Introduction
Colonialism profoundly impacted the societies that were subsequently colonized by foreign powers. This is because colonization resulted in the development of somewhat distinct communities, depending on their location. For example, colonialism left behind various institutional legacies in different regions. Consequently, these regions saw radically different economic impacts and social and political transformation rates. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the social, political, and economic structures of colonialism and its implications for society.
Colonialism Structures and Implications for Society
The Green Belt Movement that Wangari Maathai developed was a network of many men and women planting millions of trees in Kenya to promote social interactions between people. This movement was also intended to assist with basic needs for women in the rural, including food, firewood, and clean waters. Wangari Maathai, the founder of the Green Belt Movement and Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2014, said at a Wilson Center event that most African conflict is related to competition for resources in an area characterized by poor governance.
Sustainable environmental management, democratic governance, and peaceful society are three of Maathai’s pillars of a stable society. Because Kenya’s natural resources have frequently sparked conflict due to a lack of democratic administration and environmentally responsible management, Maathai felt that people would never grow unless these factors were addressed (Rodney, 2018). Maasai herders were forced to contend with Kikuyu farmers, who had received land deeds and began erecting fencing due to colonial land reforms.
On the other hand, according to Maathai, Kenyan politicians utilize its ethnic divisions and land scarcity to incite anti-migration sentiment and boost their re-election chances. She said that conflict is inevitable if one fails to ensure that the country’s resources are allocated equitably and if one supports the prejudices that communities have against one another. Maathai was on a hunt for reasons that led her to understand the linked nature of these difficulties. Maathai urged governments, development groups, and non-governmental organizations to embrace a holistic approach to development. Countless significant civilizations and empires have grown and perished throughout Africa.
Culture and education played a significant role in the colonial mission. The purpose of colonial education was to isolate colonized individuals from indigenous knowledge. Africans were valuable and qualified workers for the colonists’ economic development. Additionally, colonizers used education to persuade people to accept the colonizers’ religions and cultural practices (Meier, 2019). Due to the colonial educational system, many colonized children developed a hybrid identity. This identity was the one that was influenced by many different beliefs, cultural practices, and power dynamics.
The economic motivation in Congo, according to Harms (1983), was the rubber industry. The state of Congo had gone bankrupt after King Leopold 11 had established authority (Harms, 1983). The bankruptcy occurred despite the private resources of the king and loans. The rubber industry saved the financial collapse. The king leased vast areas of Congo to the concessionaire companies, and rubber started to be exported from Congo.
The Africans collected the rubber by the use of repressive and brutal methods. The Africans would tap vines and correct sap. The Africans did this work, but they had no wish to work. Forcing the Africans caused scandals and resulted in the Congo state being transferred to Belgium. The Africans were supposed to take rubber every 15 days (Harms, 1983). The quantity of rubber was inspected, and their people were paid with pieces of brass wire worth about half a penny. If the individuals brought less amount of rubber than required, they would be flogged with whips. The United States and Britain banned the slave trade due to humanitarian, religious, and economic arguments
The slave trade was replaced by other goods such as rubber, coffee, cocoa, and others. This form of legitimate marketing was more profitable compared to the slave trade to the British. In 1870, Protestant and catholic missionary activities faced intensification. Consequently, the discovery of diamonds and gold in South Africa heightened competition between the Germans, French, British, and African. During the partitioning of Africa, African chieftains signed treaties giving Europeans control over resources and lands. In 1902 the Germans needed to implement plans for increasing cotton cultivation necessitated labor (Rodney, 2018). High taxes were posed to encourage Africans to work. The opposition of the Africans to work led to the Majimaji rebellion that resulted in the death of many Africans.
In terms of politics, colonialism significantly impacted pre-colonial elites, notwithstanding the many expressions of superiority. The political centralization of regions without a centralized government and the foreign conquest or dominance of pre-colonial centralized regimes were both impacts of colonialism. In tropical Africa, indirect rule was a system of government employed by the British to achieve their objectives by exploiting pre-existing power structures. Under the scheme, traditional rulers were tasked with administrating and governance both big and small domains. The Africans were ruled using their institutions (Lugard, 1926). The traditional rulers gained protection, prestige, and stability due to this responsibility. On the other hand, they would lose control of external affairs such as communication and taxation. The dual mandate of Britain was to exploit resources in Africa and develop the continent. The indirect rule became a source of Africa’s imperial administration. The chiefs benefited from the indirect rule and attained power under native institutions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the social, political, and economic structures of colonialism had different implications on society. The Africans submitted to the European rule that had efforts to outlaw the slave trade in Africa. Culture and education provided by foreigners played a significant role in their colonial mission. However, there were Africans who stood by the indigenous values and ensured African resources were protected such as Wangari Maathai. Such actions were counteracted by colonialists to achieve their agenda in Africa.
References
Harms, R. (1983). The World Abir Made: The Margina-Lopori Basin, 1885-1903. African Economic History, (12), 125-139.
Lugard, F. J. (1926). The dual mandate in British Tropical Africa. 1922. Imperialism and Orientalism: A Documentary Sourcebook, 279-90.
Meier zu Selhausen, F. (2019). Missions, education and conversion in Colonial Africa. In Globalization and the rise of mass education (pp. 25-59). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Rodney, W. (2018). How Europe underdeveloped africa. Verso Books.
The Green Belt Movement. (2012). Culture and colonialism [Video]. YouTube.