UNIT 6: EUROPEAN COLONISATION UNIT 6 OF AFRICA
Key unit competence: By the end of this unit, the learner should be able
to evaluate causes and consequences of Europeancolonisation of Africa.
Use a dictionary to find out the meaning of the following words:6.1. Different causes of European colonisation in Africa.
1. Colony
2. Colonialists
From your answers, we can conclude that colonisation refers to a
situation in which a powerful country rules or controls a weaker onefor its own economic gains.
Below is an incomplete table showing the European colonisers and
their colonies. Using textbooks, copy it in your notebooks then use theexample given to complete it.
Africa is a very beautiful continent. It has physical features that people
make people from other continents travel to see. Take Rwanda as an
example. It has beautiful hills, rivers and lakes. It also has mineral resources.
These are some of the causes which made Europeans to come to coloniseAfrica.
Let us now discuss them in finer details:
• There was need for raw materials for their home industries. This was
due to exhaustion of raw materials in their home areas due to the
industrial revolution.
• There was need for market for their finished goods because the
European markets were not enough to consume whatever was
being produced by their industries.
• They also wanted cheap labour for their industries and farms in the
New Lands.
• They also wanted areas where they could invest their surplus capital.
This was because investment was not profitable in Europe due to
competition.
• They also wanted land to settle the excess population which had
grown due to population pressure in their countries medical care.
• They wanted to spread Christianity so as to save the Africans from
hell.
• The Europeans also wanted to stop slave trade and slavery, thereby
promoting respect for human rights.• They also wanted to civilise Africans by teaching them how to readNOTE: Ethiopia and Liberia were the only African countries that were
and write. They also wanted to introduce European cultures for,
example, dressing and eating feeding habits. They believed thatEuropean culture was the best.
not colonised. Ethiopia was too strong for Italy at the Battle of Adowa
in Ethiopia in 1896. Liberia had just been founded by United States of
America as a home for the freed slaves. This happened after the abolition
of slave trade in the late 19th Century. United States of America could notallow any European power to colonise Liberia.
Research to find more about other causes of European colonisationof Africa.
6.2. Methods of colonial conquest in Africa.
Remember the famous saying: There are many ways of killing a rat.
1. What does it mean?
2. Discuss various ways which you can use to make more profit inyour business.
In life, some people will do anything to achieve what they want. Likewise,a) Use of explorers.
the colonialists used various methods to colonise Africa. The methods arediscussed below.
Explorers drew maps showing fertile areas and rich mineral areas. They
shared information about how rich Africa was. This attracted their home
governments to come and take over African areas.
b) Use of missionaries.European missionaries encouraged their governments to establish
colonial rule in Africa so that they could put an end to the wars between
African states, stop the slave trade and protect them from attacks by the
locals and Muslims. They also softened African hearts by preaching to
them and persuading them to accept Europeans and support their goals.
c) Use of traders (chartered companies).
Companies such as IBEACo (Imperial British East African Company)
and IGEACo (Imperial German East African company) facilitated the
colonisation of Africa.The trading companies through their agents signed treaties with the
African rulers. Carl Peters of Imperial Germany East Africa Company
for example, signed treaties with Sultan Sakwa of Kavirondo, William
Mackinnon of Imperial British East Africa Company signed treaties withvarious Kenyan chiefs.
d) Use of force.
Africans did not meekly accept the imposition of foreign rule. Many
communities resisted this. In the face of such resistance, the European
powers resorted to military conquest. They used force to subdue the
Africans. This method was mainly used by the French, British and Germans.
e) Treaty signing.
Europeans also signed treaties with African Chiefs to take over African
areas. For example, Moffat Treaty, Rudd Concession and the Buganda
Agreement.
f) Use of gifts and presents.
Some African rulers were lured into accepting Europeans through
presents such as beads, clothes, weapons and intoxicating drinks. Others
were made chiefs while some were promised western education, for
example, Semei Kakungulu of Uganda.
g) Use of tricks.
This is where Europeans deceived African chiefs and took over their areas.
For example, Jaja of Opobo was convinced to board a war ship in 1887 byJohnston and deported to the West Indies.
h) Divide and rule tactics.
Europeans used the divide and rule tactics by playing off one community
against one another. They encouraged warfare between African
communities and country. Once weak, the European powers occupied it.
This was the case with Nupe against the Fulani, the Baganda against theBanyoro and the Maasai against the Nandi.
1. With the help of your teacher, watch films or video on European
colonisation of Africa.
2. Write down the lessons that you have learnt.
6.3: Colonial systems of administration
1. Use a dictionary or Internet to find out the meaning of ‘assimilation’.
2. Use textbooks to distinguish direct rule and indirect rule
Learning Activity 6.3
There were several systems of administration used by colonialists after
successfully colonising Africans. These were:
i. Indirect rule by the British
ii. Assimilation by the Frenchiii. Direct rule by the Germansiv. Paternalism by Belgians
i) The indirect rule.
It was a system under which the Europeans recognised the existing
African political system and used it to rule over the colonies. In this
system of administration, African local kings and chiefs were allowed to
maintain their positions as administrators. However, they were under the
supervision of the British.
The British made new policies and decisions which were implemented by
African local leaders. It should be noted that under indirect rule, African
political and social institutions were retained by the colonial masters.Reasons why the British used indirect rule.1. It was economically cheap. The British wanted to avoid payment
of high salaries to white staff and administrators in their colonies.
In addition to that, the staff and administrators required good
accommodation, troops to provide security.
2. The British lacked enough manpower to administer all their colonies
in Africa. The number of British citizens in Africa was small compared
to their colonies. The British had no alternative but to use African
chiefs.
3. The British feared resistance and hostilities from Africans. The British
wanted to avoid resistances and rebellions that would come after
overthrowing the local African kings from power.
4. There was language barrier. The British did not understand the
languages and customs of Africans. Letting African leaders to rule
was a better choice to solve the language problem.
5. The African kings and chiefs would act as ‘shock absorbers’ in case of
any conflicts and wars. The African kings and chiefs would be blamed
in case the British policies became unpopular among Africans.
6. There was existence of well established centralised system of
administration in Africa. This encouraged the British to rely on such
existing systems of administration to implement their policies.
Indirect system was applied successfully in Buganda, Rwanda andNorthern Nigeria.
7. It was a way of deliberately preparing Africans for self-government.
The British wanted to train future African leaders for their colonies in
Africa.
8. The success of indirect rule in other parts of the world such as India
also encouraged the British to apply it in Africa. This was because
they had seen its good results. This forced the British officers to adopt
it in Northern Nigeria and Uganda.
9. The British used indirect rule because they expected African loyalty.
They expected African leaders to work hard in order to please their
masters. This would bring good results to the British government.
10. Indirect rule was favourable for the exploitation of African resources.
It would create peaceful conditions and give the colonialists enoughtime to engage in activities such as mining and trade.
j) The French assimilation policy
The word ‘assimilation’ is derived from the French word ‘assimiler’ which
means cause to resemble or to look alike.
Assimilation was a system of administration in which French colonies were
given a culture and civilisation similar to that of France. It was intended to
make Africans be like the French citizens. That is to say, the Africans were
to substitute their indigenous culture, religion and customs with Frenchculture, language, laws, religion and civilisation.
NOTE: The Africans were to resemble the French citizens in all spheres oflife except colour. African colonies were to resemble provinces of France.
Reasons why the French adopted assimilation policy.
• The French believed in superiority of their culture and civilisation.
They considered it to be more developed. Therefore, they felt it was
their duty to spread it among people with backward cultures through
assimilation policy.
• The influence of the French revolutionary ideas of liberty, equality
and fraternity also made the French to use assimilation policy. They
had a feeling that all people are equal.
• The French wanted to create a policy that would support France in
future conflicts and international issues. This policy would create
friendship between France and her African colonies.
The French expected this policy to be economically cheap because
the process of assimilating Africans was simple and easy.
• The French regarded their colonies as overseas French territories.
Therefore, assimilation policy was the best alternative system for
changing territories to resemble the French provinces in Europe.
• The French wanted to create a class of African French men whowould help in the administration of their colonies.
The early contacts between the French coastal areas of West Africa
especially Senegal made it easy for assimilation. This is because
Africans had already adopted French cultures and language.
Note that “Association system of administarion” was the second french
policy after the failure of assimilation policy. Association was supposed
to respect the cultural and political values and institutions of Africans
because Africans could not and should not be turned into black French
people.
k) The Germany direct rule.
In this system, indigenous and political administrative institutions
are replaced with those of colonisers. The Germans used direct rule to
administer some of their colonies in Africa (German Southwest Africa
(Namibia) and German East Africa (Tanzania). It involved use of soldiers to
directly control their colonies. They would bring in new chiefs where they
had no chiefs. They replaced the old chiefs with new ones.
had no chiefs. They replaced the old chiefs with new ones.Why the Germans applied direct rule.• It was used because the Germans believed that it was the only systemthrough which they could effectively administer their colonies.• They also believed the system would enable them to exploit andbenefit from African resources. For example, they believed that theycould raise enough revenue through taxation.• With direct rule, the Germans would ensure that the Africans growenough cash crops to feed their home industries.• The Germans had used force to take over many parts of Tanganyika.Soldiers had to be used; otherwise, Africans could revolt at theslightest opportunity.• The Germans had suffered early revolts and therefore had to bring inthe harsh leaders to avoid more riots.• The Germans wanted to promote their superior culture over Africans.This would involve imposing their culture on them.• In many societies, there were no chiefs. Where the chiefs existed,they were not faithful or powerful enough. The Germans thereforehad no one to entrust authority with.• They opted for this system because they had enough manpowerto man all departments. There was no need of recruiting or usingAfricans.• They feared the expense of training Africans before they could takeover administration. They thought that it could strain their budget.• Like other powers, the Germans did not want to use a system that
was used by their rivals (British). This would intensify competition
and rivalry among them.l) iv). Paternalism by Belgians.
Paternalism derived from latin word “pater” meaning “father”. This was a
colonial administrative policy which was mostly used by Belgian colonial
authorities in Congo. Paternalistic tendencies of Belgian colonial rule had
two characteristic features of Leopoldian rule: an irreducible tendency
to treat Africans as children and a firm commitment to political control
and compulsion. Belgian became the final source of authority and were
promoting only their own interests.
In your own opinion, which method of colonial administrationwould you prefer? Give reasons for your answer.6.4. Consequences of European colonization.
Discuss the consequences of European colonisation. Present your
findings in class.
The colonisation of Africa started after 1870 and ended in 1960s whenmany African countries got their independence. It had far reachedconsequences which were both positive and negative as discussedbelow.Positive consequences.(i) Colonisation led to creation of bigger African states. This was as a
result of combining small African societies which were combined
by the colonialists.
(ii) European colonisation led to abolition of slavery and slave trade
among African societies. For example, the Europeans stopped the
Yao, Nyamwezi and Akamba who participated in slave trade.
(iii) There was introduction of Western education in the colonies. This
brought new scientific knowledge and new languages such as
English and French into Africa.There was establishment of communication networks andinfrastructures such as roads and railways in African colonies. Acase in point is the Uganda railway and Tanzania railway.(iv) Colonisation led to the development of agriculture in Africathrough introduction of new crops. The new crops included coffee,cotton, cocoa, rubber and sugar cane in addition to plantationsagriculture.(v) Colonisation led to the spread of Christianity in Africa. ManyAfricans dropped their traditional religion and were converted toChristianity. Today there are many Christians especially in central,eastern and southern parts of Africa.(vi) Western cultures such as ways of dressing, dancing, eating andmarriage were introduced in Africa. For example, in Senegal,Africans who got assimilated dressed and ate like the French.(vii) Colonisation led to introduction and expansion of legitimatetrade in Africa. Africans acquired European manufactured goodsin exchange for the African raw materials. The materials includedclothes, saucepans and utensils. They were exchanged for gold,hides and skins(viii) There was emergence and growth of towns and urban centresin African during the colonial period. Such towns started asadministrative centres for colonial governments which weredeveloped into modern towns today.(ix) Colonisation led to rise of African nationalism where Africanswanted to rule themselves instead of being ruled by Europeans.This brought unity of African people against Europeans.Colonisation opened up parts of African continent to the outsideworld. This led to the creation of links between African countriesand the rest of the outside world.Negative consequences.(i) Colonisation led to loss of independence for Africa. Many Africansocieties had been independent for long. Things changed onlywhen they were colonised by Europeans, for example, some Africanchiefs were removed from power.(ii) Colonisation led to rebellions that resulted from resistance of someAfricans. Some of the rebellions were the Maji Maji in Tanzania,Shona– Ndebele in Zimbabwe, Mau Mau in Kenya. Many Africanslost their lives in these wars of rebellion against Europeans.(iii) Colonisation led to creation of artificial boundaries in Africa whichcaused conflict between African modern states. States such asUganda and Tanzania, Nigeria and Cameroon, and Ethiopia andEritrea were involved in border conflicts.(iv) The European policy of divide and rule created hatred and disunityamong some African tribes. This has continued up to today.(v) It led to collapse of African cultures as they were dropped infavour of the European cultures, for example, cultural dances andhospitality.(vi) Colonisation made African countries to remain underdevelopedand dependent on the colonial masters. This has led to thedependency syndrome.It led to over exploitation of African resources such as gold andfertile soils by the Europeans. They exploited for the resources theirown benefits.
Discuss the negative effects of colonization and make a presentationin class.
1. Define the term colonisation.2. Explain different causes of European colonisation of Africa.3. Identify different methods of colonial conquest of Africa.4. Describe the consequences of European colonisation of Africa.Identify different colonial systems of administration.