European Imperialism in East Africa

TEACHERS’ GUIDE

SUBJECT : HISTORY

TOPIC : EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN EAST AFRICA.

SUB-TOPIC : The Scramble and Partition of East Africa.

CLASS : Senior Three

NO OF STUDENTS : 60 Students

TIME REQUIRED : Minimum: 12 periods

Brief Description of the Unit

In this unit you will discuss European Imperialism in East Africa with specific attention on the Scramble and Partition of East Africa and its causes. In addition you will explore the effects of the scrabble and partition on East Africa in general.

Main content and concepts to emphasize

1. Causes of the scramble and partition of East Africa
2. Effects of the scramble and partition of East Africa.

Objectives

By the end of this topic, the learners will be able to;

1. Explain the meaning of partition and scramble.
2. Give the causes for the scramble and partition of East Africa.
3. Discuss the effect of the scramble and Partition of Eat Africa.

Teaching / learning materials:

• Text books
• News papers
• A Map of east Africa showing the region referred to as East Africa.
• A Map showing European countries that participated in the scramble and partition of East Africa.
• Photographs of some of the colonial leaders in east Africa.

Methodology

• Discussion
• Group work
• Research
• Discovery
• Dramatisation

References

Deo .K. kannamwangi: A History of East Africa.

G. Were and Wilson: East Africa through a thousand years.

Odhiambo: A History of East Africa.

Job Related Life Skills

By the end of this topic, learners are expected acquire the following Job Mark related Skills.

1. Personal attributes – self confidence, time management, creativity/imaginative, recording skills, enthusiasm, imagination and self awareness.

2. Communication – observation and listening skills, speaking.

3. Team work – task oriented, leadership skills, group work.

4. Problem solving - information seeking.

Activity one

Arrange a class debate on the effects of scramble and partition of East Africa. For example you could have the following motion;

“The Scramble and Partition of east Africa did more harm than good to the East African People”

Activity two

Arrange a short play in class on the causes of the scramble and partition of East Africa.

• Focus on how the Europeans organized their interests (in form of a meeting), and later on decided to come to East Africa.

Note: In this meeting, the causes of the scramble and partition of East Africa should come out clearly.

• While in East Africa, show how they focused on areas rich in minerals, fertile soils (for growth of cash crops) and strategic location mainly for economic reasons.

TEACHER’S NOTES

EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN EAST AFRICA 

THE SCRAMBLE AND PARTITION OF EAST AFRICA

Scramble and partition of East Africa refers to the time when East African countries were rushed for by the European powers in the name of gaining territories/colonies.

After 1880, there was a great desire for colonies in Africa and by 1914 all African countries except Ethiopia and Liberia had been colonized

The major powers that had interest in the scramble and partition of East Africa were:  Britain, Germany, France, Belgium and Italy.

 The Scramble and partition of East Africa was first done on paper and later practically on ground. 

 

CAUSES OF SCRAMBLE AND PARTITION OF EAST AFRICA

The main causes of the scramble and partition of East Africa were Economic, Social, Humanitarian, Prestigious, Strategic, and political as follows:

The Europeans wanted to spread their western civilization and this was the western culture.  This included the way of dressing, religion, education and administration since Africa was previously referred to as ‘The Dark Continent’.

They wanted to spread Christianity in East Africa so as to check on the spread of Islam by Arabs. 

By the end of the 19^th century there was an industrial revolution in Europe and therefore the Europeans were looking for raw-materials to feed their industries e.g. Cotton, coffee, Minerals like Gold, Copper, Diamond, Tin etc and animal products like ivory, hides and Skins.

The Europeans also wanted to obtain market for their manufactured goods like clothes, Guns, Beads, Glass Ware etc.

They wanted to invest their surplus capital in East Africa for high profits.  They invested their capital in mining and farming.

 

The Europeans were overpopulated and therefore wanted to get new areas in East Africa where they could resettle their surplus population.

They were also interested in East Africa to get territories for prestigious purposes because the more territories a European power had, the more it would be considered powerful e.g. France.

Unemployment in Europe prompted the scramble and partition of East Africa.  Machines replaced human labour thus creating unemployment.  There was a need to acquire colonies where their people could be employed.

The rise of nationalism in Europe caused scramble and partition of East Africa.  European countries developed national pride in superiority over others.  Therefore possession of colonies became a symbol of superiority. For example Germany and Italy were moved by that influence. 

Strategic reasons also led to the scramble and partition of East Africa.  Following the construction of the Suez Canal, Britain realised that Egypt could not survive on its own without the Nile; she therefore colonized Sudan and Uganda.

Europeans wanted to pursue their humanitarian motive of stopping slave trade in East Africa, Which was considered an inhuman act.

Some East African tribes were hostile to the early Europeans for example explorers, missionaries and traders. They therefore wanted to protect them in East Africa by taking full control. 

 

THE EFFECTS OF SCRAMBLE AND PARTITION IN EAST AFRICA

East Africa was divided among the European powers i.e. Britain and Germany.  The British took up Uganda and Kenya which was the northern part of East Africa and Germany took Tanganyika which was the southern part of East Africa.  The effects include the following:

The East African states lost their independence and were subjected to European rule and administration e.g. Kenya and Uganda in were in the hands of the British while Tanzania was controlled by the Germans. 

Many African chiefs or kings were killed or sent into exile because of the scramble and partition in East Africa for example Kabalega and Mwanga were exiled while chief Mkwawa of the Hehe was beheaded for resisting German colonial rule in Tanganyika.

They established new systems of administration i.e. indirect rule by the British and direct rule by the Germans.

The Africans were regarded as an inferior group and were forced to provide labour for European plantations and other public works.

There was an increase of Europeans in East Africa for example many of them settled in the Kenya highlands. Thus Africans lost their land and were put into reserve camps e.g. the Masai.

After the partition, new boundaries were drawn and defined in East Africa without respect of the tribes which led to disunity of Africans.

Slave trade was completely wiped out and replaced with legitimate trade in East Africa. 

Scramble and partition accelerated the construction and development of infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, roads and bridges. 

There was maximum exploitation of resources in East Africa like Ivory, Minerals like Gold, Copper, and Cash crops like Cotton, Coffee, and Sisal etc.

Agriculture was promoted and developed and some of the cash crops which were introduced like cotton and sisal became the export base of East Africa.  They also introduced new methods of farming.

They developed legitimate trade, which enabled them to get raw materials for their industries and they sold their products to East Africans.

They promoted the western culture in East Africa for example the way of dressing, religion, building, eating habits etc.

They undermined African cultures who took up the western culture and goods.  Africans therefore developed an inferiority complex as their traditional customs were despised and they took up the European culture as their way of life.

Taxes were introduced to be paid in form of money for example hut tax and gun tax, which encouraged the use of money.

Western formal education was introduced which replaced informal African education.

 

Administrative centres/posts were built in East Africa for example in Kampala, Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam.

Christianity was introduced and spread in East Africa whereby many people were converted from Islam to Christianity.  Various churches were also constructed in East Africa.

 

METHODS USED TO ESTABLISH COLONIAL RULE IN EAST AFRICA

After the partition and scramble for East Africa, the British and Germans used various methods in East Africa.  However, these methods varied from place to place and from time to time as follows:

The European colonialists used Christian missionaries who paved the   way for colonisation by preaching the message of love and brotherhood which convinced the African that it was a sin to fight against the Europeans.

 The signing of treaties and agreements with African chiefs was another method used by Europeans to colonise East Africa for example the 1900 Buganda agreement, the Masai agreement of 1804, and several other agreements.  These assisted the British to establish their rule.

They used African collaborators and opportunists to conquer and annex areas that were resistant to colonialists’ rule for example Apollo Kagwa and Semei Kakungulu.

 

The use of explorers or adventurers for example Speke and Stanley who gave exaggerated reports to their home governments based on lakes, minerals climate and mountains, which later attracted colonialists.

Colonialists used the method of divide and rule for example by introducing different religions such as Catholics, Protestants and Moslems etc.  This created disunity against the enemy.

 

The European colonialists also used the European settlers for example in the Kenya highlands.  These settlers introduced agriculture, which generated funds for their colonial governments.

They built communication lines for example the Uganda Railway which facilitated the movement of the British troops from the coast to the interior.  These were later used to put down rebellions.

They used bribery to make the chiefs and kings of East Africa convinced toward their colonial policies. 

The colonialists used the army of occupation to establish their rule in East Africa.  This was effective in the areas of Bunyoro where the British used the army of occupation.  In other words they used military confrontations for example Kabalega of Bunyoro was attacked by the army and the Germans attacked the Hehe.

They built administrative posts and forts for defensive purposes against African resistors. 

They used chartered companies to establish colonial rule in East Africa for example IBEACO.

The European colonialists also used gifts to the African leaders like chiefs and kings to persuade their people to accept colonialism 

They used force to suppress resistance all of which maintained law and order.

SAMPLE SCHEME OF WORK

SCHOOL NAME SUBJECT History NO. OF STUDENTS 60

TEACHER’S NAME CLASS Senior Two YEAR: ………………. TERM: …………..

WEEK	PERIODS	TOPIC	SUB-TOPIC	CONTENT	OBJECTIVES	METHOD	TEACHING AIDS	REFERENCES	COMMENTS
1	2	IMPERIALISM IN EAST AFRICA	Scramble and partition of E. Africa	Introduction to scramble and partition Reasons for scramble and partition of E. Africa like; to spread Christianity need for raw materials strategic reasons need for market, etc	By the end of the lesson learners should be able to; describe what scramble and partition of E.A. was about. state countries that participated mention some of the factors for the partition and scramble of E. Africa	- question and answer - dramatisation -Guided discovery	- Maps of E.A. and Europe - Pictures of the people behind scramble and partition of east Africa. e.g Bismark	-Deo .K. kannamwangi: A History of East Africa. -G. Were and Wilson: East Africa through a thousand years. Odhiambo: A History of East Africa.
2	2	,,	Effects of scramble for and partition of E. Africa	Effects of scramble for and partition of E. Africa. - Formal Education - African states lost independence - Abolition of slave trade - Exploitation of E. African resources, etc	By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to; - list some of the effects of scramble and partition of E. Africa - Identify some of the effects of scramble and partition of E. Africa around them.	-Guided discovery -Group discussion - Debate	- Maps of E. Africa and Europe - Pictures	-DO-
3	2	,,	Methods used to establish colonial rule in E. Africa	Methods used like; Treaty signing Use of Christian missionaries Use of African collaborators Divide and rule	By the end of the lesson learners should be able to; list some of the methods used to establish colonial rule in E. Africa - mention how E. Africans responded to each method	- Guided discovery - Question and answer - Group discussion	- Maps of E. Africa and Europe - Pictures of people that were behind colonialism, etc.	-DO-

HISTORY

SAMPLE LESSON PLAN

DATE	CLASS	SUBJECT	NO. OF STUDENTS	DURATION	TIME
…../…./…..	S.2	HISTORY	45	80 MINS	8.00-9.20 am

Topic : EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN EAST AFRICA

Sub- topic : Scramble for and partition of East Africa Objectives : By the end of the lesson learners should be able to;

4. Explain the meaning of partition and scramble.
5. Give the causes for the scramble and partition of East Africa.

Teaching methods

Dramatisation

Teaching aids

• Maps of East Africa and Europe
• Pictures of people that were behind colonisation of East Africa

STEP	TIME (minutes)	CONTENT	TEACHER’S ACTIVITY	STUDENT’S ACTIVITY
1 Introduction on the Scramble and partition of E. Africa	15	Description of scramble for and partition of E. Africa How E. Africa was shared by European powers	greets the learners introduces the topic to the learners Asks questions on scramble and partition e.g. what was it about?	respond to the teacher’s greetings listen to the explanation give ideas in response to the questions
2 Causes of scramble for and partition of East Africa	30	to look for raw materials to look for market for European products for strategic reasons to civilise East Africans, etc	gives the learners their particular roles in the play Explain to the learners how the 1st scheme of the play shall be i.e. in a meeting form Help the learners in organising for the play.	listen to the teacher’s explanation accept and practice their roles in their play do the setting and thereafter begin on the play.
3 -DO-	30	-DO-	Lists what the learners are giving as causes from their play on the blackboard.	- present what they have discovered as the causes of the scramble for and partition of East Africa.
4 Summary and evaluation	5		Comments on the play and how it has brought out the causes and then concludes the lesson.	Listen to the teacher’s explanation.