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). Local rulers continued to administer their territories, but consular authorities assumed jurisdiction for the equity courts established earlier by the foreign mercantile communities. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria The classic example in English history was the victory of the Parliament over the king. 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.. In the south the British had to fight many wars, in particular the wars against the Ijebu (a Yoruba group) in 1892, the Aro of eastern Igboland, and, until 1914, the Aniocha of western Igboland. ", Helen Chapin Metz, ed. Protestant sects had flourished in Christianity since the Protestant Reformation; the emergence of independent Christian churches in Nigeria (as of black denominations in the United States) was another phase of this history. In 1905, the colonial government divided Bengal into Hindu and Muslim sections; this division was revoked after strong protests. Colonial Lagos was a busy, cosmopolitan port. The NPC platform emphasized the integrity of the north, its traditions, religion and social order. The Reconquista, or reconquest, refers to the 800 years of violence and expulsion of Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula after the failed Crusades. Norman Conquest - National Geographic Society Regional administrations also varied widely in the quality of local personnel and in the scope of the operations they were willing to undertake. [36], The company, as was common among European businesses in Africa, paid its native workers in barter. Timeline of the British Empire - Historic UK The Royal Niger Company had its own armed forces. [73] The colonial government would enact new legislation in reaction to the pandemic including, travel passes for individuals in the colony, increased usage of sanitary practices, and door to door checks on indigenous Nigerian households. Hence, precolonial level of development is positively asso-ciated with level of Spanish colonialism, but negatively associated with level of British colonialism. The colonial economic policies in Nigeria, for instance, discouraged indigenous industrialization, but promoted export crop and mineral production to feed the British factories. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1213. 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. [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. (Specifically it would enable direct subsidy of the less profitable Northern jurisdiction.) Although his own ambitions were limited to the Northern Region, Bello backed the NPC's successful efforts to mobilize the north's large voting strength so as to win control of the national government. 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. Alan Lennox-Boyd, M.P., the British Secretary of State for the Colonies. The British penetration of Nigeria met with various forms of resistance throughout the country. Park reached the upper Niger the next year by travelling inland from the Gambia River. Indeed it was these developments in the history of Kano that transformed the political outlook of the people. ", Tamuno, T. N. (1970). 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. 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]. British colonialism led to the spread of the English language in Africa, and many former British colonies still maintain English as an official language. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Final Conquest Verse By Verse Study of The Book Revelation DVD Robert Jeffress at the best online prices at eBay! What are the Factors which facilitated the rise of Colonialism? Frederick Lugard, shortly before becoming High Commissioner of Northern Nigeria.[68]. 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. Thanks to this skewed writing of history, many Nigerians today still have Empire nostalgia and view the colonial period through rose-tinted . 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. The essential basis of this system was a money economyspecifically the British pound sterlingwhich could be demanded through taxation, paid to cooperative natives, and levied as a fine. Under the Political Department of the Civil Service were Residents and District Officers, responsible for overseeing operations in each region. By 1903 the conquest of the emirates was complete. [75] The colonial government was not equipped nor ready in general for such a situation. Joining the Royal Niger Company in 1894, Lugard was sent to Borgu to counter inroads made by the French, and in 1897 he was made responsible for raising the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) from local levies to serve under British officers. Among his leading lieutenants were Samuel Akintola of Ogbomoso and the Oni of Ife, the most important of the Yoruba monarchs. Whereas Lugard had applied lessons learned in the north to the administration of the south, Clifford was prepared to extend to the north practices that had been successful in the south. It assumed that comparable alterations would be made elsewhere, an attitude that won the party minority voting support in the other regions. The Colonial Civil Service used intermediaries, as the Royal Niger Company had, in an expanded role which included diplomacy, propaganda and espionage. When Faidherbe and his successors proceeded with their conquest of the hinterlands they met with strong and sustained resistance from a number of sources including the Moors, the Toucouleur Empire of Segou under Al Hajj Umar and the powerful Almamy . British merchants led the trade in palm oil, while the Portuguese and others continued the slave trade. He definitely laid the basis for British claims. 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. 2. In 1958 exportation of Nigerian oil was initiated at facilities constructed at Port Harcourt. From January 1914 onwards, the newly united colony and protectorate was presided over by a proconsul, who was entitled the Governor-General of Nigeria. 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. 1819 - Singapore founded by Sir Stamford Raffles. The NPC, entering candidates only in the Northern Region, confined campaigning largely to local issues but opposed the addition of new regimes. 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. The Crusades and the Reconquista cemented religious intolerance, and the Christians looked to colonization partly as a means of continuing religious conquests. A Summary of British Rule in India - ThoughtCo 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 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. 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. How did use of enslaved African people for labour develop? [19], The company considered itself the sole legitimate government of the area, with executive, legislative and judicial powers all subordinate to the rule of a council created by the company board of directors in London. [42], The British had difficulty conquering Igboland, which lacked a central political organisation. European slave trading from West Africa began before 1650, with people taken at a rate of about 3,000 per year. Total revenues of central and regional governments nearly doubled in relation to the gross domestic product during the decade. The British responded to such evidence of rivalry by defending their right to free navigation on the river at the Berlin West Africa Conference of 188485. Similar status was acquired by the Northern Region two years later. According to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Voyage Database, 308,800 were sold across the Atlantic from Lagos in 17761850. Britain annexed Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River Protectorate in 1884. The Governor was, in effect, the coordinator for virtually autonomous entities that had overlapping economic interests but little in common politically or socially. The early history of Lagos Colony was one of repeated attempts to end the Yoruba wars. Britain withdrew from the slave trade when it was the major transporter of slaves to the Americas. 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 protectorate was organised to control and develop trade coming down the Niger. Three years later internal divisions arose that was dominated by major ethnic loyalties. "John Beecroft, 17901854: Her Brittanic Majesty's Consul to the Bights of Benin and Biafra 18491854". So, how did Europeans end up in Africa? Sometimes forced labour was used directly for public works projects. In 1920, portions of former German Cameroon were mandated to Britain by the League of Nations and were administered as part of Nigeria. Alienated by the anonymity of the urban environment and drawn together by ties to their ethnic homelandsas well as by the need for mutual aidthe new city dwellers formed local clubs that later expanded into federations covering whole regions. African nationalism is a political movement for the unification of Africa (Pan-Africanism) and for national self-determination. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. What Britain Did to Nigeria | Hurst Publishers 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. The British Conquest of Benin and the Oba's Return Nigerian students abroad, particularly at British schools, joined those from other colonies in pan-African groups such as the West African Students Union, founded in London in 1925. He was convinced that the Muslim religion had fallen into utter degeneration as a result of moral depravity of the Hausa Emirs. When direct Portuguese contacts in the region were withdrawn, however, the influence of the Catholic missionaries waned. It, therefore, hired native intermediaries who could conduct diplomacy, trade and intelligence work in the local area. The most important innovations in the new charter reinforced the dual course of constitutional evolution, allowing for both regional autonomy and federal union. [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. with the Norman Conquest led by William, the Duke of Normandy. The British captured Kano in 1903. 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. Although realistic in its assessment of the situation in Nigeria, the Richards Constitution undoubtedly intensified regionalism as an alternative to political unification. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 8(04), 563. doi:10.1017/s0022278x00023909. 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]. [19] Although the Ijebu had some weapons they were wiped out by British Maxims, the earliest machine gun. [74] The disease first found its home among the many trading ports along the West African coast. [32] This included a river fleet which it used for retaliatory attacks on uncooperative villages. The NCNC backed creation of a midwest state and proposed federal control of education and health services. 1839 - The Opium Wars between China and Britain, resulting from the trade of opium leading to widespread addictions. [19] This scenario provided an opportunity for naval expeditions and reconnaissance throughout the region. 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). The movement brought to public notice a long list of future leaders, including H.O. Its final leg enabled it to meet another line, constructed 19071911, running from Baro, through Minnia, to Kano. In May of this year, Herbert J. 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. The emirs retained their caliphate titles but were responsible to British district officers, who had final authority. 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. The British Conquest and Resistance of Sokoto Caliphate, 18971903 Final Conquest Verse By Verse Study of The Book Revelation DVD Robert Until he stepped down as Governor-General in 1918, Lugard primarily was concerned with consolidating British sovereignty and with assuring local administration through traditional rulers. 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. [50] In the same year, the British created the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF or WAFF), under the leadership of Colonel Frederick Lugard. 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. British soap and cosmetics manufacturers tried to obtain land concessions for growing oil palms, but these were refused. Afeadie, Philip Atsu. Columbus, in his voyage, sought fame and fortune, as did his Spanish sponsors. [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. 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. Village Heads were paid 10 shillings for conscripts, and fined 50 if they failed to supply. The delegation was led by Balewa of the NPC and included party leaders Awolowo of the Action Group, Azikiwe of the NCNC, and Bello of the NPC; they were also the premiers of the Western, Eastern and Northern regions, respectively. [11] [12] [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. [73] In direct reaction to the epidemic, colonial authorities allowed African doctors and medical personnel to work with influenza patients due to the severity of the situation. Europeans, with an eye to colonization and conquest, restricted the sale of the new weaponry to Africa maintaining military superiority. Support for broad Nigerian concerns occupied a clear second place. Consequently, in 1849, John Beecroft was accredited as consul for the bights of Benin and Biafra, a jurisdiction stretching from Dahomey to Cameroon. The conference drafted the terms of a new constitution. Native Administration was responsible for police, hospitals, public works and local courts. Other Protestant denominations from Great Britain, Canada, and the United States also opened missions and, in the 1860s, Roman Catholic religious orders established missions. tamko building products ownership; 30 Junio, 2022; factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria . Other commercial crops, such as cocoa and rubber, were encouraged, and tin was mined on the Jos Plateau. The most striking departure was in the Northern Region, where special provisions brought the regional constitution into consonance with Islamic law and custom. British influence in the Niger area increased gradually over the 19th century, but Britain did not effectively occupy the area until 1885. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. The Conquest (La Conqute) is a term used to describe the acquisition of Canada by Great Britain during the Seven Years' War.It also refers to the resulting conditio Instead, the companies had to be content with a monopoly of the export trade in these products. Antrobus, Fiddes and Strachey in the Colonial Office promoted amalgamation, along with Lugard. Economic competition among these "houses" was so fierce that trade often erupted into an armed battle between the crews of the large canoes. [] These intermediaries assisted government diplomacy and helped to establish and maintain relations between the company and the traditional rulers. Broadening political participation and expanding educational opportunities and other social services also were viewed as threats to the status quo. [45], A campaign against the Sokoto Caliphate began in 1900 with the creation of the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria, under the direction of Governor Lugard. In the name of liberating the Igbos from the Aro Confederacy, the British launched the Anglo-Aro War of 19011902. Nigerian delegates were selected to represent each region and to reflect various shades of opinion. By the mid-1940s, the major ethnic groups had formed such associations as the Igbo Federal Union and the Egbe Omo Oduduwa (Society of the Descendants of Oduduwa), a Yoruba cultural movement, in which Awolowo played a leading role. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria England would forever be changed politically, economically, and socially as a result. Direct taxation on men was introduced in 1928 without major incidents. Far from that, NEPU political struggles transformed the Nigerian Independence struggle from the fight against the British to a fight against both the British and the local agents of the British (the Aristocracy). Aside from the possibility of treasure, the European governments aimed to find a passage through the Americas to Asia. 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. They, in turn, have by defeat lost their rule which has come into the hands of the British. Most of the fighting was done by Hausa soldiers, recruited to fight against other groups. David Richardson, "Background to annexation: Anglo-African credit relations in the Bight of Biafra, 17001891"; in Ptr-Grenouilleau. European Colonialism in Africa. One of the factors that contributed to the success of indirect rule in Northern Nigeria was the use of the existing traditional system of administration. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars, it ended slavery in its possessions. 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. The Anglicans and other religious groups had a conscious "native church" policy to develop indigenous ecclesiastical institutions to become independent of Europeans. The neglect of traditional institutions. This scheme proved unpopular and confusing to many involved parties and was phased out. Ethnic and kinship organisations that often took the form of a tribal union also emerged in the 1920s. Macbeth) in the essay title portion of your citation. The Resident also oversaw a Provincial Court at the region's capital. Lugard's success in northern Nigeria has been attributed to his policy of indirect rule; that is, he governed the protectorate through the rulers defeated by the British. Lugard informed the leaders of conquered Sokoto: The Fulani in old times [] conquered this country. Harding, director of Nigerian affairs at the Colonial Office, defined the official position of the British Government in support of indirect rule when he said that "direct government by impartial and honest men of alien race [] never yet satisfied a nation long and [] under such a form of government, as wealth and education increase, so do political discontent and sedition". How Britain Conquered And Created Nigeria - Politics - Nigeria - Nairaland [53] The first five heads of the Nigeria Department (18981914) were Reginald Antrobus, William Mercer, William Baillie Hamilton, Sydney Olivier, and Charles Strachey. The search for oil, begun in 1908 and abandoned a few years later, was revived in 1937 by Shell and British Petroleum. Catholic missionaries were particularly active among the Igbo; the CMS worked among the Yoruba. [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 NPC captured 142 seats in the new legislature. British expansion accelerated in the last decades of the nineteenth century. These included the decline of the Mughal Empire. West Africa | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1) The racial discriminatory tendencies of the Europeans to Nigerians. [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. Many Muslims resorted to migration as a form of resistance, a tactic known as the hejira, in which those perceived as infidels are avoided. The first factor to be taken into account is that the British by nature are conservative. 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. Vice consuls were assigned to ports that already had concluded treaties of cooperation with the Foreign Office. 4. 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. [58], Some of these public work projects were accomplished with the help of forced labour from native black Africans, referred to as "Political Labour". Recovery came quickly and improvements in port facilities and the transportation infrastructure during World War I furthered economic development. British expansion was conducted primarily by commercialists and resulted in more solid economic potential than the French endeavor (Crowder, 1990).