Native laws, for example islamic, were maintained in northern nigeria, with the exception of those considered barbaric. There is a widened western educational gap between the north and south of nigeria with the predominantly muslim areas of the north lagging behind due to some. The eastern region was an administrative region in nigeria, dating back originally from the division of the colony southern nigeria in 1954. Understanding the continuities of indirect rule through pre. Pdf on jul 19, 2018, nadjouia hallouch and others published british. The british in northern nigeria, which became the model for indirect rule, in the summary of the lecture in english it is official policy was that of association very put more explicitly. Indirect rule was a system of governance used by the british and french to control parts of their colonial empires, particularly in africa and asia, through preexisting indigenous power structures. This view is also maintained by taiwo as mentioned in the introduction. International african institute middlebury college.
Pdf on jul 19, 2018, nadjouia hallouch and others published british indirect rule and islam in northern nigeria 1900 1940 find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Religion, christian principles, islam, northern nigeria, indirect rule. It is a system that he developed from conditions and unavoidable. Mar 27, 2009 the roots of the riots evolved from january 1, 1914, when the first nigerian colonial governor, lord lugard, instituted the system of indirect rule in southern nigeria. So as to enable africans to adjust to colonization without losing their identity. Indirect rule in nigeria overview, reasons and results. Local native leaders in nigeria continued to rule their traditional land, collect taxes and implement orders and duties as assigned by the british. This was the case in kenya and southern nigeria, and the new leaders, often called warrant chiefs. West africa, algeria, tunisia and morocco gold coast, sierra leone, nigeria, rhodesia, union of south america cecil rhodes expanded the british empire rhodesia is named after him what is indirect rule. Nigeria was the home of the classic system of indirect rule which sir fredrick later lord lugard, the father of that system, stamped upon a society widely different in kind, size and culture. While indirect rule was frequently employed by colonial powers in order to manage larger territories, i argue that southern nigeria was simply too. In 1939, the southern province was divided into the western and eastern province. Indirect rule has been prac close to lugards ideas. The indirect rule system was introduced to nigeria by lord frederick lugard.
Others such as the priests, elders, diviners and medicine men also. Indirect rule in nigeria, the gold coast in west africa, and kenya, uganda, tanganyika in east africa, for example, britain organized its colonies at the central, provincial, and regional or district levels. The role of the native advisory council in the bechuanaland. Theoretically sophisticated, indirect rule identifies and explains the central contradiction between the ancs traditionalist and progressive. Local emirs were rulers but real power stayed with the governor. One of the most wellknown examples of indirect rule is the british system of governmental rule in the countries of nigeria and south africa in the late 1800s. Indirect rule, africaalthough the historiography of indirect rule in africa is abundant, the subject is still generally misunderstood, misunderstood in its origins, meaning, operation, and significance. After the british government assumed direct control of the royal niger companys territories, the northern areas were renamed the protectorate of northern nigeria, and the land in the niger delta and along the lower reaches of the river was added to the niger coast protectorate, which was renamed the protectorate of southern nigeria. The system was the only immediate means through which these different groups of peoples were saved from dictatorial systems of government. Tradition, modernity, and the costuming of political power rochester studies in african history and the diaspora myers, j. By contrast, the colonial government applied a policy of indirect rule in the north through muslim emirs. Why did the indirect rule fail in the eastern part of nigeria.
This history of the administration of the ibo, ibibio and ogoja of the eastern districts of nigeria makes two contributions to our understanding of british rule and african reactions. Southern nigeria was a british protectorate in the coastal areas of modernday nigeria formed. Contemplate the differences in the cultural values of the european and the colonized. The reshaping of nigerian identity and the creation of the north. The african chiefs would work at little or no pay at all. The people of southern nigeria were opposed to forced labor, taxation and oppression. History of the amalgamation of nigeria nigerian finder. For this unit, colonialism and main features of indirect rule system are identified, so also the activities of european adventurers in nigeria and the impact of indirect rule. Jan 18, 2018 why did britain adopt this policy of indirect rule. First, indirect rule by traditional and gerontocratic rulers has made it di. Lugards leadership that indirect rule became a dominant colonial philosophy in. Under this plan british administrators would rule locally through warrant chiefs, essentially igbo individuals appointed by the governor. Why did the indirect rule work in northern nigeria and not in. The state that indirect rule created was weak in several well dened ways.
Give the reasons why the british used indirect rule in. With independence movements now sweeping the continent and the decolonization of africa in full swing, the colonial. The south had many ethnic groups, many languages and many disparities in customs, whichdenied it the homogeneity necessary for the application of indirect rule. During the war period, the provinces were given more power due to shortage of personnel. Indirect rule is when one country, lets say england, governs another country, let say nigeria, but the governed people in nigeria get to keep certain administration and legal powers. Indirect rule was a type of contract between the british colonial government and the traditional rulers of northern nigeria. Myers shows why indirect rule developed in south africa, why it was absorbed by white supremacy, and why it influences south african politics to this day. What is the difference between an indirect rule and direct. Origins of indirect rule indirect rule emerged in nigeria around 1900 when the british government established the niger committee, a council that investigated the state of future nigerian territories. By an act of the british parliament, nigeria became an independent country within the commonwealth on october 1, 1960.
The british appraoch was called indirect rule and was applied to all of nigeria including southeastern nigeria. Since the indirect rule through the warrant chief system did not even save the british from subsidizing colonial administration costs, nwabughuogu believes that if lack of finance was a major factor in shaping the british policy of running through chiefs, that policy could have been abandoned, at least, for southern nigeria. Jan 24, 2019 because the eastern igbo political structure is a segmentary system of governance where there is hierarchy of power from the family to the age group and to special titleholders. Impact of indirect rule in contrast to assimilation policies, great britain fol lowed a comparatively milder policy of indirect rule in its former colonies and territories. Lugard had witnesses the system of indirect rule in india and uganda since he served as a colonial officer. There was usually a governor or governorgeneral in the colonial capital who governed along. Educational policy in nigeria hauwa imam educational policy in nigeria from the colonial era to the postindependence period hauwa imam1 abstract. It should be noted that the system was partially successful in the western part of nigeria due to the check and balance system that existed in their precolonial political system later on, educated nigerian elites began to oppose the indirect rule for some reasons. The people had different religions, different languages as well as sociopolitical systems. Lugard did not make any serious efforts to bring north and south nigeria under the sole and central administration.
Indirect vs direct rule in africa by hannah hancock on prezi. Or state five reasons why indirect rule was unsuccessful in southern nigeria. Through a progressive sequence of regimes the british imposed crown colony government on the area of west africa which came to be known as nigeria, a form of rule which was both autocratic and bureaucratic. Significantly, a type of indirect governance was found in early toeholds in west africa, notably cape coast. The problems of colonial governance in this period are striking. Southern nigeria was a british protectorate in the coastal areas of modernday nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the niger coast protectorate with territories chartered by the royal niger company below lokoja on the niger river the lagos colony was later added in 1906, and the territory was officially renamed the colony and protectorate of southern nigeria. After the amalgamation, lugard didnt make any serious efforts to bring north and south nigeria under the sole and central administration. Cultural division among the people of southern nigeria. The capital was later moved to enugu and the second capital was umuahia.
Dual mandate, africa the dual mandate is an expression of the fundamental principles of european imperialism in tropical africa as theorized by sir frederick lugard mandage, the best known of the british colonial officers to serve in africa. The ideological underpinnings, as well as the practical application, of indirect rule in uganda and nigeria is usually traced to the work of frederick lugard, the high commissioner of the protectorate of northern nigeria from 1899 to 1906. Why did the indirect rule work in northern nigeria and not. In fact, there was little or no unification, as lugard simply superimposed on the existing structure of the colony in northern nigeria, particularly troublesome system of indirect rule. The lagos colony was however merged with the southern nigeria protectorate in 1906. Indirect rule in southeastern nigeria, 18911929 1972 robert home, city of blood revisited. Britains colonial administrations and developments, 1861. This policy of preserving the old social system until. The established traders at first got the colonial office to pass rules inhibiting competition. The roots of the riots evolved from january 1, 1914, when the first nigerian colonial governor, lord lugard, instituted the system of indirect rule in southern nigeria.
The british ruled directly in southern nigeria and promoted largescale conversion to christianity. Al though, these arguments cannot be recounted here in this paper. Indirect rule fail mostly in the eastern part of nigeria,because of lack of centralised government. Amalgamation of nigeria in 1914 by lord lugard legit. British authority was not to reach directly down to each individual african subject. The method of leadership at that time, the indirect rule was a particularly troublesome system and it was simply the financial implications that enable the amalgamation takes place. In the summer of 1957, at the british colonial offices conference on african administration, a working group convened to discuss the place of chiefs in african administration reported their finding that the brilliant classical period of indirect rule is over. So british succeeded to apply indirect rule in northern nigeria despite it was not successful much in southern nigeria in yomba tribe.
The two were later merged with the northern nigeria protectorate in 1914. The french used direct rule in west africa in the late 1800s. The committee proposed that chiefs and their respective native institutions should be used in the administration of nigeria. After initially adopting an indirect rule approach, in 1906 the british merged the small lagos colony and the southern nigeria protectorate into a new colony of southern nigeria, and in 1914 that was combined with the northern nigeria protectorate to form the colony and protectorate of nigeria. Title lugard and the creation of provintial administration in northern. In the subsequent parts of this paper, we shall extensively discuss the reasons for the practice of indirect rule, how the system was organized and practiced in the protectorate of northern nigeria and southern nigeriawestern and eastern provinces. Southern nigeria lacked a centralized indigenous system of administration, which would have been vital in the application of indirect rule. Educational policy in nigeria from the colonial era to the. The central authority has less control over the outcomes of these laws under indirect rule. Tradition, modernity, and the costuming of political power rochester studies in african history and the diaspora.
Download file to see previous pages this authoritarian nature of the indirect rule by the british often made chiefs in africa abuse power in a way that was never possible in a traditional system and there was no innovation or conservation of traditional elements in the indirect rule. What is indirect rule in terms of colonies, and the. Because the eastern igbo political structure is a segmentary system of governance where there is hierarchy of power from the family to the age group and to special titleholders. Indirect rule system in western eastern and northern nigeria. Why did indirect rule succeeded in northern nigeria answers. In 1933, lord lugard described indirect rule and the role of education in it. Indirect rule system in western eastern and northern. The myth has therefore tended to grow that british rule in southern nigeria can be divided into two distinct periods one of direct and the other of indirect rule. After the amalgamation, lugard didnt make any serious efforts to bring north and.
The system of indirect rule wasin africaa result of lord lugards experience in northern nigeria the british had already used the system in india without the label indirect rule, it is proper therefore to say that lord lugard systematized the theory of indirect rule. Why indirect rule was successful in northern nigeria answers. The system of indirect rule was in africaa result of lord lugards experience in northern nigeria the british had already used the system in india without the label indirect rule, it is proper therefore to say that lord lugard systematized the theory of indirect rule. In west africa, lord lugard the high commissioner of northern nigeria protectorate introduced indirect rule firstly in northern nigeria. Why did britain adopt this policy of indirect rule. Indirect rule, as developed in northern nigeria was a practical means of administering a huge territory, with only limited manpower and cash. The region was officially divided in 1967 into three new states, the eastcentral state, rivers state and southeastern state. These dependencies were often called protectorates or trucial states. Indirect rule was a system of governance used by the british and french to control parts of their.
While the british retained overall control of a colonys administration, it was to be made effective at the district level by cultivating and by molding the. Africa, colonies, great britain, local government, nigeria asked in history of africa is boer indirect or direct rule. Reasons for indirect rule pacification and indirect rule. After initially adopting an indirect rule approach, in 1906 the british merged the small lagos colony and the southern nigeria protectorate into a new colony of southern nigeria. Adiele afigbo, sir ralph moor and the economic development of southern nigeria, 18961903, journal of the historical society of nigeria, 53 1970, 37197. Indirect rule was by no means a new idea at the time, for it had been in use in ruling empires throughout. Encyclopedia of western colonialism since 1450 dictionary. The architect of the system, in west africa, was lord frederi. Governorgeneral of nigeria created the structure of indirect rule in nigeria. Indirect rule in southeastern nigeria, 18911929 1972. Lord lugard considered islam as an inferior religion ukwandu, 2016. Indirect rule is the system of government in which the traditional structures of the local people were employed in the administration of the british overseas territories in west africa.
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