factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria

[] These intermediaries assisted government diplomacy and helped to establish and maintain relations between the company and the traditional rulers. Three of these posts were assigned to representatives from each region, and one was reserved for a delegate from the Northern Cameroons. It represented a substantial element of reformism in the North. The official languages of Kenya, for example, are English and Kiswahili, while Zimbabwe -- formerly Rhodesia under British colonial rule -- uses English as its only official language. Nigerian delegates were selected to represent each region and to reflect various shades of opinion. In the north, the emirs intended to maintain firm control on economic and political change. A third of the people associated with an 1842 riverine expedition died. Rivalry between the Royal Niger Company and the Lagos Protectorate over the boundary between the emirate of Ilorin and the empire of Ibadan was resolved with the abrogation of the charter of the Royal Niger Company on January 1, 1900, in return for wide mineral concessions. 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. Lugard, replacing Egerton as Governor, aborted the project in May 1913. Olatunji Ojo, "The Organization of the Atlantic Slave Trade in Yorubaland, ca.1777 to ca.1856", Bouda Etemad, "Economic relations between Europe and Black Africa, Giles D. Short, "Blood and Treasure: The reduction of Lagos, 1851", "Northern Nigeria: The Illo Canceller and Borgu Mail" by Ray Harris in. (This was also reflective of growing pan-Africanism among American activists of the time.) Crowther was succeeded as bishop by a British cleric. Ken Swindell, "The Commercial Development of the North: Company and Government Relations, 19001906". Some were deposed, some were defeated in battle, and others collaborated. A lack of interest in extending the NPC beyond the Northern Region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation. [53] The first five heads of the Nigeria Department (18981914) were Reginald Antrobus, William Mercer, William Baillie Hamilton, Sydney Olivier, and Charles Strachey. [43][44] The British forces began annual pacification missions to convince the locals of British supremacy. 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. The British wanted products like palm oil and palm kernel and export trade in tin, cotton, cocoa, groundnuts, palm oil and so on (Graham, 2009). [61], The task of unification was achieved on the eve of World War I. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriacan low magnesium kill you. The conference drafted the terms of a new constitution. There was virtually no pressure for greater unity among the regions until after the end of World War II. 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. British merchants led the trade in palm oil, while the Portuguese and others continued the slave trade. Although lacking Azikiwe's compelling personality, Awolowo was a formidable debater as well as a vigorous and tenacious political campaigner. This was a case of plenty harvest but few hands to cultivate. They noticed something odd about the local fishermen and asked to come ashore. Consequently, in 1849, John Beecroft was accredited as consul for the bights of Benin and Biafra, a jurisdiction stretching from Dahomey to Cameroon. [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. [32] This included a river fleet which it used for retaliatory attacks on uncooperative villages. 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. Rather than seeing themselves as Zulu, Xhoasa, Sotho, etc, nationalist leaders wanted Africans to view themselves as South Africans. In the 1700s, the British Empire and other European powers had settlements and forts in West Africa but had not yet established the full-scale plantation colonies which existed in the Americas. 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. The cleavage between the Yoruba and the Igbo was accentuated by their competition for control of the political machinery. Africans also were represented on the Lagos Legislative Council, a largely appointed assembly. Open Document. [10], Following military conquest, the British imposed an economic system designed to profit from African labor. [73] The spread of the disease was quick and deadly, with an estimated 1.5% of the population of Lagos falling victim. In 1958 exportation of Nigerian oil was initiated at facilities constructed at Port Harcourt. The Colony was ultimately governed by the British Colonial Office in London. Frederick Lugard, who was appointed as High Commissioner of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1900 and served until 1906 in his first term, often has been regarded by the British as their model colonial administrator. He was convinced that the Muslim religion had fallen into utter degeneration as a result of moral depravity of the Hausa Emirs. Borno capitulated without a fight, but in 1903 Lugard's RWAFF mounted assaults on Kano and Sokoto. From 1886 to 1899, much of the country was ruled by the Royal Niger Company, authorised by charter, and governed by George Taubman Goldie. The first known encounter between the British and the people of the region of modern-day Nigeria was on April 1, 1600, when English sailors landed on the Niger River near Katsina, the largest city in northern Nigeria. In the meantime, public sector spending increased even more dramatically than export earnings. The southern nationalists were inspired by a variety of sources, including such prominent American-based activists as Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. [70], Lugard's immediate successor (19191925), Sir Hugh Clifford, was an aristocratic professional administrator with liberal instincts who had won recognition for his enlightened governorship of the Gold Coast in 19121919. 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 Colonial Civil Service used intermediaries, as the Royal Niger Company had, in an expanded role which included diplomacy, propaganda and espionage. The British turned to Persia for oil.[83]. ", Simon Heap, "'We think prohibition is a farce': drinking in the alcohol-prohibited zone of colonial northern Nigeria. 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. 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 . [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. From 1790 to 1807, predominantly British slave traders purchased 1,0002,000 slaves each year in Lagos alone. 979 Words. The palm oil trade was also linked to the Sokoto jihad and the Yoruba wars, because many warriors recognized the importance of slaves not only as soldiers and producers of food to feed soldiers but additionally as producers of palm oil to trade for European dane guns and other goods. These recourses were considered a necessity to the industrialization of the world . Britain withdrew from the slave trade when it was the major transporter of slaves to the Americas. rockin' the west coast prayer group; easy bulky sweater knitting pattern. . British colony and protectorate from 1914 to 1960, Contemporary photograph of the same building, now housing the, Developments in colonial policy under Clifford, Emergence of Southern Nigerian nationalism, Constitutional conferences in the UK (195758), All of this section to this point is from. By 1903 the conquest of the emirates was complete. The policy of indirect rule used in Northern Nigeria became a model for British colonies elsewhere in Africa. In 1900, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate passed from company hands to the Crown. "John Beecroft, 17901854: Her Brittanic Majesty's Consul to the Bights of Benin and Biafra 18491854". Oil income was still marginal, but the prospects for continued economic expansion appeared bright and accentuated political rivalries on the eve of independence. Significantly, the regional governments controlled public expenditures derived from revenues raised within each region. Falola, Toyin, Ann Genova, and Matthew M. Heaton. Even before gaining its charter, the Company signed treaties with local leaders which granted it broad sovereign powers. He aroused political awareness through his newspaper, the Lagos Daily News. The kingdom of Benin began in the 900s when the Edo people settled in the rainforests of West Africa. Between them, the French and the British had purchased a majority of the slaves sold from the ports of Edo. 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. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars, it ended slavery in its possessions. The Royal Niger Company had its own armed forces. In 1905, the colonial government divided Bengal into Hindu and Muslim sections; this division was revoked after strong protests. 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. September 1996. "The agents performed similar but more expansive roles as their Company counterparts. Three constitutions were enacted from 1946 to 1954. [19][41], In 18961897 the forces of the Niger Coast Protectorate fought with the remnants of the Edo Empire. The most dramatic event having a long-term effect on Nigeria's economic development was the discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits. The trade subsequently continued under the Portuguese Empire. The federal government retained specified powers, including responsibility for banking, currency, external affairs, defence, shipping and navigation and communications, but real political power was centred in the regions. The primary motives of European explorers were economic. "Nigerian Forces Comforts Fund, 19401947: 'The Responsibility of the Nigerian Government to Provide Funds for the Welfare of Its Soldiers'. The war was between the Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist nation that had declared independence from Nigeria. [75] The colonial government was not equipped nor ready in general for such a situation. 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. 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. Ever since, the north-south divide has dominated the politics of independent Nigeria. [16] Starting in 1740, the British were the primary European slave trafficker from this area. The British penetration of Nigeria met with various forms of resistance throughout the country. He definitely laid the basis for British claims. The superior weapons, tactics and political unity of the British are commonly given as reasons for their decisive . France sold Louisiana to the United States in 1803, the same year that it gave up on trying to regain Saint-Domingue from the Haitian Revolution. Total revenues of central and regional governments nearly doubled in relation to the gross domestic product during the decade. 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. 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. 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. Anietie A. Inyang & Manasseh Edidem Bassey, "Imperial Treaties and the Origins of British Colonial Rule in Southern Nigeria, 18601890". The first missions were opened by the Church of England's Church Missionary Society (CMS). Sir Richmond Palmer, acting as Lieutenant Governor in the North, disagreed with Clifford and advocated the principles of Lugard and further decentralisation. The proliferation of labour organisations fragmented the movement, and potential leaders lacked the experience and skill to draw workers together. [65], Half of all taxes went to the colonial government and half went to the Native Treasury. The Governor-General, in turn, was responsible for appointing the prime minister and for choosing a candidate from among contending leaders when there was no parliamentary majority. mitchelville beach house. In 1920, portions of former German Cameroon were mandated to Britain by the League of Nations and were administered as part of Nigeria. Missionary forces demanded prohibition of liquor, which proved highly unpopular. [42], The British had difficulty conquering Igboland, which lacked a central political organisation. [11], Britain's imperialistic posture became more aggressive towards the end of the century. Most of the fighting was done by Hausa soldiers, recruited to fight against other groups. 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? 1. Balewa was called on to head an NPC-NCNC coalition government, and Awolowo became the official leader of the opposition. Mordi, Emmanuel Nwafor. [74] The disease first found its home among the many trading ports along the West African coast. 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. 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. 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. England would forever be changed politically, economically, and socially as a result. Following military conquest, the British imposed an economic system designed to profit from African labor. Some European traders switched to legitimate business only when the commerce in slaves became too hazardous. The Anglicans and other religious groups had a conscious "native church" policy to develop indigenous ecclesiastical institutions to become independent of Europeans. Amalgamation of Nigeria was envisioned from early on in its governance, as is made clear by the report of the Niger Committee in 1898. Durres Port. [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. 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. With these events, the daily routines of the royal court were . At the same time, George Dashwood Goldie, a British businessman, bought out all French rivals and created the Royal Niger Company (chartered 1886) in order to control trade on the Niger and administer the immense territories of the Sokoto caliphate and Borno. 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. To . [35] However, the company did accept that local kings could act as partners in governance and trade. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. [11] In 1891, the African Banking Corporation founded the Bank of British West Africa in Lagos.[33]. 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. The Mad Rush Into Africa in the Early 1880s Within just 20 years, the political face of Africa had changed, with only Liberia (a colony run by formerly enslaved African Americans) and Ethiopia remaining free of European control . The influx of cowrie led to inflation. It is not a personal union of separate colonies under the same Governor like the Windwards, it is not a Confederation of States. In the Northern Cameroons, however, the largely Muslim electorate chose to merge with Nigeria's Northern Region. Some of them began to migrate back from Sierra Leone in search of home and trade. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. [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. PhD dissertation accepted at the Graduate Programme in History, York University, Ontario. The pace of constitutional change accelerated after the promulgation of the Richards Constitution. The French had abolished slavery following the French Revolution, although it briefly re-established it in its Caribbean colonies under Napoleon. Military Conquest. The British encouraged this secession, worsening the war even further. ", Tamuno, T. N. (1970). They had obtained the assent of the emirs to form a political party to counterbalance the activities of the southern-based parties. [55], Under the Colonial Office was the Governor, who managed the administration of his colony and held powers of emergency rule. [19] This scenario provided an opportunity for naval expeditions and reconnaissance throughout the region. Offers a bold rethink: a clear-eyed, unromanticized history of colonial Nigeria written by a Nigerian. The conference is popularly called "The Berlin Conference". During his six-year tenure as High Commissioner, Sir Frederick Lugard (as he became in 1901) was occupied with transforming the commercial sphere of influence inherited from the Royal Niger Company into a viable territorial unit under effective British political control. Thus Spain and Portugal set up colonies in Central and South America after it was discovered by Columbus. Its residents were employed in official capacities and were active in business. It assumed that comparable alterations would be made elsewhere, an attitude that won the party minority voting support in the other regions. These included the decline of the Mughal Empire. In 1805, he set out on a second expedition, sponsored by the British Government, to follow the Niger to the sea. British and French traders did a large share of this business until 1807 when they were replaced by the Portuguese and the Spaniards. In the south, by contrast, traditional rulers were employed as vehicles of indirect rule in Edoland and Yorubaland, but Christianity and Western education undermined their sacerdotal functions. 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.