missions were opened by the Church of England's Church Missionary Society (CMS). British expansion was conducted primarily by commercialists and resulted in more solid economic potential than the French endeavor (Crowder, 1990). A permanent British occupation of Egypt required the inviolability of the Ni In time, they built depots onshore and eventually moved up the Niger River to establish stations in the interior. The delta masked the mouth of the great river, and for centuries Nigerians chose not to tell Europeans the secrets of the interior. The NPC continued to represent the interests of the traditional order in the pre-independence deliberations. Thus Spain and Portugal set up colonies in Central and South America after it was discovered by Columbus. In quick order, a large British military forcedeemed the Punitive Expeditionwas assembled, and on February 18, they arrived in Benin City under orders to invade and conquer it. Despite his somewhat successful efforts to enlist non-Yoruba support, the regionalist sentiment that had stimulated the party initially continued. [67], The Colonial Office, where Lugard was still held in high regard, accepted that changes might be due in the south, but it forbade fundamental alteration of procedures in the north. Their history illustrates that rarely they had put a programme or a plan before themselves and then acted upon it. In one year, Lugard recruited 2600 troops, evenly split between Hausa and Yoruba. British soap and cosmetics manufacturers tried to obtain land concessions for growing oil palms, but these were refused. The British encouraged this secession, worsening the war even further. The Igbo redirected slaves into the domestic economy, especially to grow the staple food crop, yams, in northern Igboland for marketing throughout the palm-tree belt. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriacan low magnesium kill you. The country was divided politically, lacking European rivals, and no sense of national unity. FACTORS THAT LED TO NATIONALISM IN NIGERIA. The legitimate trade in commodities attracted a number of British merchants to the Niger River, as well as some men who had been formerly engaged in the slave trade but who now changed their line of wares. In the early stages of British rule, it is desirable to retain the native authority and to work through and by the native emirs. The Governor was, in effect, the coordinator for virtually autonomous entities that had overlapping economic interests but little in common politically or socially. 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. Taxes became a source of discontent in the south, however, and contributed to disturbances protesting British policy. [12] Trade was also conducted through a mechanism of barter and credit. Many Muslims resorted to migration as a form of resistance, a tactic known as the hejira, in which those perceived as infidels are avoided. David Richardson, "Background to annexation: Anglo-African credit relations in the Bight of Biafra, 17001891"; in Ptr-Grenouilleau. They had obtained the assent of the emirs to form a political party to counterbalance the activities of the southern-based parties. So, how did Europeans end up in Africa? 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. tamko building products ownership; 30 Junio, 2022; factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria . However, the British East India Company was able to lay the foundation of an empire in the Indian sub-continent because, from a British perspective, of a fortuitous series of circumstances. Initially, most palm oil (and later kernels) came from Igboland, where palm trees formed a canopy over the densely inhabited areas of the Ngwa, Nri Kingdom, Awka and other Igbo peoples. Although he reported on the eastward flow of the Niger, he was forced to turn back when his equipment was lost to Muslim Arab slave traders. They never were able to elect sizeable legislative delegations, but they served as a means of public expression for minority concerns. As a protectorate, it did not have the status of a colony, so its officials were appointed by the Foreign Office and not by the Colonial Office. They were helped by two major factors; the discovery of quinine as a preventive drug against malaria and the armory the British possess which was superior compared to those of the Nigerians. In practice, British administrative procedures under indirect rule entailed constant interaction between colonial authorities and local rulersthe system was modified to fit the needs of each region. Consequently, he may well deserve the epithet of the "father of Nigeria", which historians accorded him. . June 30, 2022 . 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]. Offers a bold rethink: a clear-eyed, unromanticized history of colonial Nigeria written by a Nigerian. [76], The British treasury initially supported the landlocked Northern Nigeria Protectorate with grants, totalling 250,000 or more each year. 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]. [19][41], In 18961897 the forces of the Niger Coast Protectorate fought with the remnants of the Edo Empire. As a practice, colonialism is traced to the1854 and 1855 conference at Berlin in Germany. For some time, missionaries operated in the area between Lagos and Ibadan. In 1950 Aminu Kano, who had been instrumental in founding the NPC, broke away to form the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), in protest against the NPC's limited objectives and what he regarded as a vain hope that traditional rulers would accept modernization. Between them, the French and the British had purchased a majority of the slaves sold from the ports of Edo. The British captured Kano in 1903. 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. Resistance was strong in western Igboland, where a series of wars were waged against the British. The company negotiated treaties with Sokoto, Gwandu and Nupe that were interpreted as guaranteeing exclusive access to trade in return for the payment of annual tribute. In practice, Lugard used the annual sessions to inform the traditional rulers of British policy, leaving them with no functions at the council's meetings except to listen and to assent. 1819 - Singapore founded by Sir Stamford Raffles. During the 1880's through 1914, the start of WWI, was an age of imperialism. Free shipping for many products! The NPC was called on to form a government, but the NCNC received six of the ten ministerial posts. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-factors-that-led-to-the-colonization-of-africa-by-the-europeans-PLa41Sz5 Be sure to capitalize proper nouns (e.g. In 1900, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate passed from company hands to the Crown. In-text citation: An example was that at Onitsha, where they could bargain directly with local suppliers and purchase products likely to turn a profit. Total revenues of central and regional governments nearly doubled in relation to the gross domestic product during the decade. From 1790 to 1807, predominantly British slave traders purchased 1,0002,000 slaves each year in Lagos alone. The officers of the RWAFF were British. A consul was maintained at Fernando Po to oversee the lucrative palm oil trade in the region called the Oil Rivers. The primary motives of European explorers were economic. [25][n 1], The missionaries gained in power throughout the 1800s. [78], After establishing political control of the country, the British implemented a system of taxation in order to force the indigenous Africans to shift from subsistence farming to wage labour. 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. During his six-year tenure as High Commissioner, Sir Frederick Lugard (as he became in 1901) was occupied with transforming the commercial sphere of influence inherited from the Royal Niger Company into a viable territorial unit under effective British political control. By demonstrating the heavy reliance on West African soldiers for the 'European' conduct of the Great War campaign in the region, it shows how West Africans helped determine the outcome of war in the region. [81] In 1936, of 6,259,547 income for the Nigerian state, 1,156,000 went back to England as home pay for British officials in the Nigerian civil service. The most striking departure was in the Northern Region, where special provisions brought the regional constitution into consonance with Islamic law and custom. 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. Most accounts of Nigeria's colonisation were written by British officials, presenting it as a noble civilising mission to rid Africans of barbaric superstition and corrupt tribal leadership. Their common denominators tended to be based on newly assertive ethnic consciousness, particularly that of the Yoruba and Igbo. [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. British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston detested slavery, and in 1851 he took advantage of divisions in native politics, the presence of Christian missionaries, and the maneuvers of British consul John Beecroft to encourage the overthrow of the regime. [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. The Reconquista, or reconquest, refers to the 800 years of violence and expulsion of Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula after the failed Crusades. At first, they lived in small family groups, but gradually these groups developed into a. 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. A lack of interest in extending the NPC beyond the Northern Region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation. [9] Administration and military control of the territory was conducted primarily by white Britons, both in London and in Nigeria. [11], Britain's imperialistic posture became more aggressive towards the end of the century. 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. England would forever be changed politically, economically, and socially as a result. British colonialism destroyed the Ndebele state at the end of the nineteenth century. An extensive immigrant population of southerners, especially Igbo, already were living in the north; they dominated clerical positions and were active in many trades. This became the Lagos Constabulary, and subsequently the Nigerian Police Force. Combining the three jurisdictions would reduce administrative expenses and facilitate deployment of resources and money between the areas. The Emirs and chiefs who are appointed will rule over the people as of old-time and take such taxes as are approved by the High Commissioner, but they will obey the laws of the Governor and will act in accordance with the advice of the Resident. Open Document. Its program reflected greater planning and was more ideologically oriented than that of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons. The slave trade was heaviest in the period 17001850, with an average of 76,000 people taken from Africa each year between 1783 and 1792. The rapid growth of organised labour in the 1940s also brought new political forces into play. Lagos was the first part of Nigeria to be conquered and declare a British colony in 1861. Lugard's campaign systematically subdued local resistance, using armed force when diplomatic measures failed. In 1905, the colonial government divided Bengal into Hindu and Muslim sections; this division was revoked after strong protests.
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