How Britain Rules Africa

423 Pages·1969·47.671 MB·English

by  George Padmore

HOW BRITAIN RULES AFRICA
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HOW BRITAIN RULES
AFRICA
GEORGE PADMORE
NEGRO UNIVERSITIES PRESS
NEW YORK
^ (p/S"96
p3
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99
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Originally published in 1936
by Wishart Books Ltd., London
Reprinted 1969 by
Negro Universities Press
A
DIVISION OF GREENWOOD PUBLISHING CORE.
NEW YORK
SBN 8371-2176-0
PRINTED IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Dedicated to
THE YOUTH OF MY RACE
THE VANGUARD OF THE NEW AFRICA
They are slaves who fear to speak
For the fallen and the weak,
They are slaves who will not choose
Hatred, scoffing, and abuse.
Rather than in silence shrink
From the truth they needs must think,
They are slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or three.
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.
CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION ...... i
Chapter
I. THE CONQUEST AND PARTITIONING OF AFRICA 19
THE SLAVE-TRADE PERIOD . . . 19
POST-SLAVE TRADE PERIOD ... 24
THE ROLE OF THE CHARTERED COMPANIES . 27
SUMMARY ON ECONOMIC IMPERIALISM . 32
II. THE RHODESIAS AND NYASALAND . . 34
(1) SOUTHERN RHODESIA ... 34
LABOUR AND WAGES . . . 35
FORCED LABOUR . . . 38
EDUCATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH . 39
(2) NORTHERN RHODESIA ... 42
LABOUR AND WAGES ... 44
FORCED LABOUR ... 48
SOCIAL WELFARE ... 49
(3) NYASALAND PROTECTORATE . . 50
EARLY COLONIZATION . . . 51
LANDLORDISM, LABOUR AND WAGES . 53
EDUCATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH . 55
III. TANGANYIKA AND UGANDA PROTECTORATES . 57
(l) THE GERMAN REGIME IN TANGANYIKA . 58
BRITISH AGRARIAN POLICY . . 61
TAXATION AND LABOUR NATIVE AD-
MINISTRATION .... 66
USURY AND VILLAGE ECONOMY . 71
NATIVE SOCIAL WELFARE . . 72
MINING AND FINANCE-CAPITAL . 73
vii
CONTENTS
Chapter Page
(2) UGANDA PROTECTORATE . . . 75
ADMINISTRATION AND NATIVE WELFARE 76
EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS AND NATIVE
LABOUR .... 79
THE CONQUEST OF UGANDA . . 83
ORIGIN OF THE BAGANDA NATION . 88
LAND TENURE IN BUGANDA . . 90
LAND TENURE IN BUNYARO, TORO AND
ANKOLE . . . -93
SUMMARY ON UGANDA ... 94
IV. KENYA COLONY AND PROTECTORATE . . 97
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ... 97
EARLY COLONIZATION POLICY . . 100
NATIVE AGITATION FOR LAND . . IO4
THE GOLD RUSH . . . . lOJ
THE NATIVE RESERVES . . . . 112
THE MORRIS CARTER REPORT . . . 114
THE LABOUR PROBLEM . . . II7
FORCED LABOUR THROUGH TAXATION . 120
LABOUR REGULATIONS . . . . 124
SOCIAL WELFARE—(a) EDUCATION (b) PUBLIC
HEALTH ..... 125
COLONIAL FASCISM . . . . I29
V. THE SOUTH AFRICAN PROTECTORATES . . 131
BECHUANALAND, BASUTOLAND AND SWAZILAND
(l) BECHUANALAND . . . . 131
THE SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY . . 132
ADMINISTRATION AND NATIVE POLICY 133
WHITE MAN’S JUSTICE . . . 135
THE ANNEXATION MOVEMENT . . 138
WILL BRITAIN BETRAY HER TRUST . 139
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CONTENTS
Chapter Page
(2) BASUTOLAND . . . . 141
BASTUOS-BOERS-BRITONS . . I4I
THE LAND PROBLEM . . . 145
NATIVE TAXATION . . . 147
(3) SWAZILAND .... 149
LAND AND AGRICULTURE . . 151
TAXATION AND LABOUR . . 153
EDUCATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH . 153
SUMMARY ON PROTECTORATES . . 154
VI. THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA . . 156
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND . . . 156
THE STATUS OF THE BANTU . . . 159
CLASSIFICATION OF LAND AND DISTRIBUTION
OF NATIVES .... . 164
PEONAGE, SERFDOM AND LYNCH LAW . 166
SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN URBAN AREAS . 172
DISTRIBUTION OF NATIVE LABOUR . . 175
THE COLOUR BAR AND WAGES . . . 177
CONDITIONS IN THE MINES . . . 180
RACIAL FACTORS IN SOCIETY . . . 182
RACE AND EDUCATION . . . 185
PUBLIC HEALTH AMONG NATIVES . . 187
THE PASS LAWS . . . . 189
UNEMPLOYMENT AND FASCISM . . 192
VII. NIGERIA—COLONY AND PROTECTORATE . 197
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND . . . 197
THE CONQUEST OF LAGOS . . . 200
CONQUEST OF YORUBALAND . . . 202
CONQUEST OF NORTHERN NIGERIA . . 204
LAND TENURE IN LAGOS . . . 207
LAND TENURE IN YORUBALAND . . 2o8
LAND TENURE IN HAUSALAND . . 209
IX
CONTENTS
Chapter Page
NATIVE AGRICULTURE . 211
COMMERCE AND THE TRADING COMPANIES . 213
THE AGRARIAN CRISIS AND TAXATION . 215
MINING AND THE LABOUR PROBLEM . . 220
INDUSTRIAL WORKERS . . . : 221
CHILD AND FORCED LABOUR . . . 223
NATIVE WELFARE—EDUCATION AND PUBLIC
HEALTH . . . . • 224
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION .... 227
VIII.
GOLD COAST AND ASHANTI . . . 233
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND . . . 233
THE ASHANTIS AND THE FALL OF KUMASI . 238
GEOGRAPHICAL AND POLITICAL ADMINISTRATION 241
AKAN LAND TENURE .... 242
AGRARIAN ECONOMY .... 244
MINING INDUSTRY .... 247
LABOUR AND WAGES .... 249
FORCED LABOUR .... 252
THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM . . . 253
PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICE . 255
IX.
SIERRA LEONE AND GAMBIA . . . 257
EARLY HISTORY OF COLONIES AND PROTEC-
TORATES ..... 257
THE SIERRA LEONE COMPANY AND THE ABOLI-
TIONISTS ..... 260
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY . . . 262
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COLONY AND PRO-
TECTORATE ..... 262
LAND TENURE ..... 263
AGRARIAN ECONOMY—PALM OIL . . 263
GROUND NUT INDUSTRY OF GAMBIA . . 264
LABOUR CONDITIONS IN GAMBIA . . 267
X