FORM 5 HISTORY 1 – COLONIAL ECONOMY AND SOCIAL SERVICES AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR

A) CHANGES IN COLONIAL AGRICULTURE

Colonial agriculture was the main sector of the colonial economy so as to produce cash crops that were needed as raw materials by the capitalists industries. Emphasis was laid on the production of cash crops and not food crops.

The changes in colonial agriculture included the following:-

1. Establishment of progressive master farmers.
   

   The colonial state introduced progressive farmers under peasant agriculture; these farmers are given modern farming tools, loans and could hire labor. The main goal of the colonial state was to increase the production of cash crops.
   

2. Introduction of agricultural development schemes and plans.
   

   This is where there was introduction of scientific methods of agriculture; these included terracing schemes in the hilly areas to avoid soil erosion, restocking so as to increase animal husbandry and modernization and a forestation to keep soil fertility and prevent soil erosion.
   

3. Introduction of agricultural experiments in the colonies.
   

   The goal of the agricultural experiments was to introduce new cash crops for example there was introduction of groundnuts to solve the problem of edible oil in Europe, palm oil was introduced in Kongwa, Nachingwea and Urambo.
   

4. Setup of settlement schemes.
   

   This is where the colonial state was shifting farmers to fertile places so as to avoid more room for cash crop production. All the fertile land in pre–colonial Africa was supposed to be subjected to cash crop production.
   

5. Development of state farms.
   

   The colonial state introduced state farms so as to reduce its dependence on subsidies from the metro-pole. These farms were supposed to generate revenue that was needed to run the colonial administration. State farms were very common in French colonies in West Africa.
   

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THE FAILURE OF COLONIAL AGRICULTURAL REFORMS

Some of the reforms that were carried out by the colonial state failed to meet their expected goals, they failed due to various reasons:-

1. Existence of poor soils.
   

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Some of the land chosen for those agricultural reforms was not suitable for cash crop production thus leading to low yields. Yet the colonialists wanted to maximize agricultural output.

1. Poor administration.
   

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Most of these agricultural projects were run by ex-soldiers who did not have the expertise to fully manage them. The absence of skilled personnel contributed greatly to the failure of the projects.

1. Opposition from the natives.
   

   The establishment of agricultural reforms faced resistance from the natives; these schemes were viewed by the natives as ways of exploiting them. Various riots and strikes were staged against the schemes thus contributing to their failure.
   

2. Poor planning.
   

   Most of the schemes collapse because of poor planning. The groundnuts scheme in Tanganyika collapsed because little time was taken to assess the suitability of the land chosen.
   

3. Inadequate funds.
   

   Most of the project wanted large sums of money which were not available especially after the Second World War. Inadequate funds hindered the successful implementation of the agricultural projects.
   

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INTRODUCTION OF MASTER FARMING SYSTEM (PROGRESSIVE FARMING
SYSTEM)

Master farming system was done by making African peasants to become involved in intensive production of raw materials.

OBJECTIVES UNDER MASTER FARMING SYSTEM

1. Selection of few African peasants to be developed by giving them assistance like technical assistance in the processes involved in agricultural production.
   
2. Provision of labor, capital and fertilizers to African farmers in order to produce raw materials, the reason behind was to attract others to engage in production of raw materials.
   
3. Ennglish-swahili/courage” target=”_blank”>courage more Africans to grow cash crops because African peasants were given low prices and the cost of production was low.
   
4. Creation of model farmers in order to influence others to grow more cash crops,
   
5. Introduction of agricultural schools and agricultural production of raw materials. For example Ukiriguru in Mwanza, Amboni-Tanga, Uyole in Mbeya, Lindi.etc. All these aimed at getting agricultural extension officers who could provide advice to African farmers on how to grow cash crops.
   
6. Introduction and expansion of cooperative farmers (union). For example KNCU (Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union), Nyanza.etc in order to advice more farmers to produce raw materials and to fix the prices of African agricultural crops.
   
7. Destocking schemes were adopted in African colonies in order to make Africans to concentrate on production of raw materials only and not on cattle keeping. For example in Sukuma land and Mburu land (Maasai).
   
8. Production policy was adopted by colonialists in African colonies where by Africans were invited to live in more productive areas and concentrate in production of raw materials. For example in sukuma land, more farmers were forced and invited to live in Geita which allowed production of more cotton.
   

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OBJECTIVES OF THE CHANGES IN COLONIAL AGRICULTURE

1. It was aimed at getting agricultural extension offices that could help African to produce raw materials for the benefits of Europeans.
   
2. It aimed to provide agricultural education to African peasants hence more agricultural schools and colleges were built in several African areas. Therefore the colonial education helped the colonialist to get Africans who were able to mobilize their fellow Africans and provide agricultural expert advice to Africans in order to increase production of raw materials.
   
3. It aimed at increasing production of raw materials through giving Africans agricultural knowledge on better ways of practicing agriculture.
   

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4.It aimed at conducting researches which necessitated the production of various agricultural raw materials and testing agricultural crops. Example the agricultural research helped the colonialists to know where some crops were in the right location for planting a particular type of crop example; Sisal in Tanga, Cotton in Sudan and Palm oil in Nigeria.

1. It aimed to get African labor that could help the colonialist to produce more cash crops needed in the capitalist industries for their own development.
   
2. It aimed to get more and large land from Africans for agricultural production.
   
3. It aimed to get areas for investment, More areas in African colonies were needed for European investment due to the fact that the capital accumulated from agricultural production was to be invested in other economic sectors such as financial institutions, industries, trade and commerce.etc.
   

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EFFECTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL REFORMS IN AFRICA

The implementation of the agricultural schemes in Africa had a great impact.

1. The schemes contributed the introduction of classes among the farmers. Under peasant agricultural there was creation of a group of farmers known as progressive or masters farmers who were given loans by the colonial state and could hire labor and on the other hand there were peasants who were not given any of these privileges by the colonial state.
   
2. The schemes contributed to class consciousness among the peasants. The peasants produced various products which they sold to the colonial state, but the colonial state bought them at very low prices. The exploitation to which the peasants were subjected contributed to the rise of class consciousness.
   
3. There were various riots and strikes by the natives in the various colonies. The low prices at which the colonial states were buying the products contributed to the outbreak of various riots and strikes.
   
4. The schemes have contributed to making the agricultural sector to be the backbone of the economy in Africa. It should be noted that the colonial state did not make attempts to mechanize agriculture; this is why the agricultural sector is still backward.
   
5. The schemes contributed to increase in the volume of exports to the metropolitan countries which enabled them to reconstruct their economies that had been devastated by the Second World War.
   
6. The schemes contributed to environmental degradation which was due to over utilization of land. The colonialist wanted to receive their economies that had been destroyed by Second World War thus they had to utilize African land to the maximum which depleted the resources.
   
7. There was increase in industrialization on the form of processing industries which aimed at reducing the weight of raw materials to keep freight charges low. These industries solidified the linkage between the colonies and the colonial powers because the processed products had to be taken and the finishing industries were located at Europe.
   

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1. The schemes contributed to the emergence of a commercial group, these were the middlemen such as the Indians in East Africa and Lebanese in West Africa. These middlemen brought products from the peasants at low prices and sold them to the colonial state at high prices.
   

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B. THE COLONIAL INDUSTRIAL SECTOR

The industrial sector was the smallest of all the sectors of the colonial economy. It should be noted that before the First World War. These were the only processing industries that aimed of reducing the weight of raw materials to keep the Freight charges low. The examples of these industries were the cotton and coffee ginneries.

After the Second World War the capitalist powers established import substitution industries, there were industries that produced goods which were formerly imported from Europe.

Import substitution industries.

There were industries that were formed by the capitalist powers to produce goods that will replace the ones imported from Europe. The main goal of these industries was to produce consumer goods mainly for the white settlers and few Africans, African civil servants; these goods included soap, cigarettes, and tooth paste.

Features of import substitution industries:-

(a) Light industries.

– All the import substitution industries were light industries. They avoided the establishment of heavy manufacturing industries so as to ensure that they create competition with goods coming from Europe.

1. Production of consumer goods.
   

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The import substitute industries were based on the production of consumer goods such as biscuits, soap and cigarettes. These industries were producing goods for the bourgeoisie (capitalist) and a few African petty bourgeoisie’s. The industries were not producing goods for the African masses.

1. Labor intensive.
   

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The industries were using labor intensive technology. They used more labor than machines. The colonialists were relevant to import advanced technology, because their goal was to exploit African resources.

1. Uneven nglish-swahili/distribution” target=”_blank”>distribution.
   

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The industries were unevenly distributed; they were mainly located in urban centers where most of the white settlers were found. The industries were producing goods for the white settlers.

1. Owned by foreigners.
   

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These industries aimed at exploiting African resources to the maximum so as to generate more profits for the capitalists.

CHANGES IN COLONIAL LABOR POLICIES.

Colonial labor refers to African labor force used by colonialists in their colonial economic sectors like in Agriculture, mining, trade and commerce, industrial sector etc. During the colonial period i.e. soon after the second world war (1939-1945). The colonialists emphasized on large quantity of raw materials and export commodities in the colonies so as to help the colonialists in economic recovery program in their metropolitan countries. In order to attain these demands, the colonialists were forced to adapt new labor policies in the colonies hence the post war period experienced effective mobilization and utilization of African labor .The following techniques and mechanisms were used.

1. Rehabilitation and creation of infrastructure system in the colonies. There was introduction of railway harbor and parts were constructed and rehabilitation in African colonies from the coastal areas to the interior where African laborers and producers of raw materials were found or lived.
   
2. Improvement of working condition in plantation and mining areas. This was done by the colonialists in order to motivate African laborers to move in mining and plantation areas to offer their labor power. This ensured a constant supply of migrant labor. For example, there was improvement of wage labor, provision of social services, shortening working hours.
   
3. Consolidation of labor recruiting agencies in the colonies, this was done in order to ensure a constant supply of labor in the colonies for agricultural production of raw materials, mining production and construction of infrastructure system like roads, ports and harbor.etc. For example we had WENELA in central Africa which recruited African labor from southern Rhodesia to South Africa in order to ensure labor power.
   
4. Assignment of special duties, quotas and other working conditions in different colonies. For Example peasants were assigned different duties, quotas per season in order to make African peasants fully involved in colonial production of raw materials and add more volumes of raw materials needed in hungry industries in Europe like in cotton growing region each family in those areas was required to cultivate at least 3 acres of cotton per season.
   
5. Local rulers were required to recruit a specific number of laborers in their areas of control per annum. This mechanism enabled the colonizer to utilize full African labor for advantage of European colonialist in their plantation and mines and other economic sectors.
   
6. Introduction of taxation; where the colonialists introduced different taxes in African colonies in order to force Africans to offer their labor power in European plantation, mines and other economic sector e.g. different taxes as it was in Kenya; there was Matiti, head, property, taxes etc. forced Africans to offer their labor power in settler economy.
   
7. Enactment of different labor laws by colonialists in different African colonies the colonialists enacted different labour laws which forced Africans to get involved in production of raw materials needed by the colonialist in their countries for their development.
   
8. Land alienation where by Africans were alienated from their fertile land and pushed to unproductive areas in order to make Africans to continue offering their labor power in plantations, mining etc.
   

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CHANGES IN COLONIAL TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION (COLONIAL
INFRASTRUCTURE)

Colonial transport and communication refers to all transport and communication established by colonialists in African continent during colonial period in order to meet their interests (demand). These infrastructures include colonial railway, ports, airports and harbors and telecommunication networks. Therefore after the second world war the colonial infrastructure change in order to get and increase their demands in colonies and in metropolitan countries.

Changes which were made

1. Introduction and expansion of roads; where different roads in African colonies. Example the feeder roads were introduced, introduction of tarmac roads which were expanded to the interior of African countries to collect raw materials and transport laborers from labor reserve areas to the working stations., Introduction of rehabilitation of roads which was introduced even before the second world war.
   
2. Introduction and expansion of ports and harbor in African colonies where by new ports and harbors were introduced and others were rehabilitated in order to meet colonialists demand in African colonies.
   
3. Introduction and expansion of railways in order to meet European demands. After the Second World War the colonialists made some changes in railway where by new railways were introduced and others were rehabilitated for the aim of transporting laborers, raw materials and colonial administrative officers and coercive apparatus.
   
4. Expansion of telecommunication networks in African colonies purposely for providing information on how to produce raw materials and layout administrative matters within African colonies.
   
5. Introduction of airports in colonies so as to facilitate movement of people such as transportation for administrators and information from metropolitan countries to African colonies.
   

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OBJECTIVES     (AIM)     OF     THE     CHANGES     OF     COLONIAL

INFRASTRUCTURE

1. To transport raw materials from production areas to the harbours where they are later shipped to metropolitan countries to feed European industries. In addition some raw materials were transported from the interior where they were produced to the main roads by using feeder roads where they are transported to the ports for being shipped to metropolitan countries.
   
2. To Transport colonial officers and administrators between urban areas to supervise production of raw materials.
   
3. To transport colonial African laborers especially the migrant laborers who were working under contracts from labor reserve areas to productive areas to offer cheap labor in plantations and mines.
   
4. To transport and import coercive apparatus forces such as police and army to seize resistance in productive areas when resistance occurs so that production is not interfered. Resistances such as MAUMAU resistance in Kenya.
   

   5.To transport manufactured goods after being imported in African colonies; these imported manufactured commodities were transported to the market areas for example they transported to the productive areas (interior) where most Africans lived hence goods like clothes, food, agricultural tools were distributed to the European settlers. European administrators and to African laborers by using colonial infrastructure.
   

   6.
   
   These colonial infrastructures aimed to facilitate communication from one area to another area either of the same colony or different colony in order to make easy ruling of the colonies.
   

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