British Adulteration of Traditional Political System in Nigeria: An Overview of Ilorin Emirate.
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Date
2016-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Arewa House, Kaduna
Abstract
The scramble for and partitioning of Africa by the European imperial powers created a new chapter in their relations with the people of the continent. This climaxed in the signing of the Berlin Conference of 1884/1885 and opened the flood-gate for actual colonialism in Africa. The institution of the colonial state had far-reaching negative impact on Nigeria’s traditional political system. Indeed, in some places, traditional leaders were deposed and sent on forceful exile while some even lost their lives in the process of resisting foreign rule. The British used coercion through the West African Frontier Force to subdue most Nigerian areas. They employed elements of diplomacy such as persuasion, threat and force in flagrant disregard for African indigenous political institution. In Ilorin, British employment of the Indirect Rule was informed by the need to intimidate the Emirate’s leadership, and in doing this the indigenous arrangement suffered some set-backs. For instance, apart from the loss of economic and social influence on the part of the Baloguns, the British infiltrated the political structure of the Emirate to the extent of reducing the Emir to mere message carrier, who must obey the dictates of the colonial government through the District Officer.
Description
Keywords
Colonial rule, Traditional political system, Emirate
Citation
Omoiya, S. Y., Olaitan, B. O., Onagun, R., Alabi, O. M. and Agunbiade, N. (2016): British Adulteration of Traditional Political System in Nigeria: An Overview of Ilorin Emirate. Arewa House Journal 4 (4) 183-194, Published by Arewa House, Kaduna.