factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria

He insisted on maintaining the territorial integrity of the Northern Region. In the face of threats to the divided Yoruba states from Dahomey and the Sokoto Caliphate, as represented by the emirate of Ilorin, the British Governorassisted by the CMSsucceeded in imposing peace settlements on the interior. 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]. Each was under a Lieutenant Governor and provided independent government services. Their common denominators tended to be based on newly assertive ethnic consciousness, particularly that of the Yoruba and Igbo. 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. Despite these difficulties, the Action Group rapidly built an effective organisation. 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. 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. 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. One of the factors that contributed to the success of indirect rule in Northern Nigeria was the use of the existing traditional system of administration. [19] This scenario provided an opportunity for naval expeditions and reconnaissance throughout the region. Crowther, a liberated Yoruba slave, had been educated in Sierra Leone and in Britain, where he was ordained before returning to his homeland with the first group of CMS missionaries. The experiment began in 1890 and was repealed in 1939,[71]. At the same time it is feasible by degrees to bring them gradually into approximation with our ideas of justice and humanity. PDF BRITISH CONQUEST, COLONIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA - ResearchGate What are the Factors which facilitated the rise of Colonialism? A revelatory account of British imperialism's shameful impact on Africa's most populous state. Islam reached Nigeria through the Bornu Empire . Whereas Lugard had applied lessons learned in the north to the administration of the south, Clifford was prepared to extend to the north practices that had been successful in the south. Some of them began to migrate back from Sierra Leone in search of home and trade. This was a case of plenty harvest but few hands to cultivate. Most Europeans tended to overlook their own differences and were surprised and shocked that Nigerians wanted to develop new denominations independent of European control. Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). Combining the three jurisdictions would reduce administrative expenses and facilitate deployment of resources and money between the areas. The policy of indirect rule used in Northern Nigeria became a model for British colonies elsewhere in Africa. Impact of British Colonization on Kenya - PHDessay.com Africans also were represented on the Lagos Legislative Council, a largely appointed assembly. 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. Sometimes forced labour was used directly for public works projects. Squaring the ledger Britain's rule in Nigeria | Financial Times 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. The election of the House of Representatives after the adoption of the 1954 constitution gave the NPC a total of seventy-nine seats, all from the Northern Region. The Governor-General represented the British monarch as head of state and was appointed by the Crown on the advice of the Nigerian prime minister in consultation with the regional premiers. Village Heads were paid 10 shillings for conscripts, and fined 50 if they failed to supply. the British Government completed their assignment of conquest and came up with what they called the Amalgamation of Nigeria . In the south, by contrast, traditional rulers were employed as vehicles of indirect rule in Edoland and Yorubaland, but Christianity and Western education undermined their sacerdotal functions. In the Bight of Biafra, the major ports were Old Calabar (Akwa Akpa), Bonny and New Calabar. 1839 - The Opium Wars between China and Britain, resulting from the trade of opium leading to widespread addictions. The Ekumeku, who were well organized and whose leaders were joined in secrecy oaths, effectively utilized guerrilla tactics to attack the British. The choice of political elite at the time of independence can also explain these differences. The most powerful figure in the party was Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. Britain also encouraged the formation of the Muslim League of India in 1907. Direct taxation on men was introduced in 1928 without major incidents. E-mail: tundeoduwobi@yahoo.com Recibido: 15 Marzo 2011 / Revisado: 7 Abril 2011 / Aceptado: 17 Abril . An example was that at Onitsha, where they could bargain directly with local suppliers and purchase products likely to turn a profit. From Conquest to Independence: the Nigerian Colonial Experience As a further step toward independence, the Governor's Executive Council was merged with the Council of Ministers in 1957 to form the all-Nigerian Federal Executive Council. In the north, appeals to Islamic legitimacy upheld the rule of the emirs, so that nationalist sentiments were related to Islamic ideals. Colonial official A. J. Harding commented in 1913: Sir F. Lugard's proposal contemplates a state which it is impossible to classify. 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]. He was prepared to introduce educational and economic changes to strengthen the north. The pulpits of the independent congregations became avenues for the free expression of critics of colonial rule. Quiz. His government guided the country for the next three years, operating with almost complete autonomy in internal affairs. Harding, director of Nigerian affairs at the Colonial Office, defined the official position of the British Government in support of indirect rule when he said that "direct government by impartial and honest men of alien race [] never yet satisfied a nation long and [] under such a form of government, as wealth and education increase, so do political discontent and sedition". The British encouraged this secession, worsening the war even further. Unification meant only the loose affiliation of three distinct regional administrations into which Nigeria was subdividedNorthern, Western and Eastern regions. Park reached the upper Niger the next year by travelling inland from the Gambia River. They were instrumental in the development of government diplomacy with the traditional rulers; they spread government propaganda among the indigenous people; and they assisted colonial officials in parleying with native forces at war with government troops. Its activist membership was drawn from local government and emirate officials who had access to means of communication and to repressive traditional authority that could keep the opposition in line. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriaannalise mahanes height. If the emirs accepted British authority, abandoned the slave trade, and cooperated with British officials in modernizing their administrations, the colonial power was willing to confirm them in office. [11][12], In 1900, the British Government assumed control of the Southern and Northern Protectorates, both of which were ultimately governed by the Colonial Office at Whitehall. 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. "Specifically, the Company sought to secure the cooperation of the traditional rulers in ensuring peaceful conditions for trade. 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 Resident also oversaw a Provincial Court at the region's capital. Most of the fighting was done by Hausa soldiers, recruited to fight against other groups. This became the Lagos Constabulary, and subsequently the Nigerian Police Force. [38][39], In 1892 the British Armed Forces set out to fight the Ijebu Kingdom, which had resisted missionaries and foreign traders. The huge African continent (three times the size of the continental United States) was particularly vulnerable to European conquest. Most of the fighting was done by Hausa soldiers, recruited to fight against other groups. 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. Although his own ambitions were limited to the Northern Region, Bello backed the NPC's successful efforts to mobilize the north's large voting strength so as to win control of the national government. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 8(04), 563. doi:10.1017/s0022278x00023909. The Governor was, in effect, the coordinator for virtually autonomous entities that had overlapping economic interests but little in common politically or socially. The supply of precious metals was finite, and monarchs hoped to find large deposits of gold and silver in the Americas. What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule by Max Siollun Hurst, 20, 408 pages Join our online book group on Facebook at FT Books Caf Letter in response to this article: Nigeria (Sokoto Caliphate inclusive) fell prey to the attacks. In large measure, European missionaries assumed the value of colonial rule in terms of promoting education, health and welfare measures, thereby effectively reinforcing colonial policy. In November 1908, Bergheim reported striking oil; in September 1909, he reported extracting 2,000 barrels per day. The cleavage between the Yoruba and the Igbo was accentuated by their competition for control of the political machinery. . NEPU formed a parliamentary alliance with the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). 1821 - Sierra Leone, Gambia and the Gold Coast form British West Africa. A permanent British occupation of Egypt required the inviolability of the Ni Although the capital was not moved, Lugard's bias in favour of the Muslim north was clear at the time. Great Britain was the leaders at this time in colonizing the land filled with rich natural recourses. Europeans come from Europe. Causes Of European Colonization In Africa | ipl.org Read suggested they be merged, and more use made of Nigeria's natural resources. The influx of cowrie led to inflation. This line was extended to Oshogbo, 100 kilometres (62mi) away, in 19051907, and to Zungeru and Minna in 19081911. Military Conquest | West-African Colonial Administration In popular parlance, discussions of colonialism in Africa usually focus on the European conquests that resulted in the scramble for Africa after the Berlin Conference in the 19th century. The NPC federal parliamentary leader, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was appointed Prime Minister of Nigeria. With this victory, the British went on to conquer the rest of Yorubaland, which had also been weakened by sixteen years of civil war. During World War II, three battalions of the Nigeria Regiment fought against Fascist Italy in the Ethiopian campaign. These schools would teach "the basic principles that would and should regulate character and conduct". 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. In the Northern Region, the colonial government took careful account of Islam and avoided any appearance of a challenge to traditional values that might incite resistance to British rule. Empty cart. In 1905, the colonial government divided Bengal into Hindu and Muslim sections; this division was revoked after strong protests. By 1903 the conquest of the emirates was complete. The militias and RWAFF battalions were reorganized into the RWAFF Nigeria Regiment.[62]. 979 Words. By extending the elective principle and by providing for a central government with a Council of Ministers, the Macpherson Constitution gave renewed impetus to party activity and to political participation at the national level. The essential basis of this system was a money economy specifically the British pound sterling which could be demanded through taxation, paid to cooperative natives, and levied as a fine. The British colonial agricultural and industrial policies in Nigeria have implications for the country's economic advancement. Both Africans and Europeans found illegal supplies such as secret stills, obtaining colonial liquor permits, and smuggling. Order. The British entry into World War I saw the confiscation of Nigerian palm oil firms operated by expatriates from the Central Powers. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to see among other things the British interest in the area referred to as Sokoto Caliphate, the crises and conflicts that ensued, the resistance put up by the people and the eventual conquest of the caliphate. However, development of the Nigerian oilfields slowed when Bergheim died in a car crash in September 1912. The Niger Delta and Calabar, which once had been known for the export of slaves, became notable for the export of palm oil. How Britain Conquered And Created Nigeria - Politics - Nigeria - Nairaland 2. The Colonial and Pre-Colonial Eras in Nigeria | AHA - Historians The kingdom of Benin began in the 900s when the Edo people settled in the rainforests of West Africa. 24. These include the fact that military conscription (draft) of numerous African colonial subjects into European armies generated great amounts of anger. Crowther was succeeded as bishop by a British cleric. [46] Lugard was slow to describe these excursions to the Colonial Office, which apparently learned of preparations to attack Kano from the newspapers in December 1902. What Britain Did to Nigeria | Hurst Publishers 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. In some instances, however, a double allegianceto the idea of sacred monarchy for its symbolic value and to modern concepts of law and administrationwas maintained. 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. The Royal Niger Company established its headquarters far inland at Lokoja, which was the main trading port of the company,[34] from where it began to assume responsibility for the administration of areas along the Niger and Benue rivers where it maintained depots. In 1886, Taubman secured a royal charter and his company became the Royal Niger Company. What Britain Did to Nigeria - Max Siollun - Oxford University Press

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