Instead, the companies had to be content with a monopoly of the export trade in these products. The appointment of Joseph Chamberlain as colonial secretary in 1895 especially marked a shift towards new territorial ambitions of the British Empire. Military Conquest. 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. Men such as Balewa believed that only by overcoming political and economic backwardness could the NPC protect the foundations of traditional northern authority against the influence of the more advanced south. Animosity, Amnesia, or Admiration? Mass Opinion Around the World Toward [77] Its revenue quickly increased, from 4,424 in 1901 to 274,989 in 1910. 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. 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". [11], Britain's imperialistic posture became more aggressive towards the end of the century. Causes Of European Colonization In Africa | ipl.org History of Nigeria - Wikipedia Political opposition to colonial rule often assumed religious dimensions. In May of this year, Herbert J. "Specifically, the Company sought to secure the cooperation of the traditional rulers in ensuring peaceful conditions for trade. Hence, precolonial level of development is positively asso-ciated with level of Spanish colonialism, but negatively associated with level of British colonialism. Military Conquest | West-African Colonial Administration factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria If adopted, his proposals can hardly be a permanent solution and I gather that Sir F. Lugard only regards them as temporaryat any rate in part. In 1805, he set out on a second expedition, sponsored by the British Government, to follow the Niger to the sea. There were numerous differences of detail among the regional systems, but all adhered to parliamentary forms and were equally autonomous in relation to the Nigerian federal government at Lagos. Britain and Nigeria'S Independence in 1960 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. He used for the first time in Nigeria modern, sometimes flamboyant, electioneering techniques. The policy of indirect rule used in Northern Nigeria became a model for British colonies elsewhere in Africa. The National Youth Movement used nationalist rhetoric to agitate for improvements in education. Ethnic and kinship organisations that often took the form of a tribal union also emerged in the 1920s. The Colonial Office approved most of Lugard's plan, but balked at authorising him to pass laws without their approval. British are not always carriers of high economic freedom (see Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, and Nigeria). From 1815 to 1840, palm oil exports increased by a factor of 25, from 800 to 20,000 tons per year. In Europe, Britain sent troops to help its ally, Prussia, which was surrounded by its enemies. British exploitation of their fatherland. The cleavage between the Yoruba and the Igbo was accentuated by their competition for control of the political machinery. One of the most influential monarchies in the history of England began in 1066 C.E. 2. Hausa was recognised as an official language in the north, and knowledge of it was expected of colonial officers serving there. The proliferation of labour organisations fragmented the movement, and potential leaders lacked the experience and skill to draw workers together. Protestant sects had flourished in Christianity since the Protestant Reformation; the emergence of independent Christian churches in Nigeria (as of black denominations in the United States) was another phase of this history. [11], By the 1880s, the National African Company became the dominant commercial power, increasing from 19 to 39 stations between 1882 and 1893. The British colonization of Kenya destroyed the culture and economy of the native people, but it established a democratic government and left Kenya a more modernized country. By 1903 the conquest of the emirates was complete. Lagos became a major slave port in the late 1700s and into the 1850s. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1991. [73] An estimated 500,000 Nigerians would lose their lives due to the pandemic, severely decreasing production capabilities on Nigerian farms and plantations. A people with no knowledge of their past would suffer from collective amnesia, groping blindly into the future without guide-posts of precedence to shape their course. When direct Portuguese contacts in the region were withdrawn, however, the influence of the Catholic missionaries waned. penn wood high school alumni; picture of shawn westover; microblading nickel allergy The British Conquest of Benin and the Oba's Return But the war had more concrete consequences. Lugard's success in northern Nigeria has been attributed to his policy of indirect rule; that is, he governed the protectorate through the rulers defeated by the British. Some African Christian communities formed their own independent churches. So, how did Europeans end up in Africa? Other firms applying for licenses were rejected. [13], The Colonial Office accepted Lugard's proposal that the Governor would not be required to stay in-country full-time; consequently, as Governor, Lugard spent four months out of the year in London. England would forever be changed politically, economically, and socially as a result. Missionaries were active: Presbyterians in Calabar and the Church Missionary Society (CMS), Methodists, and Baptists in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Oyo, and Ogbomoso. Until he stepped down as Governor-General in 1918, Lugard primarily was concerned with consolidating British sovereignty and with assuring local administration through traditional rulers. But in the 1700s, the Bight of Benin (also known as the Slave Coast) became the next most important hub. Facebook Instagram Email. [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. "John Beecroft, 17901854: Her Brittanic Majesty's Consul to the Bights of Benin and Biafra 18491854". 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. Among his leading lieutenants were Samuel Akintola of Ogbomoso and the Oni of Ife, the most important of the Yoruba monarchs. He argued that the division into two separate colonies was advisable unless a stronger central government could bind Nigeria into more than just an administrative convenience for the three regions. One of the most effective tactics, the British used to take over most of India. Economic links among the regions increased, but indirect rule tended to discourage political interchange. . [35] However, the company did accept that local kings could act as partners in governance and trade. The small contingent of northerners who had been educated abroada group that included Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Aminu Kanowas allied with British-backed efforts to introduce gradual change to the emirates. 3. 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. Nigeria (Sokoto Caliphate inclusive) fell prey to the attacks. Seven Years' War | The Canadian Encyclopedia Individuals could be fined or jailed for refusing to comply.[12]. [59], Following the order recommended by the Niger Committee, the Colonial Office merged Lagos Colony and the Southern Nigeria Protectorate on 1 May 1906, forming a larger protectorate (still called the Southern Nigeria Protectorate) which spanned the coastline between Dahomey and Cameroon. The war years brought a polarization between the older, more parochial leaders inclined toward gradualism and the younger intellectuals, who thought in more immediate terms. [16] Starting in 1740, the British were the primary European slave trafficker from this area. Several churches were built to serve the Edo community and a small number of African converts. Impact of British Colonization on Kenya - PHDessay.com 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. Vice consuls were assigned to ports that already had concluded treaties of cooperation with the Foreign Office. Public works, such as harbour dredging and road and railway construction, opened Nigeria to economic development. In 1841 the British tried to settle some Egba on a model farm in Lokoja, but the plan was aborted because the mortality rate among European officials was so high. In the South, only English had official status. 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. Motivations for Colonization - National Geographic Society These included the decline of the Mughal Empire. Developed from Mayan civilization B. acquired empires by means of military conquest C. Independently developed iron technology D. Depended entirely on oral record keeping . In the south the British had to fight many wars, in particular the wars against the Ijebu (a Yoruba group) in 1892, the Aro of eastern Igboland, and, until 1914, the Aniocha of western Igboland. As before, Aro merchants dominated trade in the hinterland, including palm products to the coast and the sale of slaves within Igboland. The principal figure in the political activity that ensued was Herbert Macauley, often referred to as the father of Nigerian nationalism. [11], The British led a series of military campaigns to enlarge its sphere of influence and expand its commercial opportunities. It made anti-slavery treaties with West African powers, which it enforced militarily with the blockade of Africa. 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. 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. By 18261850, the British Royal Navy was intervening significantly with Lagos slave exports. The Royal Niger Company had its own armed forces. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Gradually, however, the trade forced major economic and social changes in the interior, although it hardly undermined slavery and the slave trade. 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. 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. Description. Birth of the Nigerian Colony Google Arts & Culture This made the British win key battles all over the East Coast, as they effectively grabbed control. Nigerian recruits participated in the war effort as labourers and soldiers. What Were the Effects of the British Taking Over Africa? - The Classroom From 1790 to 1807, predominantly British slave traders purchased 1,0002,000 slaves each year in Lagos alone. In 1957, the Western and the Eastern regions became formally self-governing under the parliamentary system. Thanks to this skewed writing of history, many Nigerians today still have Empire nostalgia and view the colonial period through rose-tinted . Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). 4 Pages. Sir Richmond Palmer, acting as Lieutenant Governor in the North, disagreed with Clifford and advocated the principles of Lugard and further decentralisation. Durres Port. [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. Nigerian units also contributed to two divisions serving with British forces in Palestine, Morocco, Sicily and Burma, where they won many honours. As its head, the master trader taxed other traders who were members of his "house"; he maintained a war vessel, a large dugout canoe that could hold several tons of cargo and dozens of crew, for the defense of the harbor. [17] Much of this oil was sold elsewhere in the British Empire. The Reconquista, or reconquest, refers to the 800 years of violence and expulsion of Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula after the failed Crusades. In 1890, a group of adventurers known as the Pioneer Column, sponsored by South African-based British arch-imperialist Cecil John Rhodes, occupied Zimbabwe and claimed the country for the British. Olatunji Ojo, "The Organization of the Atlantic Slave Trade in Yorubaland, ca.1777 to ca.1856", Bouda Etemad, "Economic relations between Europe and Black Africa, Giles D. Short, "Blood and Treasure: The reduction of Lagos, 1851", "Northern Nigeria: The Illo Canceller and Borgu Mail" by Ray Harris in. The official languages of Kenya, for example, are English and Kiswahili, while Zimbabwe -- formerly Rhodesia under British colonial rule -- uses English as its only official language. Palm oil was used locally for cooking, the kernels were a source for food, trees were tapped for palm wine, and the fronds were used for building material. The Colonial Office could veto or revise his policies. Native Administration was responsible for police, hospitals, public works and local courts. What Were Reasons for European Exploration of the Americas? How Nigeria Was Colonized by the British: The Complete History European traders in Nigeria initially made widespread use of the cowrie, which was already valued locally. Colonial System of Administration In Nigeria: Definition, Historical At the urging of Governor Frederick Lugard, the two territories were amalgamated as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, while maintaining considerable regional autonomy among the three major regions (Northern protectorate, Southern protectorate and the Colony of Lagos). The essential basis of this system was a money economyspecifically the British pound sterlingwhich could be demanded through taxation, paid to cooperative natives, and levied as a fine. Azikiwe had less interest in purely Nigerian goals than did Davies, a student of Harold Laski at the London School of Economics, whose political orientation was considered left-wing. Africans also were represented on the Lagos Legislative Council, a largely appointed assembly. The NPC captured 142 seats in the new legislature. Squaring the ledger Britain's rule in Nigeria | Financial Times In pursuance of the above general principles the chief civil officers of the provinces are to be called Residents which implies one who carries on diplomatic relations rather than Commissioners or Administrators. The British entry into World War I saw the confiscation of Nigerian palm oil firms operated by expatriates from the Central Powers. Despite conquering villages by burning houses and crops, continual political control over the Igbo remained elusive. Because of the spread of mission schools and wealth derived from export crops, the southern parties were committed to policies that would benefit the south of the country. During the 1880's through 1914, the start of WWI, was an age of imperialism. Trained as an army officer, he had served in India, Egypt and East Africa, where he expelled Arab slave traders from Nyasaland and established British presence in Uganda. Quiz. Macbeth) in the essay title portion of your citation. 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. Following military conquest, the British imposed an economic system designed to profit from African labor. 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. (Specifically it would enable direct subsidy of the less profitable Northern jurisdiction.) "The agents performed similar but more expansive roles as their Company counterparts. Adam Smith wrote in 1776 that the African societies were better established and more populous than those of the Americas, thus creating a more formidable barrier to European expansion. [11] [12] 24. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria Portuguese Roman Catholic priests who accompanied traders and officials to the West African coast introduced Christianity to the Edo Empire in the fifteenth century. 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. In the early stages of British rule, it is desirable to retain the native authority and to work through and by the native emirs. [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. BRITISH CONQUEST, COLONIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA - ResearchGate 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 . The superior weapons, tactics and political unity of the British are commonly given as reasons for their decisive . British expansion accelerated in the last decades of the nineteenth century. The militias and RWAFF battalions were reorganized into the RWAFF Nigeria Regiment.[62]. The introduction of the federal principle, with deliberative authority devolved on the regions, signalled recognition of the country's diversity. [45], A campaign against the Sokoto Caliphate began in 1900 with the creation of the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria, under the direction of Governor Lugard. Thus Spain and Portugal set up colonies in Central and South America after it was discovered by Columbus. European Colonialism in Africa. 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. oriented. With one man in practical control of the Executive and Legislative organs of all the parts, the machine may work passably for sufficient time to enable the transition period to be left behind, by which time the answer to the problemUnitary v. Federal Statewill probably have become clear. To reduce costs, Lagos was administered first from Freetown in Sierra Leone, along with Gold Coast forts such as Elmina, and later from Accra (in present-day Ghana); only in 1886 did Lagos become a separate colony.