Nigerian recruits participated in the war effort as labourers and soldiers. 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. Resistance was strong in western Igboland, where a series of wars were waged against the British. [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. 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. 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. [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. From January 1914 onwards, the newly united colony and protectorate was presided over by a proconsul, who was entitled the Governor-General of Nigeria.
How Britain Conquered And Created Nigeria - Politics - Nigeria - Nairaland So, how did Europeans end up in Africa? Awolowo had little difficulty in appealing to broad segments of the Yoruba population, but he worked to avoid the Action Group from being stigmatized as a "tribal" group.
factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria Europeans, with an eye to colonization and conquest, restricted the sale of the new weaponry to Africa maintaining military superiority. [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. Borno capitulated without a fight, but in 1903 Lugard's RWAFF mounted assaults on Kano and Sokoto.
From Conquest to Independence: the Nigerian Colonial Experience The receding British presence enabled local officials and politicians to gain access to patronage over government jobs, funds for local development, market permits, trade licenses, government contracts, and even scholarships for higher education. 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. necessitated by several factors. A Hurst Publication. 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. At the turn of the century, top wages were four bags of salt (company retail price, 3s 9d) for a month of work. Regional administrations also varied widely in the quality of local personnel and in the scope of the operations they were willing to undertake. Unification meant only the loose affiliation of three distinct regional administrations into which Nigeria was subdividedNorthern, Western and Eastern regions. 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. Under the Political Department of the Civil Service were Residents and District Officers, responsible for overseeing operations in each region. Its residents were employed in official capacities and were active in business.
A Review of "What Britain Did to Nigeria" by Max Siollun - Foreign Affairs Some European traders switched to legitimate business only when the commerce in slaves became too hazardous. As a practice, colonialism is traced to the1854 and 1855 conference at Berlin in Germany. The British were not yet willing to assume the expense of maintaining an administration in Nigeria. Progressive constitutions after World War II provided for increasing representation and electoral government by Nigerians. 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. 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. 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. [11], Britain's imperialistic posture became more aggressive towards the end of the century. Du Bois. 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. 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. Clifford emphasized economic development, encouraging enterprises by immigrant southerners in the north while restricting European participation to capital intensive activity. The charter allowed the company to collect customs and make treaties with local leaders.[12]. Hon. 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]. E-mail: tundeoduwobi@yahoo.com Recibido: 15 Marzo 2011 / Revisado: 7 Abril 2011 / Aceptado: 17 Abril . The Crusades and the Reconquista cemented religious intolerance, and the Christians looked to colonization partly as a means of continuing religious conquests. A lack of interest in extending the NPC beyond the Northern Region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation. 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 council was headed by a Governor. [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]. In the 1850s, quinine had been found to combat malaria, and aided by the medicine, a Liverpool merchant, Macgregor Laird, opened the river.
PDF BRITISH CONQUEST, COLONIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA - ResearchGate Ouidah (now part of Benin) and Lagos were the major ports on the coast. 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. Some were deposed, some were defeated in battle, and others collaborated. June 30, 2022 . A third of the people associated with an 1842 riverine expedition died. [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. The influx of cowrie led to inflation. [19][41], In 18961897 the forces of the Niger Coast Protectorate fought with the remnants of the Edo Empire. A consul was maintained at Fernando Po to oversee the lucrative palm oil trade in the region called the Oil Rivers. Among his leading lieutenants were Samuel Akintola of Ogbomoso and the Oni of Ife, the most important of the Yoruba monarchs. Macbeth) in the essay title portion of your citation. 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. "The agents performed similar but more expansive roles as their Company counterparts. 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. Nigeria (Sokoto Caliphate inclusive) fell prey to the attacks. One of the most effective tactics, the British used to take over most of India.
factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria In the north, the emirs intended to maintain firm control on economic and political change. Afeadie, Philip Atsu. Europeans come from Europe. While each generated considerable political controversy, they moved the country toward greater internal autonomy, with an increasing role for the political parties. Columbus, in his voyage, sought fame and fortune, as did his Spanish sponsors. After initially adopting an indirect rule approach, in 1906 the British merged the small Lagos Colony and the Southern Nigeria Protectorate into a new Colony of Southern Nigeria, and in 1914 that was combined with the Northern Nigeria Protectorate to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. The similarity between the federal and regional constitutions was deceptive, however, and the conduct of public affairs reflected wide differences among the regions. They took the right to rule over it, to levy taxes, to depose kings and to create kings. The early history of Lagos Colony was one of repeated attempts to end the Yoruba wars. Local rulers continued to administer their territories, but consular authorities assumed jurisdiction for the equity courts established earlier by the foreign mercantile communities. [53] The first five heads of the Nigeria Department (18981914) were Reginald Antrobus, William Mercer, William Baillie Hamilton, Sydney Olivier, and Charles Strachey. For example, many people in Ibadan opposed Awolowo on personal grounds because of his identification with the Ijebu Yoruba. [49], Concrete plans for transition to Crown ruledirect control by the British Governmentapparently began in 1897. Britain withdrew from the slave trade when it was the major transporter of slaves to the Americas. Open Document.
The British Conquest of Benin and the Oba's Return by | Jun 15, 2022 | north node conjunct neptune synastry | greek mythology son falls in love with mother | Jun 15, 2022 | north node conjunct neptune synastry | greek mythology son falls in love with mother Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). Following military conquest, the British imposed an economic system designed to profit from African labor. David Ellis, "African and European relations in the last century of the transatlantic slave trade"; in Ptr-Grenouilleau.
How Nigeria Was Colonized by the British: The Complete History 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. These schools would teach "the basic principles that would and should regulate character and conduct". In the north, appeals to Islamic legitimacy upheld the rule of the emirs, so that nationalist sentiments were related to Islamic ideals. But the war had more concrete consequences. Otherwise, the Governor-General's office was essentially ceremonial. Other European powers acknowledged Britain's dominance over the area in the 1885 Berlin Conference. They wanted self-government, charging that only colonial rule prevented the unshackling of progressive forces in Nigeria and other states. With these events, the daily routines of the royal court were . European traders in Nigeria initially made widespread use of the cowrie, which was already valued locally. Read suggested they be merged, and more use made of Nigeria's natural resources. 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. [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. 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. Laird's efforts were stimulated by the detailed reports of a pioneer German explorer, Heinrich Barth, who travelled through much of Borno and the Sokoto Caliphate, where he recorded information about the region's geography, economy and inhabitants. This scheme proved unpopular and confusing to many involved parties and was phased out. The Action Group was largely the creation of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, General Secretary of Egbe Omo Oduduwa and leader of the Nigerian Produce Traders' Association. In the name of liberating the Igbos from the Aro Confederacy, the British launched the Anglo-Aro War of 19011902. Because of the hazards of climate and tropical diseases for Europeans and the absence of any centralized authorities on the mainland responsive to their interests, European merchants moored their ships outside harbours or in the delta, and used the ships as trading stations and warehouses. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. By 1903 the conquest of the emirates was complete. Local leaders, cognizant of the situation in the West Indies, India, and elsewhere, recognised the risks of British expansion. The departure of Azikiwe and other Igbo members of the NYM left the organisation in Yoruba hands. He was aware that the Muslim north would present problems, but he had hopes for progress along the lines which he laid down in the south, where he anticipated "general emancipation" leading to a more representative form of government. 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. [17] Much of this oil was sold elsewhere in the British Empire.
French in West Africa - University of Pennsylvania The Ekumeku, however, became a great source of Igbo nationalism.
Impact of British Colonization on Kenya - PHDessay.com To some extent, competition amongst these companies undermined their collective position vis--vis, local merchants. 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. The colonial period proper in Nigeria lasted from 1900 to 1960, after which Nigeria gained its independence. He was prepared to introduce educational and economic changes to strengthen the north. Lagos was the first part of Nigeria to be conquered and declare a British colony in 1861. 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 movement brought to public notice a long list of future leaders, including H.O. Other firms applying for licenses were rejected. In the early stages of British rule, it is desirable to retain the native authority and to work through and by the native emirs. This line was extended to Oshogbo, 100 kilometres (62mi) away, in 19051907, and to Zungeru and Minna in 19081911. [51], Guidelines for running the Nigerian colony were established in 1898 by the Niger Committee, chaired by the Earl of Selborne, in 1898. In-text citation: During the 1880's through 1914, the start of WWI, was an age of imperialism. Much of the human trafficking which occurred there was nominally illegal, and records from this time and place are not comprehensive. The most important innovations in the new charter reinforced the dual course of constitutional evolution, allowing for both regional autonomy and federal union. The principal commodities of legitimate trade were palm oil and palm kernels, which were used in Europe to make soap and as lubricants for machinery before petroleum products were developed for that purpose. By 1919 the National Council of British West Africa, an organization consisting of elites across West Africa, was demanding that half the members of the Legislative Council be Africans; they also wanted a university in West Africa and more senior positions for Africans in the colonial civil service. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. The Ekumeku, who were well organized and whose leaders were joined in secrecy oaths, effectively utilized guerrilla tactics to attack the British. Recovery came quickly and improvements in port facilities and the transportation infrastructure during World War I furthered economic development. In German East Africa, Britain took over Tangayika while Ruanda-Urundi possessions were given to Belgium. By the eighteenth century, evidence of Christianity had disappeared. Most of the fighting was done by Hausa soldiers, recruited to fight against other groups. Nigerian delegates were selected to represent each region and to reflect various shades of opinion. By a British Act of Parliament, Nigeria became independent on 1 October 1960. [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. Nigerian units also contributed to two divisions serving with British forces in Palestine, Morocco, Sicily and Burma, where they won many honours. [59], Lugard advocated constantly for the unification of the whole territory, and in August 1911 the Colonial Office asked Lugard to lead the amalgamated colony.[60]. [12] Trade was also conducted through a mechanism of barter and credit. 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. The large companies that subsequently opened depots in the delta cities and in Lagos were as ruthlessly competitive as the delta towns themselves and frequently used force to compel potential suppliers to agree to contracts and to meet their demands.