European imperialism was the downfall of Africa. The continent and its people could have modernised in their own way, at their own pace, while retaining their own values, ideologies, value systems, and philosophies. The tragedy was in abandoning what was originally theirs, which had evolved organically over millennia to embrace that which was foreign, European or Arabian. On this latter trajectory, the continent and its people were always going to struggle, in striving to become what they had not originally evolved to be.
Traditional African societies were generally well-ordered and well-organised, characterised by diverse, sophisticated systems of governance, economics, and social structure long before colonial intervention. While often falsely portrayed as primitive, these societies ranged from large, centralised empires (such as Mali, Songhai, and Great Zimbabwe) to decentralised "stateless" societies, all of which maintained social order through established customs, kinship, and, in many cases, complex administrative hierarchies.
Key aspects of order and organisation in traditional African society included:
Political Structure: Governance varied widely, from monarchies with divine kings to council-led systems that relied on consensus, such as the "interminable palaver" (discussions) mentioned by Julius Nyerere. Authority was often decentralised among lineage elders, age-sets, and clan leaders, with some areas operating as "ordered anarchies" based on strong social norms rather than rigid, coercive governments.
Social Order and Kinship: The core of social organisation was the extended family and clan, which provided social security, regulated land use, and defined moral behaviour. Respect for elders, community solidarity, and adherence to tradition were paramount in maintaining harmony.
Economic Organisation: Economies were organised around agriculture, animal husbandry, and trade. Complex systems were in place, such as the osusu (cooperative, rotating savings) and trade networks that stretched across the Sahara.
Justice and Administration: Many societies had sophisticated judicial mechanisms to resolve disputes, managed by councils of elders or, in some cases, centralised officials.
Cultural and Ethical Values: A common ethos of communalism—often summed up by the philosophy of "I am because we are"—guided daily life, ensuring that individual actions were aligned with the well-being of the collective."
AI has this to say, as a first response when queried about the impacts of European imperialism on Africa:
"European imperialism in Africa (roughly 1870s–1960s) caused profound, lasting devastation by exploiting resources, imposing arbitrary borders, and disrupting social systems. It resulted in widespread forced labour, violent atrocities (e.g., in the Congo), economic dependency, and cultural suppression, which created deeply ingrained cycles of poverty, ethnic conflict, and political instability that persist today."
It is clear from this that the negative impacts of European imperialism in Africa far outweigh whatever positive impacts there might be from such foreign interventions into the continent. Arabian culture on its part, completely erased indigenous African cultures in the areas where it prevailed, supplanting itself as the alternative, such that much of the indigenous cultures and belief systems that it supplanted are lost to us today.
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| A cartoon, uncredited, in the French magazine L'illustration dated January 3, 1885, on page 17, presents a critical view of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885. It depicts Otto von Bismarck, the then Chancellor of Germany, cutting a cake labelled 'Africa' with a knife, symbolizing the division of the continent. The other delegates at the conference are shown sitting around the table, watching the scene in shock. |
