factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria

In addition, two other protectorates were declared, one over the Oil Rivers and the other over the hinterland of Lagos, to establish a claim that these areas were also British spheres of interest.. [31], Captain John Glover, the colony's administrator, created a militia of Hausa troops in 1861. 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]. European traders in Nigeria initially made widespread use of the cowrie, which was already valued locally. The cleavage between the Yoruba and the Igbo was accentuated by their competition for control of the political machinery. As before, Aro merchants dominated trade in the hinterland, including palm products to the coast and the sale of slaves within Igboland. Frederick Lugard, shortly before becoming High Commissioner of Northern Nigeria.[68]. The British and the French fought the Carnatic Wars, which the British won decisively - making the British the foremost colonial power. Among his leading lieutenants were Samuel Akintola of Ogbomoso and the Oni of Ife, the most important of the Yoruba monarchs. 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. [11], The British led a series of military campaigns to enlarge its sphere of influence and expand its commercial opportunities. The economy suffered from the decline in the slave trade, although considerable smuggling of slaves to the Americas continued for years afterward. Much of the human trafficking which occurred there was nominally illegal, and records from this time and place are not comprehensive. [21], Whether British conquest of Nigeria resulted from a benevolent motive to end slavery or more instrumental motives of wealth and power, remains a topic of dispute between African and European historians. Any activity in the north that might include participation by the federal government (and consequently by southern civil servants) was regarded as a challenge to the primacy of the emirates. [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. Subsequent revisions contained in the Lyttleton Constitution, enacted in 1954, firmly established the federal principle and paved the way for independence. For political the British were fixed on expanding their empire and gaining control of every major city, state, or country in the world so they could govern every man or woman as they Show More Empty cart. [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. British colonialism destroyed the Ndebele state at the end of the nineteenth century. sutton united average attendance; granville woods most famous invention; alcoa utilities power outage; 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. 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. [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. 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. African nationalism attempted to transform the identity of Africans. 0 Wishlist. Ken Swindell, "The Commercial Development of the North: Company and Government Relations, 19001906". The departure of Azikiwe and other Igbo members of the NYM left the organisation in Yoruba hands. [19][41], In 18961897 the forces of the Niger Coast Protectorate fought with the remnants of the Edo Empire. Critics, including representatives of the Middle Belt who resented Muslim domination, were relegated to small, peripheral parties or to inconsequential separatist movements.[85]. The search for oil, begun in 1908 and abandoned a few years later, was revived in 1937 by Shell and British Petroleum. Portuguese Roman Catholic priests who accompanied traders and officials to the West African coast introduced Christianity to the Edo Empire in the fifteenth century. The factors that led to the colonization of africa by the europeans. The most striking departure was in the Northern Region, where special provisions brought the regional constitution into consonance with Islamic law and custom. 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. Their history illustrates that rarely they had put a programme or a plan before themselves and then acted upon it. Accordingly, as the volume of trade increased, merchants requested that the Government of the United Kingdom appoint a consul to cover the region. Du Bois. The Reconquista, or reconquest, refers to the 800 years of violence and expulsion of Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula after the failed Crusades. It represented a substantial element of reformism in the North. The southern nationalists were inspired by a variety of sources, including such prominent American-based activists as Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Political opposition to colonial rule often assumed religious dimensions. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. He was contemptuous of the educated and Westernised African elite found more in the South, and he recommended transferring the capital from Lagos, the cosmopolitan city where the influence of these people was most pronounced, to Kaduna in the north. Empty cart. 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. When direct Portuguese contacts in the region were withdrawn, however, the influence of the Catholic missionaries waned. [] These intermediaries assisted government diplomacy and helped to establish and maintain relations between the company and the traditional rulers. A Hurst Publication. 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 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. He said that he did "not consider that their past traditions and their present backward cultural conditions afford to any such experiment a reasonable chance of success". Lagos was annexed as a Crown Colony in 1861 via the Lagos Treaty of Cession.[30]. But in the 1700s, the Bight of Benin (also known as the Slave Coast) became the next most important hub. Additionally. The most important innovations in the new charter reinforced the dual course of constitutional evolution, allowing for both regional autonomy and federal union. To . 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. The NPC was called on to form a government, but the NCNC received six of the ten ministerial posts. 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. It is still felt 56 years after it was officially announced death. The British targeted Nigeria because of its resources. 12 tribes of israel family tree; why did poseidon often adopt the shape of a steed. [37] Economically, local colonial administrators also pushed for the imposition of British colonial rule, believing that trade and taxation conducted in British pounds would prove far more lucrative than a barter trade which yielded only inconsistent customs duties. [73] An estimated 500,000 Nigerians would lose their lives due to the pandemic, severely decreasing production capabilities on Nigerian farms and plantations. 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. ", Tamuno, T. N. (1970). [11], By the 1880s, the National African Company became the dominant commercial power, increasing from 19 to 39 stations between 1882 and 1893. In 1907, the corporation received a loan of 25,000, repayable upon discovery of oil. ", Simon Heap, "'We think prohibition is a farce': drinking in the alcohol-prohibited zone of colonial northern Nigeria. This led to protests known as Women's War. According to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Voyage Database, 308,800 were sold across the Atlantic from Lagos in 17761850. 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. Clifford also believed that indirect rule encouraged centripetal tendencies. The similarity between the federal and regional constitutions was deceptive, however, and the conduct of public affairs reflected wide differences among the regions. The British finalized the border between Nigeria and French West Africa with the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. Therefore, other factors exist to explain the institutional design. Most of these came from military backgrounds. While each generated considerable political controversy, they moved the country toward greater internal autonomy, with an increasing role for the political parties. The British colonial agricultural and industrial policies in Nigeria have implications for the country's economic advancement. Solicitar ms informacin: 310-2409701 | administracion@consultoresayc.co. The approaches of the two men to colonial development were diametrically opposed. brighton grey motion loveseat; waterford, ct obituaries; jane wymark children. 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. Ouidah (now part of Benin) and Lagos were the major ports on the coast. 4 Pages. The British captured Kano in 1903. The National Youth Movement used nationalist rhetoric to agitate for improvements in education. Under the Political Department of the Civil Service were Residents and District Officers, responsible for overseeing operations in each region. 3. British staffs in each region continued to operate according to procedures developed before unification. The colonial period proper in Nigeria lasted from 1900 to 1960, after which Nigeria gained its independence. Its program reflected greater planning and was more ideologically oriented than that of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons. The 1922 constitution provided Nigerians with the chance to elect a handful of representatives to the Legislative Council. Other firms applying for licenses were rejected. Local leaders, cognizant of the situation in the West Indies, India, and elsewhere, recognised the risks of British expansion. That's human geography 101. With this victory, the British went on to conquer the rest of Yorubaland, which had also been weakened by sixteen years of civil war. The British led a series of military campaigns to enlarge its sphere of influence and expand its commercial opportunities. The most dramatic event having a long-term effect on Nigeria's economic development was the discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits. Imperialism, or the extension of one nation-state's domination or control over territory outside its own boundaries, peaked in the 19th century as European powers extended their holdings around the world. 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. One of the most influential monarchies in the history of England began in 1066 C.E. God, Gold, and Glory. British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston detested slavery, and in 1851 he took advantage of divisions in native politics, the presence of Christian missionaries, and the maneuvers of British consul John Beecroft to encourage the overthrow of the regime. 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. They received attention from major parties before elections, at which time either a dominant party from another region or the opposition party in their region sought their alliance. 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. 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. [42], The British had difficulty conquering Igboland, which lacked a central political organisation. 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. These included the decline of the Mughal Empire. Description. In the Northern Cameroons, however, the largely Muslim electorate chose to merge with Nigeria's Northern Region. 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. In 1916 Lugard formed the Nigerian Council, a consultative body that brought together six traditional rulersincluding the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Kano and the Oba of Beninto represent all parts of the colony. This article examines the deployment of West African soldiers for military service in West Africa, including the manner of mobilization and recruitment. 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. 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. In the north Frederick Lugard, the first high commissioner of Northern Nigeria, was instrumental in subjugating the Fulani emirs. British colonialism created Nigeria, joining diverse peoples and regions in an artificial political entity along the Niger River. 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. it was on that faithful day, 1 st January 1914 that the The British entry into World War I saw the confiscation of Nigerian palm oil firms operated by expatriates from the Central Powers. [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. Despite the acceptance of European and North American influences, the nationalists were critical of colonialism for its failure to appreciate the antiquity, richness and complexity of indigenous cultures. David Ellis, "African and European relations in the last century of the transatlantic slave trade"; in Ptr-Grenouilleau. In 1957, the Western and the Eastern regions became formally self-governing under the parliamentary system. speedo sectionals 2022 texas info@hebasanmakine.com on it burgers ferntree gully closed +90 224 371 29 30 The conquest was personal to William. A lack of interest in extending the NPC beyond the Northern Region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation. 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. These courts contained majorities British members and represented a new level of presumptive British sovereignty in the Bight of Biafra. It is not a personal union of separate colonies under the same Governor like the Windwards, it is not a Confederation of States. [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]. 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. At the urging of Governor Frederick Lugard, the two territories were amalgamated as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, while maintaining considerable regional autonomy among the three major regions (Northern protectorate, Southern protectorate and the Colony of Lagos). [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. With one man in practical control of the Executive and Legislative organs of all the parts, the machine may work passably for sufficient time to enable the transition period to be left behind, by which time the answer to the problemUnitary v. Federal Statewill probably have become clear. 1839 - The Opium Wars between China and Britain, resulting from the trade of opium leading to widespread addictions. [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. Following military conquest, the British imposed an economic system designed to profit from African labor. Antrobus, Fiddes and Strachey in the Colonial Office promoted amalgamation, along with Lugard. If an eye is kept on the Gazettes as they come in this will enable us to warn him of any objections we may entertain to legislative proposals, and also give Liverpool and Manchester an opportunity of voicing their objections. Other Protestant denominations from Great Britain, Canada, and the United States also opened missions and, in the 1860s, Roman Catholic religious orders established missions. [32], In 1880, the British Government and traders demonetised the Maria Theresa dollar, to the considerable dismay of its local holders, in favour of the pound sterling. Some were deposed, some were defeated in battle, and others collaborated. Both Africans and Europeans found illegal supplies such as secret stills, obtaining colonial liquor permits, and smuggling. 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 company negotiated treaties with Sokoto, Gwandu and Nupe that were interpreted as guaranteeing exclusive access to trade in return for the payment of annual tribute. This made the British win key battles all over the East Coast, as they effectively grabbed control. [19] Ultimately, this became the Royal Niger Company. British merchants led the trade in palm oil, while the Portuguese and others continued the slave trade. This line was extended to Oshogbo, 100 kilometres (62mi) away, in 19051907, and to Zungeru and Minna in 19081911. 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. Sometimes forced labour was used directly for public works projects. [11], Britain's imperialistic posture became more aggressive towards the end of the century. Britain also annexed Freetown in Sierra Leone, declaring it a Crown Colony in 1808.[20]. The country was divided politically, lacking European rivals, and no sense of national unity. [31], In 1891, the consulate established the Niger Coast Protectorate Force or "Oil Rivers Irregulars".[32]. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to see among other things the British interest in the area referred to as Sokoto Caliphate, the crises and conflicts that ensued, the resistance put up by the people and the eventual conquest of the caliphate. 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. Their common denominators tended to be based on newly assertive ethnic consciousness, particularly that of the Yoruba and Igbo. The modern history of Nigeria - as a political state encompassing 250 to 400 ethnic groups of widely varied cultures and modes of political organization - dates from the completion of the. The operations of this force are still not fully known due to a policy of strict secrecy mandated by the British Government. As its head, the master trader taxed other traders who were members of his "house"; he maintained a war vessel, a large dugout canoe that could hold several tons of cargo and dozens of crew, for the defense of the harbor. On 9 May 1913, Lugard submitted a formal proposal to the Colonial Office in which Northern and Southern provinces would have separate administrations, under the control of a "strongly authoritarian" Governor-General. "Nigerian Forces Comforts Fund, 19401947: 'The Responsibility of the Nigerian Government to Provide Funds for the Welfare of Its Soldiers'. The French had abolished slavery following the French Revolution, although it briefly re-established it in its Caribbean colonies under Napoleon. Africans come from Africa. These were the Agent-General, the Senior Judicial Officer, and the Commandant of the Constabulary. The NPC federal parliamentary leader, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was appointed Prime Minister of Nigeria. In this way Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowtherborn in the Yoruba-inhabited area of Oshogbo and the first African ordained by the CMSwas able to establish mission stations at Onitsha, Lokoja, and Eggan and later at Brass and Bonny. [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. PhD dissertation accepted at the Graduate Programme in History, York University, Ontario. Order. 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. [57], Egerton also supervised improvements to the Lagos harbour and extension of the local telegraph network. 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. [64], Each region also had a Native Administration, staffed by locals, and possessing a Native Treasury. These seven factors led to the development of the slave trade: The importance of the West Indian colonies The shortage of labour The. The Colonial Office could veto or revise his policies. 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. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1921. 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.

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