Robin Hermann, "Empire Builders and Mushroom Gentlemen: The Meaning of Money in Colonial Nigeria". The most powerful figure in the party was Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. Despite these difficulties, the Action Group rapidly built an effective organisation. [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. [77] Its revenue quickly increased, from 4,424 in 1901 to 274,989 in 1910. [19][41], In 18961897 the forces of the Niger Coast Protectorate fought with the remnants of the Edo Empire. In 1960, the country attained independence from British rule. The goal of activists initially was not self-determination, but increased participation on a regional level in the governmental process. Under Lugard from 1900 to 1906, the Protectorate consolidated political control over the area through military conquest and initiated the use of British currency in substitute for barter. In Nigeria, the British colonial administration found perhaps the longest-lasting resistance movement. A third type of organisation that was more pointedly political was the youth or student group, which became the vehicle of intellectuals and professionals. Lugard's governmental model for Nigeria was unique and there was apparently not much planning for its future development. The British turned to Persia for oil.[83]. The first missions were opened by the Church of England's Church Missionary Society (CMS). It was replaced by a new coalition government led by David Lloyd George featuring Conservatives and Lloyd George's supporters in the Liberal Party, while Asquith and the remainder of the Liberals entered opposition.[69]. 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 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. All were knighted. Anietie A. Inyang & Manasseh Edidem Bassey, "Imperial Treaties and the Origins of British Colonial Rule in Southern Nigeria, 18601890". 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. 57-100 discuss issues of resistance and collaboration. Not wishing to appear out of control or weak, they approved the expedition (two days after it began) on 19 January 1903.,[47] In general, the Colonial Office allowed Lugard's expeditions to continue because they were framed as retaliatory and, as Olivier commented in 1906, "If the millions of people [in Nigeria] who do not want us there once get the notion that our people can be killed with impunity they will not be slow to attempt it."[48]. 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. tax. THE COLONIAL ECONOMIC LEGACY. How did Africans resist c. In 1929, this incident in Nigeria later became one of the reasons for the fight against colonial rule in Africa A) The Nigerian Oil crisis B) The Aba Women's Revolt C) . Direct taxation on men was introduced in 1928 without major incidents. [8] British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. [17] Much of this oil was sold elsewhere in the British Empire. The government was responsible to a Parliament composed of the popularly elected 312-member House of Representatives and the 44-member Senate, chosen by the regional legislatures. 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. [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]. The Royal Niger Company had its own armed forces. Divide and rule policy: This was mainly applied in areas where African societies or population had poor relations as a result of differences between their leaders or divisions created by Christian religious sects to easily defeat Africans in case of impending resistance against colonial rule. Economic competition among these "houses" was so fierce that trade often erupted into an armed battle between the crews of the large canoes. Several churches were built to serve the Edo community and a small number of African converts. In the ensuing decade, resistance to colonial rule continued, but Africans altered their tactics and women featured prominently in anticolonial resistance when cultural changes tended to disadvantage women. In 1805, he set out on a second expedition, sponsored by the British Government, to follow the Niger to the sea. Further dislocation accompanied the outbreak of World War I. Local leaders, cognizant of the situation in the West Indies, India, and elsewhere, recognised the risks of British expansion. Its residents were employed in official capacities and were active in business. Although Nigeria came under the British charter in 1885 and was . Its architecture was in both Victorian and Brazilian style, as many of the black elite were English-speakers from Sierra Leone and freedmen repatriated from the Empire of Brazil and Spanish Cuba. The greatest advantage of Nigeria were its huge natural . [11], Britain's imperialistic posture became more aggressive towards the end of the century. 3 The Amakholwa's upsurge as a black, conservative, and educated class in the Cape Colony helped establish political resistance to colonial rule. In 1850, the British created a "Court of Equity" at Bonny, overseen by Beecroft, which would deal with trade disputes. The Emirs and chiefs who are appointed will rule over the people as of old-time and take such taxes as are approved by the High Commissioner, but they will obey the laws of the Governor and will act in accordance with the advice of the Resident. This is what happened in 1929 when Igbo and Ibibio market women in Owerri and Calabar (Nigeria) made war against warrant chiefs and colonial authorities over issues of taxation and colonial administration. The colonial period proper in Nigeria lasted from 1900 to 1960, after which Nigeria gained its independence. 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. Asante Resistance (Ghana) 6. [42], The British had difficulty conquering Igboland, which lacked a central political organisation. The trade subsequently continued under the Portuguese Empire. The women's protest of 1929 marked an apex in women's resistance in eastern Nigeria to colonial rule. [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. 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. Out of reverence for traditional kingship, for instance, the Oba of Benin, whose office was closely identified with Edo religion, was accepted as the sponsor of a Yoruba political movement. The conditions that led African peoples to resist colonial rule often emerged from longstanding grievances against colonial labor exploitation taxation racist and paternalist practices arbitrary violence and political illegitimacy. In 1907, the corporation received a loan of 25,000, repayable upon discovery of oil. In 1912, Lugard returned to Nigeria from his six-year term as Governor of Hong Kong, to oversee the merger of the northern and southern protectorates. The best way to describe what has happened to Nigeria in the last 72 hours, beginning with the country's first set of general elections on Saturday, February 25, 2023, is to echo Charles Dickens . The company received 865,000 compensation for the loss of its Charter. Lugard's campaign systematically subdued local resistance, using armed force when diplomatic measures failed. Nigeria is a country in West Africa and was colonized by the British in 1884 during a slave trade (Alme). Local administration, where the colonial citizens typically experienced colonial authority, was based on the policy of indirect rule first developed in the north. Oil income was still marginal, but the prospects for continued economic expansion appeared bright and accentuated political rivalries on the eve of independence. of the Belgian colonial rule that eventually gave rise to a violent resistance against colonial rule, and the repression of this resistance resulted in the . [53] The first five heads of the Nigeria Department (18981914) were Reginald Antrobus, William Mercer, William Baillie Hamilton, Sydney Olivier, and Charles Strachey. [19] Ultimately, this became the Royal Niger Company. It continued to enjoy special privileges and maintained a de facto monopoly over commerce. Because Western education and Christianity spread rapidly in the south and not in the north, development was much slower in the north, and the growing disparity between north and south later caused political tensions. By the 1950s, there were organized nationalist parties that demanded political independence in almost every colony in Africa. 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. Political activists in the southern areas spoke of self-government in terms of educational opportunities and economic development. The growth of Islam in pre-colonial Igbomina / Adesina Yusuf Raji. They caused major transformations in traditional society as they eroded the religious institutions such as human sacrifice, infanticide and secret societies, which had formerly played a role in political authority and community life.[26]. 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. Although there was strong resistance from natives against the British, it was all crushed by the British. The Nigerian Legislative Council was established in 1914 and was given limited jurisdiction; it was replaced in 1922 by a larger one that included elected members from Lagos and Calabar, although its powers also were limited and the northern provinces remained outside its control. The British accomplished the colonization by using its military. The incidence of slavery in local societies increased. [19] This scenario provided an opportunity for naval expeditions and reconnaissance throughout the region. The Southern Protectorate financed itself from the outset, with revenue increasing from 361,815 to 1,933,235 over the same period. Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia, led his army to accomplish this unique feat in March 1896, defeating General Oreste Baratieri's Italian . [31], In 1891, the consulate established the Niger Coast Protectorate Force or "Oil Rivers Irregulars".[32]. Nigerian units also contributed to two divisions serving with British forces in Palestine, Morocco, Sicily and Burma, where they won many honours. In the Eastern Region, appointed officials who were given "warrants" and hence called warrant chiefs, were strongly resisted by the people because they lacked traditional claims. This scheme proved unpopular and confusing to many involved parties and was phased out. The company's major imports to the area included gin and low-quality firearms. Beecroft agreed on condition that the slave trade be abolished, and British merchants have a monopoly in commodities. Throughout this period of reign, many changes were made to their . Lost land and independence died of diseases that euro bring Read published a Memorandum on British possessions in West Africa, which remarked upon the "inconvenient and unscientific boundaries" between Lagos Colony, the Niger Coast Protectorate and the Royal Niger Company. It also means foreign rule on foreign lands. [74] But with the advancement and efficiency of colonial transportation networks, it was only a matter of time before the disease began to spread into the interior. [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. Total revenues of central and regional governments nearly doubled in relation to the gross domestic product during the decade. Pre-colonial southern Nigeria was an _____ societey. 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. 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. of British Colonial Nigeria. This primary resistance was not unified and centered, yet it allowed understanding that the colonial rule and the presence of Europeans in Africa were negative (Chamberlain 89). Lagos remained the capital of the south, with Zungeru the new capital of the north. The Eastern region was dominated by Azikiwe and the Western one by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a Yoruba lawyer who in 1950 founded the Action Group. By 1938 the NYM was agitating for dominion status within the British Commonwealth of Nations so that Nigeria would have the same status as Canada and Australia. The traders suffered from the risks of their position and believed they were at the mercy of the coastal rulers, whom they considered unpredictable. Nigeria officially became a democracy on its independence from Britain in October 1960. The movement brought to public notice a long list of future leaders, including H.O. Taxes became a source of discontent in the south, however, and contributed to disturbances protesting British policy. Kingdoms and empires of precolonial Nigeria, Controversies surrounding the 2007 presidential election, Nigeria under Umaru Musa YarAdua and Goodluck Jonathan, The 2015 elections and electorate concerns, Recession, fight against corruption, and insecurity, Which Country Is Larger By Population? In 1794, the African Association in Great Britain commissioned Mungo Park, an intrepid Scottish physician and naturalist, to search for the headwaters of the Niger and follow the river downstream. 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. These policies met with ongoing resistance. Colonial official A. J. Harding commented in 1913: Sir F. Lugard's proposal contemplates a state which it is impossible to classify. Resistance movements began to rise in . They, in turn, have by defeat lost their rule which has come into the hands of the British. ", Simon Heap, "'We think prohibition is a farce': drinking in the alcohol-prohibited zone of colonial northern Nigeria. [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. 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. Decolonization Resource Collection (National History Center) Less Scrambling, more Reflecting: Teaching about colonialism in Africa from the perspective of resistance by Bram Hubbel, February 9, 2019. [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. 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. 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. Gandhi. September 24, 2021 at 9:40pm by jones.7592. 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. resistance to British invasion and colonial rule so as to close that vacuum created by the 'majority syndrome' approach. From 1790 to 1807, predominantly British slave traders purchased 1,0002,000 slaves each year in Lagos alone. 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