factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria

[49], Concrete plans for transition to Crown ruledirect control by the British Governmentapparently began in 1897. The Northern People's Congress (NPC) was organised in the late 1940s by a small group of Western-educated Northern Nigerians. An extensive immigrant population of southerners, especially Igbo, already were living in the north; they dominated clerical positions and were active in many trades. 1. Subsequent revisions contained in the Lyttleton Constitution, enacted in 1954, firmly established the federal principle and paved the way for independence. Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. Borno capitulated without a fight, but in 1903 Lugard's RWAFF mounted assaults on Kano and Sokoto. [8] Azikiwe was installed as Governor-General of the federation and Balewa continued to serve as head of a democratically elected parliamentary, but now completely sovereign, government. In German East Africa, Britain took over Tangayika while Ruanda-Urundi possessions were given to Belgium. The only significant interruption in economic development arose from natural disasterthe Great Drought of 191314. 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 As before, Aro merchants dominated trade in the hinterland, including palm products to the coast and the sale of slaves within Igboland. Much of the human trafficking which occurred there was nominally illegal, and records from this time and place are not comprehensive. Britain also annexed Freetown in Sierra Leone, declaring it a Crown Colony in 1808.[20]. Colonial System of Administration In Nigeria: Definition, Historical Some of them also manned Company stations and served as District Agents.". In the late 19th and early 20th century, Europeans had raced to colonize the country Africa. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria 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. Political opposition to colonial rule often assumed religious dimensions. 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. [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. From 1886 to 1899, much of the country was ruled by the Royal Niger Company, authorised by charter, and governed by George Taubman Goldie. It was suspended in 1950 against a call for greater autonomy, which resulted in an inter-parliamentary conference at Ibadan in 1950. They were the most politically conscious segment of the population and created the vanguard of the nationalist movement. Significantly, the regional governments controlled public expenditures derived from revenues raised within each region. British colonialism created Nigeria, joining diverse peoples and regions in an artificial political entity along the Niger River. But by providing for comparable regional governments exercising broad legislative powers, which could not be overridden by the newly established 185-seat federal House of Representatives, the Macpherson Constitution also gave a significant boost to regionalism. Britain subsequently lobbied other European powers to stop the slave trade as well. 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. (Specifically it would enable direct subsidy of the less profitable Northern jurisdiction.) 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. [61] John Anderson diplomatically suggested: If it is the necessity for formally submitting the drafts that hurts Sir F. Lugard, I should be quite prepared to omit that provision provided that the period of publication of the draft prior to enactment is extended from one month to two. The federal government retained specified powers, including responsibility for banking, currency, external affairs, defence, shipping and navigation and communications, but real political power was centred in the regions. After the Berlin Conference of 1884, Britain announced the formation of the Oil Rivers Protectorate, which included the Niger Delta and extended eastward to Calabar, where the British Consulate General was relocated from Fernando Po. European slave trading from West Africa began before 1650, with people taken at a rate of about 3,000 per year. Three constitutions were enacted from 1946 to 1954. One 1885 treaty read: We, the undersigned King and Chiefs [] with the view to the bettering of the condition of our country and people, do this day cede to the National Africa Company (Limited), their heirs and assigns, forever, the whole of our territory [] We also give the said National African Company (Limited) full power to settle all native disputes arising from any cause whatever, and we pledge ourselves not to enter into any war with other tribes without the sanction of the said National Africa Company (Limited). He insisted on maintaining the territorial integrity of the Northern Region. Solicitar ms informacin: 310-2409701 | administracion@consultoresayc.co. The cleavage between the Yoruba and the Igbo was accentuated by their competition for control of the political machinery. By 1903 the conquest of the emirates was complete. British business interests wanted to use this to create a monopoly over the industry, but Prime Minister H. H. Asquith's Liberal government and subsequent war coalition favored allowing international free trade. The British wanted products like palm oil and palm kernel and export trade in tin, cotton, cocoa, groundnuts, palm oil and so on (Graham, 2009). Colonialism in Nigeria: positive and negative impacts of Nigerian African nationalism attempted to transform the identity of Africans. Combining the three jurisdictions would reduce administrative expenses and facilitate deployment of resources and money between the areas. There were three main factors that contributed to the European colonization Africa which were, political, social, and economic. FACTORS THAT LED TO NATIONALISM IN NIGERIA - keypoint In 1905, the colonial government divided Bengal into Hindu and Muslim sections; this division was revoked after strong protests. 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. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriaturkish airlines flight 981 victims. E-mail: tundeoduwobi@yahoo.com Recibido: 15 Marzo 2011 / Revisado: 7 Abril 2011 / Aceptado: 17 Abril . Order. Animosity, Amnesia, or Admiration? Mass Opinion Around the World Toward "Separatist Agitations in Nigeria Since 1914." This rate rose to 20,000 per year in the last quarter of the century. In one year, Lugard recruited 2600 troops, evenly split between Hausa and Yoruba. A Hurst Publication. It was British colonialism which was the ultimate cause of the war . 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. The seven men who governed Northern Nigeria, Southern Nigeria and Lagos through 1914 were Henry McCallum, William MacGregor, Walter Egerton, Ralph Moor, Percy Girouard, Hesketh Bell and Frederick Lugard. 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. Aside from the possibility of treasure, the European governments aimed to find a passage through the Americas to Asia. [8] British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. The approaches of the two men to colonial development were diametrically opposed. penn wood high school alumni; picture of shawn westover; microblading nickel allergy 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. [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. Consequently, he may well deserve the epithet of the "father of Nigeria", which historians accorded him. 3. [76], The British treasury initially supported the landlocked Northern Nigeria Protectorate with grants, totalling 250,000 or more each year. [9] Administration and military control of the territory was conducted primarily by white Britons, both in London and in Nigeria. Squaring the ledger Britain's rule in Nigeria | Financial Times French Roman Catholic missionaries, established in Ouidah (Whydah), arrived in Lagos and considered missionary work on the Niger. Slaves formerly had been traded for European goods, especially guns and gunpowder, but now the British encouraged trade in palm oil in the Niger delta states, ostensibly to replace the trade in slaves. ", Tamuno, T. N. (1970). 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. The High Commissioner will be guided by all the usual laws of succession and the wishes of the people and chief but will set them aside if he desires for good cause to do so. Beecroft agreed on condition that the slave trade be abolished, and British merchants have a monopoly in commodities. Some of the treaties contained prohibitions on diplomacy conducted without British permission, or other promises to abide by British rule. Oil income was still marginal, but the prospects for continued economic expansion appeared bright and accentuated political rivalries on the eve of independence. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1012. How did use of enslaved African people for labour develop? 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. 1) Lack of British Personnel: Obviously Nigeria was not the only West African country colonized by the British, other countries like Ghana, Sierra-Leone and The Gambia were part of the British colonies. Britain also encouraged the formation of the Muslim League of India in 1907. Earlier elements related to this were its founding of the Sierra Leone Colony in 1787 as a refuge for freed slaves, the independent missionary movement intended to bring Christianity to the Edo Kingdom, and programs of exploration sponsored by learned societies and scientific groups, such as the London-based African Association. [11][12], The amalgamation of different ethnic and religious groups into one federation created internal tension which persists in Nigeria to the present day.[13]. FACTORS THAT LED TO NATIONALISM IN NIGERIA. The first factor to be taken into account is that the British by nature are conservative. On a subsequent expedition to the Sokoto Caliphate, Scottish explorer Hugh Clapperton learned about the mouth of the Niger River, and where it reached the sea, but after suffering malaria, depression and dysentery, he died before confirming it. Lugard's campaign systematically subdued local resistance, using armed force when diplomatic measures failed. Crowther was succeeded as bishop by a British cleric. Additionally. Northern leaders committed to modernization were also firmly connected to the traditional power structure. A consul was maintained at Fernando Po to oversee the lucrative palm oil trade in the region called the Oil Rivers. What are the Factors which facilitated the rise of Colonialism? [11] [12] Other Protestant denominations from Great Britain, Canada, and the United States also opened missions and, in the 1860s, Roman Catholic religious orders established missions. [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. The superior weapons, tactics and political unity of the British are commonly given as reasons for their decisive . The trade subsequently continued under the Portuguese Empire. In 1851 deposed king Akintoye of Lagos sought British help in restoring him to the throne. Protestant missionaries tended to divide the country into spheres of activity to avoid competition with each other, and Catholic missions similarly avoided duplication of effort among the several religious orders working there. [53] The first five heads of the Nigeria Department (18981914) were Reginald Antrobus, William Mercer, William Baillie Hamilton, Sydney Olivier, and Charles Strachey. [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 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. While each generated considerable political controversy, they moved the country toward greater internal autonomy, with an increasing role for the political parties. However, development of the Nigerian oilfields slowed when Bergheim died in a car crash in September 1912. [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. 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. European traders in Nigeria initially made widespread use of the cowrie, which was already valued locally. Amalgamation of Nigeria was envisioned from early on in its governance, as is made clear by the report of the Niger Committee in 1898. When direct Portuguese contacts in the region were withdrawn, however, the influence of the Catholic missionaries waned. 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. [12] Trade was also conducted through a mechanism of barter and credit. The basic economic units in each town were "houses", family-operated entities that engendered loyalty for its employees. The mud-walled city of Kano was captured in February, and, after a vigorous skirmish at Kotorkwashi, the sultan's capital, Sokoto, fell the next month. [29] His servant, Richard Lander, and Lander's brother John were the ones to demonstrate that the Niger flowed into the sea. 1819 - Singapore founded by Sir Stamford Raffles. 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. Bello wanted to protect northern social and political institutions from southern influence. 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. Lugard's governmental model for Nigeria was unique and there was apparently not much planning for its future development. [73], Due to the failure of the sanitation officers in Lagos, the virus would continue to spread throughout the southern provinces throughout September and finally make its way into the hinterlands by October. The country was divided politically, lacking European rivals, and no sense of national unity. Three years later internal divisions arose that was dominated by major ethnic loyalties. Missionaries were active: Presbyterians in Calabar and the Church Missionary Society (CMS), Methodists, and Baptists in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Oyo, and Ogbomoso. The NPC continued to represent the interests of the traditional order in the pre-independence deliberations. The British also created "divide and rule" policies, pitting Hindu and Muslim Indians against one another. Seven Years' War | The Canadian Encyclopedia 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. The history of external colonisation of Africa can be divided into two stages: Classical antiquity and European colonialism. The CMS pioneered trade on the Niger by encouraging Scottish explorer and merchant Macgregor Laird to run a monthly steamboat, which provided transportation for missionary agents and Sierra Leonean traders going up the Niger. [] These intermediaries assisted government diplomacy and helped to establish and maintain relations between the company and the traditional rulers. . Political activists in the southern areas spoke of self-government in terms of educational opportunities and economic development. One place that felt victim to this imperialism was Africa. To establish settled government in the newly won districts; To improve and extend native footpaths throughout the country; To construct properly graded roads in the more populated districts; To clear the numerous rivers in the country and make them suitable for launch and canoe traffic; and. The movement brought to public notice a long list of future leaders, including H.O. In contrast to Lugard, Clifford argued that colonial government had the responsibility to introduce as quickly as practical the benefits of Western experience. To start with, European nations were motivated by economic factors arising from the industrial revolution which started in Britain and extended to other European countries such as Belgium, France and Germany (Hochschild, 158).They wanted cheaper mineral resources for their home industries claiming that resources were abundant in Africa for 0 Wishlist. Initial British attempts to open trade with the interior by way of the Niger could not overcome climate and diseases such as malaria. Regional administrations also varied widely in the quality of local personnel and in the scope of the operations they were willing to undertake. God, Gold, and Glory. 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]. The early Nigerian nationalist did not seek independence. 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. [22] Many locals remained unconvinced of the Crown's authority to completely reverse the legal and moral attributes of a social institution through fiat. The Colonial Civil Service used intermediaries, as the Royal Niger Company had, in an expanded role which included diplomacy, propaganda and espionage. 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. 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. Frederick Lugard, shortly before becoming High Commissioner of Northern Nigeria.[68]. At the same time, British scientists were interested in exploring the course and related settlements along the Niger River. Clifford emphasized economic development, encouraging enterprises by immigrant southerners in the north while restricting European participation to capital intensive activity. Stealing Africa: How Britain looted the continent's art Each was under a Lieutenant Governor and provided independent government services. 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. 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. [72] In line with this attitude, he rejected Lugard's proposal for moving the capital from Lagos, the stronghold of the elite in whom he placed so much confidence for the future. The British entry into World War I saw the confiscation of Nigerian palm oil firms operated by expatriates from the Central Powers. Thanks to this skewed writing of history, many Nigerians today still have Empire nostalgia and view the colonial period through rose-tinted . June 30, 2022 . Summary of course material Economic freedom in Muslim countries an 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: 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. Following the defeat of an unsuccessful foray by Consul General James R. Phillips, a larger retaliatory force captured Benin City and drove Ovonramwen, the Oba of Benin, into exile. The rapid expansion in exports, especially after 1830, occurred precisely at the time slave exports collapsed. Some of them began to migrate back from Sierra Leone in search of home and trade. 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. The pace of constitutional change accelerated after the promulgation of the Richards Constitution. British Colonizing in Nigeria. Herbert Richmond Palmer developed details of this model from 1906 to 1911 as the Governor of Northern Nigeria after Lugard.[66]. Free shipping for many products! Events Leading to the Scramble for Africa - ThoughtCo The delta masked the mouth of the great river, and for centuries Nigerians chose not to tell Europeans the secrets of the interior. [10], Following military conquest, the British imposed an economic system designed to profit from African labor. At the same time, George Dashwood Goldie, a British businessman, bought out all French rivals and created the Royal Niger Company (chartered 1886) in order to control trade on the Niger and administer the immense territories of the Sokoto caliphate and Borno. Nigeria (Sokoto Caliphate inclusive) fell prey to the attacks. emblemhealth medicare customer service; did cody webster play college baseball 0 Home. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. We also understand that the said National African Company (limited) have full power to mine, farm, and build in any portion of our territory. To . Some European traders switched to legitimate business only when the commerce in slaves became too hazardous. In 1805, he set out on a second expedition, sponsored by the British Government, to follow the Niger to the sea. 24. In contrast, the British pursued comparatively limited settlement and institutional transformation in the more populous and more politically and economically developed preco-lonial areas. As the emirs settled more and more into their role as reliable agents of indirect rule, colonial authorities were content to maintain the status quo, particularly in religious matters. The kingdom of Benin began in the 900s when the Edo people settled in the rainforests of West Africa. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria History of Nigeria - Wikipedia It is not a federal state with federal Executive, Legislature and finances, like the Leewards. These policies met with ongoing resistance. These include the fact that military conscription (draft) of numerous African colonial subjects into European armies generated great amounts of anger. Quiz. All were knighted. West Africa | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1) 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.

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