Week 6 Context Presentation: British Colonialism in Late 19th Century Nigeria

Things Fall Apart (1958) written by Chinua Achebe is set in a small fictional village (Umuofia) in Nigeria in the late 1890s during the beginning of the European colonization of Nigeria (Kenalemang, 2013). The text was written in response to European novels that portrayed Africans as inhuman beasts who needed European help towards enlightenment and proper civilization. Achebe depicts pre-colonial Igbo society as imperfect, but still rich in culture, religion, and social practices. He does this in order to show how Igbo society was changed as a result of colonialism, both positively and negatively.

Before diving into this story, it is beneficial to note some of the changes that accompanied British rule in Nigeria such as implementation of Western education, the English language, and Christianity. “New forms of money, transportation, and communication developed; and the Nigerian economy became based on the export of cash crops” (Falola, “Nigeria as a Colony” para. 3). In fact, because there was such a significant emphasis placed on these crops, many Nigerians all over the country were forced to move to work as tenant farmers or had to acquire new skills altogether and work in cities as artisans, traders, and wage earners.

There emerged two tiers of government: local and central. Local government was based on the concept of “indirect rule” in which traditional chiefs were left in control, though they were subject to guidance from European officers while colonial citizens typically experienced their own colonial authority. Central government was more powerful than local authority and was run by the governor-general who was ultimately held accountable by colony secretaries based in London.

The British implemented a divide-and-rule policy in which Nigerian groups were kept as far removed from each other as possible in order to prevent any united rebellion against British authority. In order to influence Nigerian culture as much as possible, British authorities continually attempted to spread Western education and Christianity throughout Nigeria which spread rapidly in the south but were more heavily resisted by Muslim leaders in the north.

In order to prevent any radical means of obtaining reform in Nigeria, the British conceded to many political reforms during their rule until Nigeria became independent in 1960.

 

Falola, T. O., Ajayi, J.F. Ade, Udo, Reuben Kenrick and Kirk-Greene. Anthony Hamilton

Millard (2020, December 8). Nigeria. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Nigeria

Kenalemang, Lame M. (2013, January 11). “Things Fall Apart: An Analysis of Pre and Post

Colonial Igbo Society”. Karlstad University. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:648320/FULLTEXT01.pdf

 

4 thoughts on “Week 6 Context Presentation: British Colonialism in Late 19th Century Nigeria

  1. This reminds me heavily of the culture in the United States, specifically in the Native American culture. Native Americans were here way before settlers arrived in North America. Once here they quickly began taking more and more of the Native’s land over the course of time. Further, in more recent history, Native Americans were forced to live on reservations but by that time it was almost too late as Native Americans were already being assimilated with American religions, language, and education. Ultimately this influenced Native American culture and caused a majority of it to seemingly “die-out.”

    Note: There are still many Native Americans living in the United States today or their heritage (or traditions) can be traced back.

    • tow.8 you really broke this presentation down even more for me and your comment was very factual, I liked how you spoke on the live on reservations and that it was almost too late for Native Americans. That was actually something I didn’t really think of until your comment and helped me see really more about the history of the colonist era.

  2. I think that you did an excellent job of explaining the impact of British colonial rule on native Nigerians and the culture of these people. As Tow.8 pointed out, above, when reading this I also thought a lot about the British colonial rule of the original 13 colonies of the United States and the impact that such rule had on the natives that inhabited the land long before the British mercantile system arrived. But then it occured to me that many people of many different backgrounds would probably draw similarities and parallels with the idea of British colonial rule. After all, the British colonial system once covered about a quarter of the Earth’s surface, at its peak. Someone with Indian heritage may be inclined to think of the impact that British colonial rule had on India, while someone from Hong Kong may reflect on Britain’s former presence there. And still today, in places like Australia and New Zealand, the Aboriginee and Maori native tribes are still subjected to British rule after nearly three centuries of being under the thrown. It really is amazing to think of the influence, some positive but also very negative, that the British Empire had on so much of the world and so many of the world’s native people.

  3. This is a really great post explaining how colonist swept through Britain in the late 19th century. The way the government became set up reminds me of how the government is in the United States, the local and central government. We also still see very similar acts as the British did to the Nigerian groups, we see many places try and keep their cultures all westernized and allow little to know expression for groups of people wanting to practice other ideals. This act reminds me of in school all being taught the same histories, even through there are many different true stories that are not told.

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