ESTABLISHMENT OF COLONIAL RULE/CONTROL IN AFRICA
ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTERED COMPANIES/ COMPANY RULE
QN: Explain six contributions made by company rule to the consolidation of colonialism in Africa.
The company rule sometimes was known as chartered companies.
The company rule: were the trading companies which were established by colonial government so as to reduce the cost of administration in the colonies. Normally during the early phase of establishment of colonial rule the colonial gvt used chartered companies to administer colonies.
Example chartered companies included,
IGEACO: Imperial German East Africa Company. It was under karlpeter 1884.
IBEACO: Imperial British East Africa Company, under William Mackinnon in 1888.
BSACO: British South Africa company1889 under Cecil Rhodes.
Royal Niger Company in 1886, under George Tauban.
Dutch West India company in 1621.
CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY COMPANY RULE TO THE COLONIZATION OF AFRICA
>> They abolished slave trade: Normally chartered companies they become active in abolition of slave trade especially to the interior of
>> They administered colonies: they administered colonies on the behalf of the colonial government.
>> They stopped African resistance when they
>> They constructed infrastructure: aimed at facilitating transportation activities in the colonies.
>> They signed treaties with African local rulers. Eg Karl peter signed treaty with chief Mangungo of
>> They established trading activities through opening markets and different trading centre.
>> They established agricultural plantation, this include, sisal plantation, coffee,
WHY MOST CHARTERED COMPANIES WERE FAILED?
Normally most of company rule survived for short time and totally experienced failure.
Reasons for failure of chartered companies.
> Remoteness of some areas: this discouraged many traders to penetrate to interior.
> Poor infrastructure, this affected badly the whole issues of transportation in the colonies.
> African resistance: this threatened and hindered the activities of these companies. g Nandi resistance during the construction of Kenya-Uganda railway.
> Lack of enough fund. Limited capital is another problem which lead to the failure of chartered company.
> Shortage of skilled labour.
> Language problem.
> Stiff completion within companies.
> Tropical disease such as Malaria, cholera, etc.
> Poor management among the company managers.
ESTABLISHMENT OF COLONIAL RULE/CONTROL IN AFRICA
Colonial rule: Refers to the administration system which was established by colonialists in Africa soon after the Berlin conference.
It is an administration by colonialists in Africa colonies after the Berlin conference in 1886. Normally soon after the Berlin conference, European powers struggled to establish their rule.
FACTORS THAT DETERMINED THE METHOD USED TO IMPOSE COLONIAL CONTROL
There were different factors that determined the type of method which was to be used by colonialists in imposing their colonial rule in Africa. Some of these factors are as follows:-
The nature of political organization: Some areas in Africa had centralized political system with strong leaders who were not ready to accept colonial rule.
In those areas, colonialists employed military force and conquest. For examples King Jaja of Opobo in Nigeria, Mkwawa of Uhehe Chiefdom, King Lobengula of Matebele land etc.
> Traditional conflicts between Africans: Some African societies had tribal conflicts with each others. This made colonialists to employ collaboration method where they sided with one of the societies in conflict in order to defeat the other society. For example: The Germans collaborated with the Bena and Sangu against the Hehe, The British collaborated with King Lenana of Maasai against his brother Sendeyo, Chief Lewanika of Rwozi Kingdom collaborated with the British against other parts of Central Africa which were a threat to him etc.
> The strongness of the societies: In areas with weaker societies, colonialists used treaties of protection and claimed to make friendship between them and African A good example, By 1885, Kari Peters had already made twelve treaties with Chief of Usagara, Uzigua etc.
> Society problems: Some societies had various problems like diseases, drought and shortage of Colonialists decided to use diplomacy and collaboration as a method to impose their colonial rule.A good example was the Maasai under Lenana who collaborated with the colonialists due to rinder pests and drought.
> The Nature of African Society: Some societies in Africa were very reluctant and did not easily want to be under This made colonialists to apply the use of force and gun boat diplomacy to intimidate them. For example, The British applied gun – boat diplomacy against King Jaja of Opobo, The British also applied this method in Kenya to conquer the Nandi.
> The Nature of African Society: Some societies in Africa were very reluctant and did not easily want to be under This made colonialists to apply the use of force and gun boat diplomacy to intimidate them. For example, The British applied gun – boat diplomacy against King Jaja of Opobo, The British also applied this method in Kenya to conquer the Nandi.
METHODS/TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED BY COLONIAL POWERS TO ESTABLISH COLONIAL CONTROL/RULE IN AFRICA
QN: Elaborate six techniques that were employed by colonialists to impose colonial control in Africa.
> Application of military force: Sometimes direct military confrontation was used to establish colonial rule in Africa. The military was used in areas that resisted the establishment of colonial The British used military force against the Nandi in Kenya and the Germans used force against the Hehe and Abushiri in Tanganyika. The colonial powers used force because they were determined to establish their rule in Africa so as to exploit African resources.
> Alliances/ collaboration method: This method was used in areas were two societies were in conflict, that is situation of The colonial powers allied with one society against the other one and then controlled all of them together. In Tanganyika the German sided with Sango and Bena against Hehe and in central Africa, the British allied with chief Lewanika of lozi Kingdom against lobengula of the Ndebele people in Zimbabwe.This led to the defect of Lobengula and the final colonization of Zimbabwe by the British.
> Intimidation method: this was the tactique where the colonial powers had threatened to use force but they did not actually use This method aimed at forcing African into submission. This method was used by British against King Jaja of Opobo in West Africa
> Mercenary technique: In this policy, colonial powers used Africans to establish their rule in Africa. Here they used people who had no blood ties with the people who are being invaded for example the Germans used the Rugaruga in
> Ideological method: they used racism, colonial education and religion to change African Mindset so as to accept
> Administrative method: they used direct, indirect and
> Economical method: they destroyed African economic base so as to make African to depend from whites