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Introduction to colonialism in africa
Introduction to colonialism in africa
Features of african indigenous religion
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Shaping Modern Africa Europeans arrived to Africa and started the colonization in the late 19th century. Along with Christianity, the Europeans left a major impact on the social and cultural life of Africa. Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God, James Ngugi’s A Grain of Wheat, and Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions help readers understand the life of Africans pre-colonial and post-colonial. The government of Africa is varied before the arrival of Europeans, there were kingdoms like Mali or Songhai, there was democratic rule, and there was egalitarian society like Nigeria where Achebe come from. The concept of egalitarian is that everyone is equal: there are no rulers, no political structure, and there is a religion that ties the people together …show more content…
Native Africans have their own deities, as shown in Arrow of God. Ulu, Idemili, Eru were some deities named in the novel. Python is a holy animal; people of Umuaro believe it is associated with the god Idemili. However, all of this changed when Christian missionaries come over. While Christianity taught Africans how to write and read, it also denied all the traditions valued by Africans. It starts with killing the python. John Goodcountry, a British missionary, told people that they need to get rid of the evil customs which start with killing the python. In Genesis 3:14, the serpent is cursed by God because it was involved the fall of Adam and Eve. Since Adam and Eve fell, the snake has mostly been regarded as wicked, evil. This might explain the distrust the English settlers have toward the natives, because the serpent lied and the natives believe that it is holy. Eventually, the worship of Christianity blossomed, and the traditional religion starting to fade. People began losing their faiths in the traditional deities and converting to Christianity by the time of Nervous Conditions. While the convergence is not all negative, as Kihika of A Grain of Wheat used the Holy Bible as a platform for his fight against imperialism. Christianity also provided education and literacy for the natives through the sermons at church, but it killed a part of traditional African …show more content…
Before the arrival of British settlers, people live in thatched huts (obi). The chief priest hut, however, is different from everyone else. It has two doors: one is long at the front and one is short at the back. The short door Ezeulu used it to watch the sky for the moon. Eventually, Africans come to dislike it, though it has sheltered their ancestors for many years. Tambu from Nervous Conditions loved the British-inspired style house owned by her uncle Babamukuru. It consists of a garage, a driveway and the main house. Even the color is alike with the European settlers’ houses: Babamukuru’s house was painted white and only missionaries live in white houses (Dangaremgba 63). Medicine men were the equivalent of medical doctors in pre-colonial time. Healing was a combination of herbal medicine and spiritual cleanse, with spiritual cleanse is the most important part. Spiritual cleanse is performed by priest of the village, with “rituals, sacrifices and maintenance of wholesome relations with the spirit world” (Ohaegbulam 45). When traditional religion and priests of Africa are no longer around, medicine men also disappear and medical doctors from Europe substituted them with advanced technologies. Family’s values also changed. Ezeulu’s children were obedience; they do what he asks them to do. Even Mugo, physically abused by his aunt, still followed her orders. However,
Politics is the science that guides or influencing governmental policies. Politics plays important role in the daily life of everyone’s decision making all over history. The political leaders of Europe viewed the world as a stomping ground they took powers into their hand to take control over unconquered land. They believed that once they take over less advanced places they will be able to get richer by exploiting the uneducated and weaker people. According to an to an article from Africana Age called “The Colonization of Africa” by Ehiedu E. G. Iweriebor, “By 1900 much of Africa had been colonized by seven European powers—Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. After the conquest of African decentralized and centralized
Mazrui, Ali A. "The Re-Invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond." Research in African Literatures 36, no. 3 (Autumn 2005): 68-82.
Although, the Civil war brought about change for Africans, along with this change it brought heart ache, despair and restriction of worship to the African...
They were also among the first people in Africa to organize viable political systems. The Sudanic Blacks had learnt to domesticate crops long before the coming of Christianity, and their grain production furnished food for an expanding population. The first West African state of record was Ghana, which had been ruled by over forty kings by the year 300 A.D.... ... middle of paper ...
In the first segment of his film series, Different but Equal, Basil Davidson sets out to disprove the fictitious and degrading assumptions about African civilization made by various Western scholars and explorers. Whether it is the notion that Africans are “savage and crude in nature” or the presumed inability of Africans to advance technologically, these stereotypes are damaging to the image and history of Africa. Although European Renaissance art depicts the races of white and black in equal dignity, there was a drastic shift of European attitudes toward Africa that placed Africans in a much lower standing than people of any other culture. The continent of Africa quickly became ravished by the inhuman slave trade and any traditional civilization
Toyin, Falola. “The Power of African Cultures.” Woodbridge, Suffolk, United Kingdom: University of Rochester Press, 2003. Print
Colonialism has plagued indigenous people worldwide and has spelled disaster for countless cultures, languages, and traditions. Over the past 500 years there have been different phases of colonization in Africa as well as other various parts of earth. There were many reasons behind exploration and colonization including economic and tactical reasons, religion, and prestige. Colonialism has shaped the contemporary understanding of individuals from Niger as well as other parts of Africa and other places too, like the Chambri and Tlingit people; mainly in economics. Because of the colonial past of so many cultures, numerous indigenous people today face many issues. Today colonialism is still active, known as Neocolonialism, which has devastating effects on global cultural groups.
Khapoya, Vincent B. The African Experience: An Introduction. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998. Print.
Throughout history, imperialism has led countries to extend their rule over weaker countries and then colonized those countries to expand their own power. Imperialism allows the ruling countries to use the weaker countries for their resources. Colonizing other countries would then lead to growth and a better reputation for the dominating country. There are many examples of imperialism throughout European history. When many European countries “scrambled” for Africa, it seemed as though Africa had no say in anything. During the 19th century, Europe found a way to use Africa for their own growth and power. Using Africa for their resources, the Europeans colonized Africa without a second thought. European imperialism in Africa had a negative impact because of social disarray, cultural loss, and death it caused.
History has been told through various forms for decades. In the past, history was more commonly expressed through word of mouth, but more recently in the past century, through written text. While textbooks and articles give formal information with little to no bias, novels give a completely new perspective from the people who experienced it themselves. The Novels, God’s Bits of Wood, written by Sembene Ousmane, and No Longer at Ease, by Chinua Achebe give a more personal account of the effects of colonization. These two novels tackle the British and French method of colonization. God’s Bits of Wood takes place in the late 1940s and sheds light on the story of the railroad strike in colonial Senegal. The book deals with different ways that the Senegalese and Malians respond to colonialism during that time. No Longer at Ease is set in the 1950s and tells the early story of British colonialism and how the Nigerians responded to colonization. Comparing the two novels, there are obvious similarities and differences in the British and French ways of rule. African authors are able to write these novels in a way that gives a voice to the people that are most commonly silenced during colonialism. This perspective allows readers to understand the negative ways that colonization affects the colonized. Historical fiction like God’s Bits of Wood and No Longer at Ease are good educational tools to shed light on the history and effects of colonization, but they do not provide a completely reliable source for completely factual information.
Africa has had a long and tumultuous road of colonization and decolonization the rush to colonize Africa started in the 17th century with the discovery of the vast amounts of gold, diamonds, and rubber with colonization hitting a fever pitch during World War I. However, the repercussions of colonization have left deep wounds that still remain unhealed in the 21st century. Early on, European nations such as Britain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium scrambled for territories. Countries wanted land so they could harvest the resources, increase trade, and gain power. The European colonization of Africa brought racism, civil unrest, and insatiable greed; all of which have had lasting impacts on Africa.
Bohannan, Paul, and Philip Curtin. Africa & Africans . Long Grove: Waveland Press, Inc. , 1995.
While Collins does a succinct job of examining the economic and political factors that heightened colonization, he fails to hone in on the mental warfare that was an essential tool in creating African division and ultimately European conquest. Not only was the systematic dehumanization tactics crippling for the African society, but also, the system of racial hierarchy created the division essential for European success. The spillover effects of colonialism imparted detrimental affects on the African psyche, ultimately causing many, like Shanu, to, “become victims to the white man’s greed.”
In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.
An overwhelming majority of African nations has reclaimed their independence from their European mother countries. This did not stop the Europeans from leaving a permanent mark on the continent however. European colonialism has shaped modern-day Africa, a considerable amount for the worse, but also some for the better. Including these positive and negative effects, colonialism has also touched much of Africa’s history and culture especially in recent years.