Moral Benefits of Colonization to both Africans and Europeans - Essay Example

Moral Benefits of Colonization to both Africans and Europeans Many accusations have been raised towards the west for the African colonization. Accusing fingers have been pointed towards the colonial rule, its evils and the suffering that African people were subjected in the hands of the Europeans. True to this argument, many people suffered, while death was of Africans was a common occurrence. Casualties were reported frequently, especially to the rebellious communities. It was so naive for the indigenous people of Africa to have fought the Europeans with bows and arrows, with expectations of winning the war. Europeans used guns and bombs. This was described as spiritual or religious war, as the Africans hoped for immunity from the bullets, offered to them by their gods. However, the evils of the war have been discussed over and over, with little focus on the benefits the war had on Africans and the Europeans. This paper seeks to find out the benefits of the war to both Africans and Europeans, especially through moral changes. As earlier noted, Africans used bows and arrows, swords and shields to wage their war against the American soldiers. However, during the progressive days of the war, they adopted the Europeans style of fighting, and embraced the use of guns and bullets. Although these arms were not legally acquired as the African militants staged ambush on the American army and stole away their guns and ammunition, they helped improve their fight against the American soldiers significantly. The realization that their forms of fighting could not be comparable to that of the Americans quashed their naivety and they started embracing the importance of modernized forms of fighting. To this modern day, the Africans import guns and ammunition for war and internal security. The African disorganized form of fighting always gave advantage to the Europeans soldiers. They did have any form of training in fighting skills. This made the European army to have an advantage over the Africans. With time, they learnt the art of organized fight which greatly improved in their fighting tactics. At times they surprise that Americans soldiers and won in a number of battles. Most of the African and European gains from colonization were long term. Various changes were experienced by Africans, but also enjoyed by the Europeans. Effects of colonialism are felt in the African continent even to this day, years after the rule ended and the continent became independent. The Europeans gained economically through the raw materials that they acquired from Africa. The Europeans borrowed the shield used by the Africans in the war to form a basis for a number of games played by the Europeans. Some of the African games were adopted by the Europeans with minimal changes to suit the European children. Other games played by the European children based their ideas from the African games. Although most of the Africans consider the colonial rule to have been bad, evidence shows that they benefited handsomely from the rule. Some countries that were not been colonized when they lagged behind other countries that had undergone the colonial rule, they attributed this to the lack of the colonial rule in their country. An example is Ethiopia, a country that was not colonized by and foreign power. Emperor Haile Selassie declared that at one time, the county was too poor because it had not experienced the colonial rule like its African counterparts. For example, most of the Africans before the colonial era were culturists. They did not have a formal religion and mostly thought that their gods lived in the forests, in caves or in the mountains. However, with colonization, Europeans brought religion to the Africans. They taught them the values of Christianity and the importance of the bible. The Europeans introduced Christianity to the Africans, and thus changed their way of life and understanding of Christianity. Many at times, the Africans would offer rituals and sacrifices to their gods, but when the Europeans introduced true Christianity, they believed in the power of a supreme being who did not have to be offered burnt sacrifices or rituals. They taught them that God was everywhere and that he did not have a specific place of residence. Not only did colonialism impact on the Christianity of the Africans alone. It also changed most of their cultural practices. A beastly act that some of the African people have adamantly refused to give up on up to the modern day is female genital mutilation. By then, referred to as female circumcision was a rite of passage, mandatory for all women who wanted to graduate to adulthood. It made them eligible for marriage. A circumcised woman was referred to as mature enough to marry and look after herself. However, the evils of this act far reached the benefits. Many people died out of this practice. Europeans themselves borrowed some of the African cultural practices, for example the African socialism. The Europeans taught them the evils and the dangers of the female circumcision, taught them the dangers and the side effects of the practice to the female people. Not only did the act take away their dignity, it also demoralized them. While some of the Africans embraced these teachings and adopted them, others opted to continue practicing them. Some practice them up to this day, oblivious of the many dangers that these practices pose to the women. This campaign is carried out in the modern day Africa by the Non-Governmental Organizations and the church. The church, having been introduced to the Africans by the Europeans has served them in a number of ways. The wounded African soldiers were treated in the church, while a number of the warring communities of Africa sought refuge from the churches. By that time, the church was operated by humanitarian missionaries. Although they had gone to Africa at the same time with the colonialists, the missionaries’ agenda was different. They were focused on improving the lives of Africans and change their way of life. Another gain for Africans from the colonization of their continent was education. Previously before the Europeans settled in the African continent, the Africans did not have any formal education. They learnt through apprenticeship, a form of education that was passed from the experienced people for example the medicine men, and taught the interested teenagers how to undertake the activities of a medicine man. However, when the Europeans settled in Africa, they brought formal education that the Africans. Through formalized form of education, the Africans could read and write. Formalized education enabled interaction between the Africans and the Europeans in the African continent. Mostly, they were taught how to read and write. They were taught how to communicate in English. Before the colonial era, Africans did not have a common language. Every community communicated using their own indi9genos languages, a reason why they could not interact easily with one another. However, when the colonialists settled in their continent, they were taught English language that they started using in most of their communication. The fact that the missionaries taught using English and preached in English made Africans understand English language. The instances where they could not understand each other, the services of an interpreter were used. This made communication easy between them. Years after colonization, the Africans still use English language. Most of the colonies have adopted English as their national language. Common language helped unite the people more and brought them together. The various groups of people that used their indigenous languages to communicate slowly acing started embracing English language. This opened regional trade between different communities as traders could communicate using a similar language. They understood each other better, and the trade was smooth. A common language is a unifying factor for communities that use different languages to communicate. They can identify with one another due to a common language. Traders could carry out their duties easily since their languages were similar and thus they could understand their needs and that of their customers. The international trade has grown tremendously due to a common language between trading countries and partners as the level of understanding between them is high. Not only did the colonialists introduce English language that made communication easy among the Africans and the Europeans themselves, they also introduced modest clothing. Pictures of Africans in the days before the Europeans settled in the continent shows how naive they were. They did not understand a thing about decency; neither did they understand how to cover their bodies. Some communities were so backdated that they put on skins wrappers that covered their front and back, while the rest of their bodies were left nude. The only people who understood decency, they used the pieces of clothes to wrap themselves. The picture that this created was of a group of people who did not know how to dress and did not understand the need for privacy. However, the visit of the Europeans in the African continent changed this trend significantly. They introduced decency in their mode of dressing, while still they taught the value for their bodies. They emphasised the need to appear decent and the need for privacy. Little by little, the Africans embraced clothing. With time, they started to dress in fashionable clothes just like their colonial masters. Women who had attended school admired how the white women dressed, and felt that they were decently and smartly dressed. Some looked forward to learning how to dress and later to dress just like them. Wife inheritance was common practice in most parts of the African continent. When husbands died, the closest brother was allowed according to the African traditions was allowed to take the widow and his children. The widow would become his wife and he would do anything that he wished with her. This denied women a right to choose. They were suppressed by the tradition that had been bestowed upon men, the supremacy o0f the African man that allowed him to take the woman by force. However, the introduction of a formal rule in the continent, especially the chiefs made it possible for the women to lodge complains and they could not be inherited against their will. The teachings on the evils of the practice were openly discussed in church and by the meeting held by the colonialist and this saw a reduction in the practice. Women were not recognized by the African law. It was made by men for men. Women were considered to be powerless and that they were not supposed to be heard. They were gagged by the law, and could not attend meetings that related to their people and community. This role was held by the men who were considered the headmen of any community. The women too could not hold any position of leadership in the community. They could not make any decision even in the family where the husband was considered supreme. Women were not even allowed to own property neither were they allowed to inherit anything from their diseased husbands. They were suppressed in all ways and means. They were voiceless and head no leaders to raise their concerns. However, the onset of colonialism changed all this. Although till this date vices such as wife inheritance are being practiced by a number of the African communities, they were discouraged by the Europeans. In some states, the Europeans abolished wife inheritance and it was considered to be a crime for anybody found practicing it. In other areas, the colonialists gave powers to the women by giving them leadership positions. They emphasised on gender equality, although many men and women included were totally against it. To show the equality of both men and women, the Europeans encouraged women to get involved in various economic activities such as farming. They could own property under the watch of the Europeans. However, this did not happen until the later years of colonialism, which sought to give more powers to the African woman. The European women were more collaborative with the African women. They encouraged them to go to school. Through education, they advised them, they would be empowered and could challenge any man who tried to down look on them. They preached the gospel of the power in knowledge. The introduction of the western culture saw the death of a number of African cultural practices that were not important. Witchcraft for example, was a major practice in various African communities. However, the western culture preached on the evils of witchcraft to the Africans. Some of them headed to the teachings and stopped the practice, while others kept on with it, oblivious of its dangers and evils. Early Africans believed in the power of big families. Many Africans married many wives and inherited others. They gave birth to too many children as a family was a form of wealth in the African society. Most of these families were unfortunate during hunger and periods of famine since they could not be well fed. While many children died in these calamities, those who survived were too emaciated. However, Europeans taught Africans the importance of having a single wife and having few children whom they could easily feed. The adoption of the western culture helped stamp out this practice. The Europeans borrowed several things from the Africans. Apart from the economic gains, the African socialism was embraced by the Europeans. They also embraced the African apprenticeship form of education, while their way of life seemed to impress the Europeans in a big way. Several foodstuffs trace their origin to the African continent such as cassava. They borrowed some of the songs sung by the Africans, translating them into English language. The colonization of the African continent has been characterized by evils and exploitation by the continent by the colonial masters. The colonialists took raw materials from the continent to their home countries, while at the same time they subjected the Africans to slavery. Little concern has been put on the benefits of colonization on the Africans and the Europeans. Although Africans gained morally, the Europeans gained economically. Although the evils of colonization were numerous, the benefits of the same cannot be overlooked. The discussion by this paper shows that colonization played a big role in shaping the morals of the continent. From abolition of undesired cultures to introduction of decency in dressing, the colonial rule had significant influence on the Africans. Westernization of the continent led to economic and political advancement, while still the social face was changed. Africans were taught good morals and introduced to the European way of life, a reason why their ways of life improved significantly. Regardless of the evils of the colonial rule, there were benefits too that Africans acquired from having been subjected to the rule. Both the Africans and the Europeans can be described to have been mutually beneficial. Read More