COLONIAL ECONOMY

Establishment of Colonial Economy

‘The Meaning and Objectives of Colonial Economy Colonial economy was introdueed in order to inersase production distribution and consumption Why colonial economy was introduced to Africa Colonial economy in Africa was introduced due to the industrial revolution in Europe which led vo a need for raw materials, markets, areas of investment and labourers. In order to solve those problems, Europeans established five economic activities such as agriculture, mining, industry,

vrade and infastratare Features of colonial economy Colonial economy had several features which differ from the pre-colonial economy in the

• Colonial economy was export oriented (c.g. production of eash crops, mineral

2 tas exploitative in natuce that is Afficans were highly exploited

• It went hand in hand with alienation of Africans (A\ficans were alienated from theit land

which was used by the Europeans).

• Colonial economy used forced labour (in arees where colonial rulers opened projects).
• Colonial economy was a cash ceonomy that is, exchange was done on monetary tems
• It went together with the use of high capital in opening of economic activities like

agriculture, mining ete

• Colonial economy involved small scale and large-scale production.

8 It went together with introduction of tax. This tax went to the colonial government The Tactics used to Establish Colonial Economy Analyse critically the tactics used to establish colonial economy Establishment of colonial economy in Africa In establishing colonial evonomy Europeans used different methods: Creative, destructive and preservation.

a. Creative Colonial rulers introduced new modes of production in Africa such as: 1, The introduction of cash economy, exchange took place through cash

• Introduction of land alienation where European took fertile belonging to Africans.
• Colonialists introduced large-scale farms ¢.g. tea plantations and settler farms in Africa
• Africans were forced to pay tax in cash to the colonial government.
• went together with the consinuction of infrastructure for the benefit of colonial powers

6 Afficans were forced to work in colonial projects b. Destructive Colonial power tended to be destructive to Attica: 1 Colonialism destroyed Atican local indusires in order to gain market and labourers, 2 Colonial governments tended to destroy African culture €g. initiation ceremony. This was done to obtain cheap labour.

© Preservative

• Colonial governments preserved peasant economy in some areas e.g. in Uganda, West

Alfica ete 2 African mode of production was allowed to continue ©g Feudalism in Uganda and Primitive communal mode of production in other areas. T Colonial economy was desinuctive, creative and preservative, discus.

• Discuss the methods that were used by Europeans to establish colonial economy in

Aiea

Sectors of Colonial Economy

The Various Sectors of Colonial Economy

Identify the various sectors of colonial economy In order to fulfill their needs colonial masters introduced several projects/seetors such as: a Agriculture b Trading © Mining Industrial @ Infrastructure ‘The Features of each Sector of the Colonial Economy Explain the features of each sector of the colonial economy Agriculture Agriculture at this time was basically one erop production. In this it was of small scale and large.

scale production Crop production was divided into three forms as follows 1 Peasant economy 2 Plantation economy 3 Settler economy Peasant economy Afficans were left to continue with production of cash crops on a small scale in some areas, Peasant economy was introduced in Uganda, cottonand coffee in Tanganyika’s Sukuma Land, and Cocoa and palm oil production in West Africa

• _Insome of the areas colonial rulers introduced peasant economy and plantation economy.

Discuss why.

• Explain why colonial governments used peasant economy in West Africa and Uganda,

Why peasant economy was reliable in some areas Colonial governments continued production using the peasant economy on a small scale. This was due tothe following factors: 1, Afticans had experience growing cash erops such as palm oil, cotton while Europeans did not. Hence they allowed ATricans fo continue producing 2 The system was cheap and the cost of production was covered by the peasants

• was due to negative response from the Africans while some societies resisted the

introduction of plantation farming e.g. in West Africa

• twas simple to force Africans on production e.g. basing on quality of productions for

instance in Sukuma Land each family was required to produce two acres of cotton.

• Europeans were unable to live in some areas with tropical climates as they feared tropical

diseases. Therefore, Africans were left to continue with production in these arcas. 6, The sysiem helped colonial governments at large with selling cash crops. Africans were required to contribute on the construction of roads and others social services.

• Some areas had high populations e.g. n West Affica, hence it was not possible to alienate

all of them from their land Plantation economy ‘These were large-scale farms under the colonial government; they were mainly based on cash crops production e.2. Sisal in Tanganyika (Morogoro and Tanga), Settlers economy This system involved the production of eash crops at @ larger seale.European and some Asiansetilers owned these large-scale farms. Examples of these areas where settlers introduced this type of economy are Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Algeria,

How Colonial Government favoured settlers in Africa: At large it is said that settlers were highly favoured by their respective colonial Governments ¢, in Kenya and Zimbabwe settlers were favoured to a large extent 1 Show how settlers were favoured in Kenya and Southern Rhodesia, OR 2 Show how settlers were helped by the colonial Government in Kenya Settlers in Africa were favoured through on of the following methods:

• Settlers were given capital by the colonial government through loans.
• Colonial governments built social services in areas with settlers such as hospital, roads,

schools to attract more settlers to Africa

• Settlers were favoured in the pricing of cash crops compared to peasants (crops from the

settlers were bought at a higher price).

• Colonial governments tended to force Africans 1o work on settlers’ farms, it helped

increase production due to availability of labour

• Colonial governments favoured settlers through the use of the Land Act. In 1919 the

‘Crown Lands Act helped settlers obtain land in Kenya. a 6 —_Atvicans were restricted from erowing the same type of cash erops produced by setters eg, in Kenya, Africans were restricted from growing coffe, this benefited settlers in marketing their produet.

INDUSTRY

The colonial government introduced processing industries in some ofthe areas. These processing, industries were established in areas with cash erop production. Colonial governments tended to destroy Tocal industries in Affica inorder to introduce these processing industries Roles of industries atthe time Industries were meant to reduce the bulkiness of raw materials eg. Sisal, raw materials were processed to simplify cariage of raw materials from A¥ftia to their mother countries.

Mining White setters formulated large numbers of mining centers in Africa to fulfill their demands ¢ in South Afica diamond and gold mines were opened Colonial governments tended 10 use migrant labour due to the location of mining centers Role of mining: Toobtain raw materials e.g, minerals like gold, diamonds for their industries.

Trade and Commerce

European colonialists introduced trading activities while importing several items such as clothes and simple machines trom Europe. On the other hand, colonial govemments also exported raw materials ftom Aca to their home countries.

Role of trade and commerce 1 helped European colonial governments to gain raw materials from Afica like crops and minerals, Europeans obtained market for their manufactured goods from Europe Infrastructure In onder to develop economic activities in Africa, colonial governments built infrastructure Tike roads, railway houses. Roads and railways were built ftom the interior all the way to the coast to make exportation and importation of goods easy

Role of infrastructure Roads and railways were used to carry raw materials from the interior ready for export. b. They carried immigrant labours to areas of production ¢g Kigoma — Dar es Salaam railway was built for that purpose © To cary administrators and military troops from one area to another.

To transfor manufactured goods from the harbour to the another © To transfer manufactured goods from the harbour to the interior. Discuss the role of colonial economies introduced by the Europeans in Africa and how pre- colonial economy differed to the colonial economy, The Impact of the Establishment of Various Sectors of Colonial Economy on Africa Assess the impact of the establishment of various sectors of colonial economy on Africa

Colonial economy in Africa had both positive and negative effects for Africans 1 Afiicans inherited infrastructure from the colonial governments e g. roads, railways, that were used for carrying goods and labourers.

2 After the independence of African countries nationalisation of plantations, buildings under the colonial governments started. Buildings, plantations and harbours were now under the African states.

• It led to the introduction of new varieties of crops from outside ¢.g. varieties of cotton

from America, and coffee 4, Africans inherited European economie plans which continued to be used after independence ¢ g, the treatment of labourers.

• Africans were impoverished due to exploitation by the colonial governments

6, African technology declined due to the destruction of local industries

• Some areas that were known for producing Ibour were under developed due to

rationalisation, ¢.g Kigoma in Tanganyika.

• Africans inherited capitalist elements fiom their colonial masters in some areas Tike

Kenya and Zimbabwe,

• It ed to Europeans taking natural resources from Africa e.2. minerals, raw materials

through an unequal exchange

Colonial Labour

The Concept of Colonial Labour

Explain the concept of colonia! labour Starting fom the early 20" century, colonial governments in Afiica established colonial economies such as agriculture, industry, trade, mining etc. Due to those economic activities they needed more labour Why labour questions came up?

The following feetors led to colonial labour questions in Aiea

• Size of economic activities eg. plantations demanded large supply of labour.

2, Locations of some economie activities e.g, mining centers were located in interior and remote parts hence had shortage of labour

• Some of the A‘tican societies had negative response to the colonial powers thus it was

not easier to obtain labour.

• Population size in some areas was less hence labour problem came up.

The Tactics Used to Create Colonial Labour

Analyse the tactics used to create colonial labour “a In order to solve the problem of labour shortage in Africa colonial governments took the following measures: 1, Introduction of forced labour: Colonial governments used coercive force like army and police to foree Africans to work in colonial economics. In Tanganyika 1944 about 12,00 labourers were forced to work on sisal plantations, 2 Europeans imported manufactured goods in Aftica such as clothes, bicycles that were

sold for eash, Afficans were required to work to buy such products

• Colonial governments introduced tax in the form of cash thus Africans were required to

work in colonial economies to eam money to pay tax. 4, Colonial governments registered Trade Unions with the aim of finding labourers e.g SILABU (Sisal Labour Bureau) in Tanganyika and W.N.LA. (Witwatersrand Native labour

Association) in South Africa

• They introduced laws and ordinance e.g the “Kipande” system in Keaya where Africans

were required to have an identity eard showing their place of occupation, In Tanganyika there was a Masters and Native Servants Act of 1906

• Introduction of land alienation. In Kenya and Zimbabwe Africans were removed from

fertile areas and had to work to eam money.

• Colonial governments introduced rationalisation so some areas were special for labour

production e.g, Kigoma, Rukwa and other areas were special for crop production, 8 They introduced colonial education to gain administrators for lower posts in Affica eg clerks and messengers which were used on colonial economies and other colonial offices.

The Types of Colonial Labour

analyse the types of colonial labour Colonial labour foree was divided into different types, namely migrant labour, foreed labour, ‘communal labour, family labour, contract labour, resident labour, indentured labour and feudal relation labour The Impact of the Establishment of Colonial Labour to African Societies 4s Assess the impact of the establishment of colonial labour to African societies

Introduction of indigenous/ natural economy

• Pre- colonial economy – this economy was established in Africa before the coming of the

colonialist (this economy involved Agriculture or crop production). During the 19" century Europeans came to establish economic activities in Aftica, activities such as mining, trade, agriculture, infrastructure to mentioned a few.

• Im order to introduce these activities the colomialists used different mechanisms to break

Up natural economic activities in East A tica

• Colonialists stated with the destruction of Affican local industries, Africans were not

allowed to work in their industries, Therefore, the local textile, iron-smelting industries in East Alfica were destroyed. Examples of destroyed industries are the textile industries of Sukuma land, Buganda and Congo.

• In addition, the colomalists introduced cash erop production which disrupted food crop

production. Colonialists aimed to gain raw materials from the indigenous people. Colonialism introduced land alienation, which led to the decline of indigenous natural economies like crop production

• Colonialists also introduced forced labour to provide manpower for their economic

activities, this resulted in the destruction of African economies like agriculture and industry They introduced the following: 1 Introduction of cash tax 2 Introdvetion of cash (money) economy

• Imoduetion of laws and ordinance e.g. “Kipande” system in (Kenya) and Masters and

Native Act 1906 (Tanganyika). Construction of inffastructure in East Africa (helped colonialists to obtain markets, labourers and raw materials while affecting Africans,

Effects of colonial economy to the Africans: Colonial economy in

Africa had both positive and negative effects on the African people.

• _Afticans inherited infrastructure from the colonial govemments ¢.g. roads, railways, that

were used for carrying goods and labourers, 2 After the independence of Aftican countries nationalisation of plantations, buildings under the colonial governments started. Buildings, plantations and harbours were now under the Atican states.

• It led to the introduction of new varieties of erops from outside e.g. varieties of cotton

From America, and coffee 4 Afvicans inherited European economie plans which continued to be used after independence e.g, the treatment of labourers.

• Africans were impoverished due to exploitation by the colonial governments,

6 Affican technology declined due to the destruction of local industries 7 Some areas that were known for producing labour were under developed due to rationalisation, ¢.¢ Kigoma in Tanganyika 8 Africans inherited capitalist clements from their colonial masters in some areas like

Kenya and Zimbabwe

• It led 1 Europeans taking natural resources from Affiea e.g. minerals, raw materials

through an unequal exchange.

NECTA 1998;

• Discuss the mechanism, used by colonialists to break up the natural indigenous (wenyeji!

wazawa) economy of East African people. a 2 Using concrete examples of any East Aftican society show the pattern of the physical and social infrastructures were determined by the system of the colonial economy

• How did the colonial Government ensure constant supply of labour in their colonies in

East Africa?