A consul was maintained at Fernando Po to oversee the lucrative palm oil trade in the region called the Oil Rivers. 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 colonial economic policies in Nigeria, for instance, discouraged indigenous industrialization, but promoted export crop and mineral production to feed the British factories. [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. Many of the slaves exported in the 1820s and 30s were intercepted by the ships of the Royal Navy, emancipated, and deposited in Sierra Leone under missionary tutelage. 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. These courts contained majorities British members and represented a new level of presumptive British sovereignty in the Bight of Biafra. [76], The British treasury initially supported the landlocked Northern Nigeria Protectorate with grants, totalling 250,000 or more each year. In a sense, you can say that the British were the cause of the Biafran Civil War which happened in Nigeria from 1967 to 1970. They were the most politically conscious segment of the population and created the vanguard of the nationalist movement. The most important innovations in the new charter reinforced the dual course of constitutional evolution, allowing for both regional autonomy and federal union. The influx of cowrie led to inflation. Antrobus, Fiddes and Strachey in the Colonial Office promoted amalgamation, along with Lugard. In-text citation: It is not a federal state with federal Executive, Legislature and finances, like the Leewards. The primary motives of European explorers were economic. By an overwhelming majority, voters in the Southern Cameroons opted to join formerly French-administered Cameroon over integration with Nigeria as a separate federated region. 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 Native Administration was headed by the traditional rulersmostly emirs in the north and often obas in the southand their District Heads, who oversaw a larger number of Village Heads. The Lander brothers were seized by slave traders in the interior and sold down the river to a waiting European ship. [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. It is still felt 56 years after it was officially announced death. An extensive immigrant population of southerners, especially Igbo, already were living in the north; they dominated clerical positions and were active in many trades. [11] In 1891, the African Banking Corporation founded the Bank of British West Africa in Lagos.[33]. Beecroft was the British representative to Fernando Po, where the African Slave Trade Patrol of the Royal Navy was stationed. Offers a bold rethink: a clear-eyed, unromanticized history of colonial Nigeria written by a Nigerian. 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. Elliot J. Berg, "The Development of a Labour Force in Sub-Saharan Africa"; France sold Louisiana to the United States, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Military history of Nigeria during World War II, National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits, "The Nigeria (Constitution) Order in Council, 1954", "Gombe-Abba: Historic emirs' town ruined by the British", A Very Bloody Transaction: Old Calabar and the Massacre of 1767, The Impact of the Slave Trade on African Economies, "Managing Epidemic: The British Approach to 19181919 Influenza in Lagos", "The Nigerian Victory Against The 1918 Influenza Pandemic and 1897 Smallpox Epidemic", "African Pentecostalism and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic: The Supernatural Amid the Fearful and Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic", "The influenza pandemic of 191819 and the spread of cassava cultivation on the lower Niger: a study in historical linkages", Google Cultural Institute: Birth of the Nigerian Colony, 18511914, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colonial_Nigeria&oldid=1136412842, Former British colonies and protectorates in Africa, 1914 establishments in the British Empire, 1960 disestablishments in the British Empire, States and territories established in 1914, States and territories disestablished in 1960, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the flag caption or type parameters, Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the symbol caption or type parameters, Articles needing additional references from July 2019, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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. 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. A revelatory account of British imperialism's shameful impact on Africa's most populous state. 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. Local rulers continued to administer their territories, but consular authorities assumed jurisdiction for the equity courts established earlier by the foreign mercantile communities. 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. Subsequent revisions contained in the Lyttleton Constitution, enacted in 1954, firmly established the federal principle and paved the way for independence. 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. The Action Group, which staged a lively campaign, favoured stronger government and the establishment of three new states while advocating the creation of a West Africa Federation that would unite Nigeria with Ghana and Sierra Leone. Three of these posts were assigned to representatives from each region, and one was reserved for a delegate from the Northern Cameroons. Britain also annexed Freetown in Sierra Leone, declaring it a Crown Colony in 1808.[20]. The most powerful figure in the party was Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. Durres Port. 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. African nationalism attempted to transform the identity of Africans. European Colonialism in Africa. [42], The British had difficulty conquering Igboland, which lacked a central political organisation. Some European traders switched to legitimate business only when the commerce in slaves became too hazardous. The legal justification for this campaign was a treaty signed in 1886, when the British had interceded as peacemakers to end the Ekiti Parapo war, which imposed free trade requirements and mandated that all parties continue to use British channels for diplomacy. Borno capitulated without a fight, but in 1903 Lugard's RWAFF mounted assaults on Kano and Sokoto. In the Bight of Biafra, the major ports were Old Calabar (Akwa Akpa), Bonny and New Calabar. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. In the north Frederick Lugard, the first high commissioner of Northern Nigeria, was instrumental in subjugating the Fulani emirs. So, how did Europeans end up in Africa? "John Beecroft, 17901854: Her Brittanic Majesty's Consul to the Bights of Benin and Biafra 18491854". 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. Additionally. Combining the three jurisdictions would reduce administrative expenses and facilitate deployment of resources and money between the areas. The CMS initially promoted Africans to responsible positions in the mission field; for instance, they appointed Samuel Ajayi Crowther as the first Anglican Bishop of the Niger. The conquest and colonization of the Nigerian territory stirring up nationalist sentiments among the few educated elements mostly foreign educated Africans and liberated slaves, and later African students in Britain. A permanent British occupation of Egypt required the inviolability of the Ni Sometimes forced labour was used directly for public works projects. Ken Swindell, "The Commercial Development of the North: Company and Government Relations, 19001906". [22] Many locals remained unconvinced of the Crown's authority to completely reverse the legal and moral attributes of a social institution through fiat. All were knighted. 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). Aside from the possibility of treasure, the European governments aimed to find a passage through the Americas to Asia. Vice consuls were assigned to ports that already had concluded treaties of cooperation with the Foreign Office. He aroused political awareness through his newspaper, the Lagos Daily News. Dike, K. O. These included the decline of the Mughal Empire. The NPC federal parliamentary leader, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was appointed Prime Minister of Nigeria. [56], Walter Egerton's sixfold agenda for 1908, as detailed on 29 November 1907, in a telegram to the Colonial Office, is representative of British priorities. mitchelville beach house. The war also made the British reappraise Nigeria's political future. [38][39], In 1892 the British Armed Forces set out to fight the Ijebu Kingdom, which had resisted missionaries and foreign traders. Alan Lennox-Boyd, M.P., the British Secretary of State for the Colonies. In contrast, the British pursued comparatively limited settlement and institutional transformation in the more populous and more politically and economically developed preco-lonial areas. In the north, appeals to Islamic legitimacy upheld the rule of the emirs, so that nationalist sentiments were related to Islamic ideals. 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. It soon gained a virtual monopoly over trade along the River[11]. The factors that led to the colonization of africa by the europeans. . [55], Under the Colonial Office was the Governor, who managed the administration of his colony and held powers of emergency rule. Other firms applying for licenses were rejected. Open Document. Some African Christian communities formed their own independent churches. Quiz. Some of the treaties contained prohibitions on diplomacy conducted without British permission, or other promises to abide by British rule. 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. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriaturkish airlines flight 981 victims. 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. Although he reported on the eastward flow of the Niger, he was forced to turn back when his equipment was lost to Muslim Arab slave traders. How did use of enslaved African people for labour develop? [11] [12] Total revenues of central and regional governments nearly doubled in relation to the gross domestic product during the decade. Herbert Richmond Palmer developed details of this model from 1906 to 1911 as the Governor of Northern Nigeria after Lugard.[66]. Their forces, which were drawn from hundreds of Igbo youth from all parts of the region, created many problems for the British, but the British used forceful tactics and heavy armaments (destroying homes, farms, and roads) to prevail. Davies and Nnamdi Azikiwe. 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. [9] Administration and military control of the territory was conducted primarily by white Britons, both in London and in Nigeria. Frederick Lugard, shortly before becoming High Commissioner of Northern Nigeria.[68]. Other European powers acknowledged Britain's dominance over the area in the 1885 Berlin Conference. It made anti-slavery treaties with West African powers, which it enforced militarily with the blockade of Africa. The history of external colonisation of Africa can be divided into two stages: Classical antiquity and European colonialism. Park reached the upper Niger the next year by travelling inland from the Gambia River. This became the Lagos Constabulary, and subsequently the Nigerian Police Force. The departure of Azikiwe and other Igbo members of the NYM left the organisation in Yoruba hands. 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. 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. 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. 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 most dramatic event having a long-term effect on Nigeria's economic development was the discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits. 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. Despite conquering villages by burning houses and crops, continual political control over the Igbo remained elusive. 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. In the immediate post-World War II period, Nigeria benefited from a favourable trade balance. British expansion was conducted primarily by commercialists and resulted in more solid economic potential than the French endeavor (Crowder, 1990). Egypt) and titles (e.g. All the territories were now under British control, and the search for an identity began, first as Northern and Southern Nigeria and then with eventual amalgamation. The British turned to Persia for oil.[83]. Its final leg enabled it to meet another line, constructed 19071911, running from Baro, through Minnia, to Kano. God, Gold, and Glory. The Deputy Governor served as political administrator for company territory and appointed three officials in Nigeria to carry out the work of administration. Nigerian delegates were selected to represent each region and to reflect various shades of opinion. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. The most striking departure was in the Northern Region, where special provisions brought the regional constitution into consonance with Islamic law and custom. The nationalism that became a political factor in Nigeria during the interwar period derived both from an older political particularism and broad pan-Africanism, rather than from any sense among the people of a common Nigerian nationality. British colonialism destroyed the Ndebele state at the end of the nineteenth century. European slave trading from West Africa began before 1650, with people taken at a rate of about 3,000 per year. We also understand that the said National African Company (limited) have full power to mine, farm, and build in any portion of our territory. 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. 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 trade subsequently continued under the Portuguese Empire. Regional administrations also varied widely in the quality of local personnel and in the scope of the operations they were willing to undertake. Description. The emirs retained their caliphate titles but were responsible to British district officers, who had final authority. The neglect of traditional institutions. In an economy with many qualified applicants for every post, great resentment was generated by any favouritism that authorities showed to members of their own ethnic group. Crowther was succeeded as bishop by a British cleric. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriacan low magnesium kill you. The principal figure in the political activity that ensued was Herbert Macauley, often referred to as the father of Nigerian nationalism. There were three main factors that contributed to the European colonization Africa which were, political, social, and economic. Men Most accounts of Nigeria's colonisation were written by British officials, presenting it as a noble civilising mission to rid Africans of barbaric superstition and corrupt tribal leadership. The political parties jockeyed for positions of power in anticipation of the independence of Nigeria. Clifford also believed that indirect rule encouraged centripetal tendencies. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. At the turn of the century, top wages were four bags of salt (company retail price, 3s 9d) for a month of work. Colonial Lagos was a busy, cosmopolitan port. In Europe, Britain sent troops to help its ally, Prussia, which was surrounded by its enemies. [75] The colonial government was not equipped nor ready in general for such a situation. Lagos was annexed as a Crown Colony in 1861 via the Lagos Treaty of Cession.[30]. Village Heads were paid 10 shillings for conscripts, and fined 50 if they failed to supply. Every Sultan and Emir and the principal officers of state will be appointed by the high Commissioner throughout all this country. ", Tamuno, T. N. (1970). 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. Most of the fighting was done by Hausa soldiers, recruited to fight against other groups. 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. The policy of indirect rule used in Northern Nigeria became a model for British colonies elsewhere in Africa. 1821 - Sierra Leone, Gambia and the Gold Coast form British West Africa. 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. European interpretations of Christian orthodoxy in some cases refused to allow the incorporation of local customs and practices, although the various mission denominations interpreted Christianity in different ways. [32] This included a river fleet which it used for retaliatory attacks on uncooperative villages. Most of the fighting was done by Hausa soldiers, recruited to fight against other groups. Progressive constitutions after World War II provided for increasing representation and electoral government by Nigerians. The mud-walled city of Kano was captured in February, and, after a vigorous skirmish at Kotorkwashi, the sultans capital, Sokoto, fell the next month. 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: The Royal Niger Company had its own armed forces. Critics, including representatives of the Middle Belt who resented Muslim domination, were relegated to small, peripheral parties or to inconsequential separatist movements.[85]. . The similarity between the federal and regional constitutions was deceptive, however, and the conduct of public affairs reflected wide differences among the regions. This line was extended to Oshogbo, 100 kilometres (62mi) away, in 19051907, and to Zungeru and Minna in 19081911. Observers have pinned the 'humanity's worst mistake' label on several of history's major institutions, ranging from the adoption of agriculture to twentieth-century communism (Diamond Reference Diamond 1987; Economist 2009).In our assessment, the institution of modern colonialism - meaning the exploration, conquest, settlement, and political dominance of distant lands by European and . Robin Hermann, "Empire Builders and Mushroom Gentlemen: The Meaning of Money in Colonial Nigeria". They selected an increasingly high proportion of African clergy for the missions. [65], Half of all taxes went to the colonial government and half went to the Native Treasury. June 30, 2022 . Segments of the Yoruba community had their own animosities and new rivalries arose. The movement brought to public notice a long list of future leaders, including H.O. Otherwise, the Governor-General's office was essentially ceremonial. When direct Portuguese contacts in the region were withdrawn, however, the influence of the Catholic missionaries waned. [11], The British led a series of military campaigns to enlarge its sphere of influence and expand its commercial opportunities. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriaannalise mahanes height. They later discovered that the demand for palm oil was in fact stimulating an internal slave trade, because slaves were largely responsible for collecting palm fruits, manufacturing palm oil, and transporting it to the coast, whether by canoe or by human porterage. [12] Trade was also conducted through a mechanism of barter and credit. The British finalized the border between Nigeria and French West Africa with the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. 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. Elections were held for a new and greatly enlarged House of Representatives in December 1959; 174 of the 312 seats were allocated to the Northern Region on the basis of its larger population. The Colonial Office approved most of Lugard's plan, but balked at authorising him to pass laws without their approval. 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. Balewa was called on to head an NPC-NCNC coalition government, and Awolowo became the official leader of the opposition. The Colonial Office could veto or revise his policies. The British and the French fought the Carnatic Wars, which the British won decisively - making the British the foremost colonial power. [50] In the same year, the British created the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF or WAFF), under the leadership of Colonel Frederick Lugard. Nigeria (Sokoto Caliphate inclusive) fell prey to the attacks. British exploitation of their fatherland. Although lacking Azikiwe's compelling personality, Awolowo was a formidable debater as well as a vigorous and tenacious political campaigner. 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 British Conquest of Nigeria From about the mid nineteenth century, the British began to alter the nature of their relationship between themselves and Nigerians. Although churchmen in Britain had been influential in the drive to abolish the slave trade, significant missionary activity for Africa did not develop until the 1840s. 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. Most Europeans tended to overlook their own differences and were surprised and shocked that Nigerians wanted to develop new denominations independent of European control. All these things which I have said the Fulani by conquest took the right to do now pass to the British. 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. 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. Its effects are still widely felt up till today. The operations of this force are still not fully known due to a policy of strict secrecy mandated by the British Government. Ethnic and kinship organisations that often took the form of a tribal union also emerged in the 1920s. From 1790 to 1807, predominantly British slave traders purchased 1,0002,000 slaves each year in Lagos alone. In the Northern Cameroons, however, the largely Muslim electorate chose to merge with Nigeria's Northern Region. These organisations were primarily urban phenomena that arose after numerous rural migrants moved to the cities. The Colony was ultimately governed by the British Colonial Office in London. Some were deposed, some were defeated in battle, and others collaborated. The yoruba-Igbo rivalry became increasingly important in Nigerian politics. The NPC captured 142 seats in the new legislature. What Britain Did to Nigeria A Short History of Conquest and Rule Max Siollun. Columbus, in his voyage, sought fame and fortune, as did his Spanish sponsors. Significantly, the regional governments controlled public expenditures derived from revenues raised within each region. Among the other major parties, the NCNC took fifty-six seats, winning a majority in both the Eastern and the Western regions, while the Action Group captured only twenty-seven seats. tamko building products ownership; 30 Junio, 2022; factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria . 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. In 1907, the corporation received a loan of 25,000, repayable upon discovery of oil. French Roman Catholic missionaries, established in Ouidah (Whydah), arrived in Lagos and considered missionary work on the Niger. Lagos became a major slave port in the late 1700s and into the 1850s. David Ellis, "African and European relations in the last century of the transatlantic slave trade"; in Ptr-Grenouilleau. 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. [53] The first five heads of the Nigeria Department (18981914) were Reginald Antrobus, William Mercer, William Baillie Hamilton, Sydney Olivier, and Charles Strachey. At the same time, British scientists were interested in exploring the course and related settlements along the Niger River. The decrease in trade indirectly led to the collapse of states like the Edo Empire. The Nigerian Civil War is also known as the Nigerian-Biafran war and took place between July 1967 and January 1970. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1213. "The agents performed similar but more expansive roles as their Company counterparts. British colonialism led to the spread of the English language in Africa, and many former British colonies still maintain English as an official language. Some were deposed, some were defeated in battle, and others collaborated. Uneasy with the amount of latitude allowed traditional rulers under indirect rule, Clifford opposed further extension of the judicial authority held by the northern emirs.