Year 8 History

African reaction to European Colonisation.

• To list and describe the various ways in which Africans’ reacted to colonial rule.

• To write a diary entry as one of the African leaders or one of the imperialists, explaining what you think of colonial rule and the events that are taking place around you.

Learning Objectives:

African reaction to colonisation

Before we begin…let’s review the terms and conditions of the Berlin Conference:

There were 3:• Spheres of influence- Occupation of African colonies

was established on the basis of spheres of influence. Any European power occupying any part of Africa had to tell the others. The first power to inform others would be the rightful occupant of that area.

• Effective Occupation- A claim was only valid if an European power settled in the area and had authority. They had to develop the area economically too.

• Protection of the whiteman- Europeans had an obligation to protect all Europeans in their colonies including missionaries, explorers and traders.

Going…going…GONE!

By 1914, Europe had successfully partitioned Africa. Europeans used warfare and diplomacy to make Africans accept their rule.

Stick in the European Possessions of Africa sheet to see who got what areas.

What would you have done if you were one of the natives?Do you think they had any powers to resist?

African reaction to European colonisation:

How Europeans were welcomed to Africa depended on their entry and rule of a colony. It also depended on the social, economic and political organisation of the colonies. Some African states had well organised administration and reactions to Europeans differed on whether:

• They came with Maxim guns and enforced their laws;• Respected the existing Chiefs and recognised their

authority.• Made agreements and partnerships with the African

leaders.

RESISTANCE:

Resistance:Resistance was the use if millitary force to try and prevent

european colonisation. The rebellions are many and it would be difficult to tackle all

of them. You can use this website to help you learn more:http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/students/curriculum/m7b/activity4.php

Here you will find the different types of rebellions between 1870-1914.

In summary, the rebellions included:

• The Maji maji uprising- Societies in Tanganyika resisted the Germans (1905-1907)

• Samori Toure’s resistance in West Africa- Samouri and his tribe the Mandinka resisted French occupation (1882-1898)

• The Ndebele (Lobengula resistance 1893 and later Chimurenga resistance1896-1897)- Resisted British occupation in Southern Rhodesia (Modern day Zimbabwe). It started with Lobengula and later after his death tribes joined in the Chimurenga resistance. Chimurenga is the Shona word for uprising.

Reasons for resisting:• Oppression of the Africans- Africans were treated

harshly while working on plantations (huge settler farms). The Germans for example imposed a hut tax which was collected with lots of ruthlessness. Chiefs who resisted this tax were humiliated by public flogging and sometimes execution.

• Disrespect of African culture and customs- This in the majimaji rebellion was specifially a lack of respect for women, some europeans would misbehave with their women and this was against African customs.

• Land alienation- Land had been taken by force from the Africans

More reasons for resisting:• Role of religion: Religion gave people morale. Some

believed in medicinal water that promised immunity against European bullets.

• Empires and wealth: Successful leaders such as Samouri Toure wanted to protect their empires from interference. Such leaders were also wealthy and had well equipped fighters.

• Forced labour- This was disliked by many Africans.• A matter of Pride- Giving in to Europeans would have

caused a lack of respect among the African leaders by their people. Some of these African leaders had acquired many territories and were powerful Kings. They wanted their land to be left alone, for them to control their trades and for respect.

The majimaji rebellion- Maji means water in Swahili. Remember the water they thought would make then bullet proof?

Samouri Toure—leader of the Mandinka in West Africa.

King Lobengula of the Ndebele people of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)

A post humous depiction of Lobengula.

Resistance worked about this much…

Why resistance failed.• Poor organisation by the Africans- Due to the boundaries

set during the Berlin Conference, certain African communities had been split up and could not organise a formidable unit against colonialists.

• Superior weapons by the Europeans- Guns against Shields and spears.

• Lack of a millitary unit- Africans did not have one millitary leader to help them with strategies. Instead, each tribe had its own tribal leader. These leaders did not coordinate their activities well.

Can you think of other reasons why the resistance failed? Discuss with your partner.

Brain Check:1. Name the 3 conditions of the Berlin Conference.• Spheres of influence, effective occupations, protection of ALL

whitemen2. Name 2 groups of resistance against colonialists.• The Majimaji rebellion, Samouri Toure and the Ndebele (lobengula)

resistance.3. Give 3 reasons why Africans resisted.• Forced labour, alienation from their land, a matter of pride,

oppression of the Africans, lack of respect for African customs by the Europeans and Strong empires.

4. What does the name majimaji have to do with the rebellion?• They believed that the medicine men had water that could make

them bullet proof. This gave them morale.

COLLABORATION

Collaboration:

This was the process of accepting and accommodating European occupation without resistance.

Leaders would collaborate to safeguard their positions against internal power struggles or neighbouring societies. Others wanted western education whereas others were simply convinced by the missionaries to collaborate.

Collaboration

Two groups in Africa are famous for collaboration with Europeans:

• In East Africa the Baganda who were ruled by Kings known as Kabakas. They collaborated because they realised that their enemies the Banyoros were growing and also there was internal strife among the Kabaka. (1857-1894)

• In central Africa- The Lozi under Lewanika (1885-1898)- they collaborated to reclaim their position of authority in the emerging Ndebele dominance.

Benefits of collaborating:• Boundaries and protection- The imperialist would make

sure that your land had boundaries and these boundaries could even be doubled. Boundaries were a form of security and collaborators would be offered security from tribes which were causing conflict in form of land and cattle raids.

• Government- You could still rule only that your powers were limited.

• Land- Your people could farm on land under a tenant system.• Jobs- Upon completion if the western education, priority for

jobs in the administration, would go to Africans who had cooperated.

• No bloodshed as it is peaceful.

With your partner, brainstorm on some other reasons for collaborating.

Disadvantages of Collaborating:• Limited power- As a leader, you were used as a puppet

to fulfill the purpose of the imperialists. You maintain your position but your authority is stripped.

• Full exploitation of your land’s minerals by the imperialists.

• Think of 2 more disadvantages and write them down in your notebook.

BRAIN CHECK:

1. Why would some African leaders have wanted to collaborate with the colonial powers?

• Protection from enemies, helplessness, some wanted western education, some were convinced by missionaries.

2. Which one is better? Collaboration or resistance? Explain your choice in your notebook.

Task:

• You are going to write a letter advising the Kings and rulers of Africa on which strategy is better: Resistance or collaboration. Give them advise on how they will eventually acquire independence.

ORWrite a diary entry as one of the collaborators or rebellious

resisters explaining your reasons for choosing to collaborate or resist. Include how a typical day is for a collaborator and for a resistor.

The end.How did you do today? Have you

achieved the objectives at the beginning of the lesson?