THE IMPACT OF COLONIALISM ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN KATSINA STATE NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Some historians and political analysts are of the opinion that colonialism had benefited the colonized communities in the areas of civilization, agriculture, improved technology, economy and so on. Our study attempt to argue that this assertion in relation to Galadima district our area of study is not true, rather, colonialism had negative impacts. It was a one armed bandit, a plunder, a grab on our economic resources namely cotton, groundnut, hides and skins, through excessive exploitation, monopoly, and unequal terms of relationships, resulting to our present predicament of underdevelopment and impoverishment. The study focused on the impacts of colonialism on agricultural production of Galadima district an attempt to argue that colonial agricultural policies and practices did not stimulate export crops production in order to develop our communities. It did not improve the agricultural technology or the peasant‟s skills in productivity. Rather, it failed to enhance the local crafts and industries, commerce and pastoralism and it did not build the capacity of the people to have control over their socio-economic affairs, But it stimulated production of export crops to the advantage of the colonialists and they used „taxation technique,‟ on the colonised to foster smooth colonial administration. Colonial administration also stimulated hunger, poverty, indebtedness and destitution in Galadima district. The only good thing about colonialism was when it came to an end. Colonialism in its totality, underdeveloped Galadima district and undermined its agricultural viability and economic independence, so also its peaceful co-existence, transforming it to a chaotic and stagnating society.

Introduction

This research is on the Impact of British Colonialism on Agricultural Production in Galadima area of Katsina Province from 1903 to 1960. The choice of Galadima area as our area of study is for the fact that there has been no similar study conducted on the area, but there are few relevant books, publications and theses on Galadima District which lacks critical historical analyses and practical field research. Most importantly, a great deal of documented historical accounts of the colonial officers on Galadimaarea are critically examined and corroborated with the secondary sources and oral accounts from interviews conducted by the researcher himself with some actual participants of the colonial period who are still alive and have fresh memories of the colonial rule.

The choice of the period 1903 to 1960 is made because the year 1903 witnessed the consolidation of the British conquests of the Nigerian territories and consequently Galadima area was brought under British control. The period that followed was the colonial rule by the British which terminated in 1960 when independence was granted to Nigeria.

Our research study attempts to examine closely the essential nature of the British colonial rule and its significance on the colonial economy and fiscal policies which included land ownership, taxation, labour, export production and monopoly of trade against the colonised, that were imposed by the British and which effectively disarticulated our economy, and consequently integrated it into the system of colonial exploitation and ensured the eventual impoverishment of the people and other colonial injustices.¹

After the occupation of the Katsina Emirate in 1903, the British allignated by law, the rights of control over land ownership by the traditional rulers to the British High Commissioner or his representatives on behalf of her majesty, the Queen of England. The implications contained in this included the fact that the British henceforth owned the mineral resources of the land² and would determine what crops to be produced, concede land freely to their commercial companies and imposed colonial agriculture designed to transform the settlement pattern of the area of our study.

Having transformed the pattern of rural agricultural production among the lives of small holder agriculture, the colonial government proceeded in export production. The Native Authority was used to coarce the cultivation of those export crops by farmers, at the expense of food crops; to be bought at cheap prices.³ The usual technique of European colonial economy was taxation. Money taxes were introduced on various items such as the land, cattle, handicrafts, trade and the people themselves.⁴ Taxation was one of the major policies of colonial government and Galadima district was over taxed because of its natural endowment.

The purpose of these taxes was to actually force the peasantry to produce export crops in order to pay their taxes. The consequent result of this policy was the excessive exploitation, impoverishment and indebtedness of the people in the area under study. The

• Umar Bappah: The Impact of British Colonial Rule on Agriculture in Gwambe Division 1900-1945: A Study in Agricultural Development. A Ph.D Thesis – ABU Zaria, August 1988. p.2.

• Bello Sule: State and Economy in Kano, 1894-1960: Acase study of Colonial Domination, PhD Thesis, Department of History, ABU Zaria, 1982, P. 22.

• Walter Rodney: How Europe underdeveloped Africa, Ikenga publishers, Enugu, 1982, P. 198.

• M Adamu: The Role of the Native Authority in the Agrarian and Pastoral Economy of Katsina Emirate 1903-1960, district was transformed from a depot to an abode of hunger and destitution by the end of the colonial period. Galadima district could not feed itself due to the impact of the colonial agrarian and pastoral economy⁵.

In this research, we have examined the colonial policy on labour which was aimed at transforming the pre-colonial labour system in order to create a free labour market for private European companies and for the adoption of forced labour by the colonial administration. The colonial government banned slavery immediately after the conquest of Katsina emirate and in particular Galadima District in order to facilitate the development of a class willing to work for wages for the European private commercial companies⁶. Forced labour was also employed for public works for a given number of days per year. A great deal of this forced labour went into the construction of roads, markets stalls, bridges, fight against Tse-tse fly and locusts Farindango, all designed to promote colonial goals. All other designed policies on land, taxation, district re-organisation, export crops etc and the colonial strategies and institutions were aimed at consolidating colonial firm grip on the economic resources of the area and the evacuation of surplus to Europe. Statement of the Problem

Advocates of the vent for surplus theory by Adam Smith believe that external trade would bring the production possibility frontier of a society to full capacity. Also, the proponents of modernization theory and the Eurocentric historians opined that colonialism brings positive development to the colonized communities. The proponents of vent for surplus theory included Adam Smith, Prof Williams Myint et. The proponent modernization theory included and some Eurocentric historians include Lord Lugard, Cecil Rhodes, Lewis Gann, Peter Duighnan, Roland Olives, J.D. Fage, Adu Boahen etc.

It is against on this basis that our study went to find out whether the above claims is true or not. Whether colonialism was beneficial to the colonized communities like Galadima District or rather, it destroyed the socio-economic base peasantry in the period of domination.

Scope of the Study

This research study titled “The Impact of Colonialism on Agricultural Production in the Galadima District” will confine itself to the area known as the Galadima District. Although some projections could be made to other districts of the Katsina Province and neighbouring provinces to show relevance, uniqueness and conformity of colonialism in Nigeria.

The Galadima District is located in the southern area of Katsina Province and among the 19 districts of the province created after the British occupation in 1905 by Richmond Palmer the British official to Katsina Province. The Galadima District is bordered by Musawa District in the north, Makama and Maska Districts in the south, Pauwa and Kogo District in the west and Gwarzo District of Kano Province in the east.

Today, the Galadima District under study covers three local government areas created in 1987 by the military regime of IBB during the states and Local Government creation process. These LGAs include Malumfashi, Kafur and Kankara LGAs. The Galadima was the title of the traditional chief of the district representing the emir of Katsina Emirate.

The choice of the period 1903 – 1960 was made because 1903 was the year when the British colonialists occupied Katsina Emirate and so the year serves as a landmark and a turning point in the history of the Galadima District which henceforth was officially brought under the British colonial control. The choice of 1960 as the terminal period of the research study is because it marked the end of British colonial rule, the year independence was granted to Nigeria.

The focus of the research will be a critical examination of the impact of British colonial  occupation  and  British  rule  on  the Agricultural  production  in  the  Galadima District and how it has affected the lives of the people in the district, tracing the root causes of  the   socio-economic    problems    to   the   defunct   colonial    rule.      It   will   examine   the ramifications of the colonial economy on agriculture and pastoralism that has to do with land tenure, labour, taxation and cash crops production.            It will establish the exploitative and devastating nature of the colonial economy through policies designed to transform the pre-colonial societies and the transfer of surplus economy export trade oriented, thus making  the  community  underdeveloped,  the  peasantry  impoverished,  destitution  and indebted despite their immense contribution to the colonial economy.  Some historians are of the opinion that research studies on colonialism and its impacts are exhausted and therefore focus should be directed at current historical issues of post independence period.

This assumption is wrong. Research Justification The research topic is justifiably carried out for the fact that most histories of the twentieth century will focus on the big picture such as colonialism, Nationalism, independence, political parties, civil wars, petroleum and military rule⁷. Of course, there are numerous literatures on British colonialism in Nigeria. Hardly, is there any topic that has received so much attention. But this does not mean to say that the topic is exhausted. Some historians, like the researcher are of the opinion that many areas are neglected in historical construction such as Galadima district, our area of study. The few relevant literatures reviewed by the researcher are insufficient to explain fully the impact of colonialism on micro communities bearing in mind that there are bound to be variations in opportunities, cultures, religions, geography, and ecology as rightly observed by Walter Rodney who believed that the British related with the dominated areas of their colonies unevenly at the rate at which the communities entered the money economy of colonialism. The communities whom the colonialist could not readily exploit or are too poor to produce any required raw material, were not offered opportunities such as roads, schools, hospitals, companies etc.⁸

In the light of the above, every community should be studied independently to establish how colonialism had impacted on its society. Consequently, our research will add to the relevant existing literatures on the area and Katsina province at large. Moreover, all the literatures the researcher came across have not focused on colonial agricultural production in Galadima district. This explains why our study heavily relies on primary Onimode: Imperialism and Underdevelopment in Nigeria, London, 1981.

⁸Rodney, W.: How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Ikenya, Enugu, 1982. colonial sources found in the Kaduna Archives and oral interviews conducted across the district.

Another justification for the study is the approach to the topic. Our approach is based on critical analyses of the events in the period of study and the corroboration of available records – both primary and secondary, in order to establish sound conclusions. The literatures the researcher came across are mere documentations of facts characterized by praise singing and biographies of the royal families.

Literature Review

The relevant literatures reviewed have immensely contributed to enriching our data and focus of the study. Some of these works are published and some unpublished. Those consulted are M.A. Theses, Ph.D Theses, Textbooks, journals, and archival sources. Probably the only literature the researcher came across that has resemblance to this study is that by Abubakar Babajo, “A History of Galadima Area in Katsina from 1903 to Present”, B.A History, Bayero University, Kano, 1989. This project seems to capture the political structures of Galadima area but it does not stand as a historical document because it lacked any serious critical analyses to make reasonable conclusions on the impact of colonial domination of the area. Rather it relied mostly on stories of origin and oral sources. It is actually more of a narrative history of Galadima area.

There is also the important work by Yusufu Bala Usman, “The Transformation of Katsina 1400-1883”, Ahmadu Bello University Press, Zaria, 1981. Although the periodisation does not correspond with our period of study, it is an indispensable literature to our study on pre- colonial agriculture and society of our area of study. The work is however not on Galadima District but the whole of Katsina Emirate. It is also not on the colonial period.

Another important literature is that by Richard William Hull, titled, “The Development of Administration in Katsina Emirate, Northern Nigeria 1887-1944” Ph.D thesis University Columbia, 1962.The work provides a vivid picture of colonial administration in Katsina Emirate which includes the establishment of the indirect rule system, the change of the royal dynasty from the Dallazawa Fulani; clan to the Sullubawa Fulani; clan, the creation of Katsina province in 1929, re-organization process of the districts, the establishment of the Baitulmal and taxation system etc. The major weakness of the work is that it does not focus on agricultural production.

The work by Tukur Bello Ingawa: “A History of the Rural Economy of the Major Cotton Producing Districts of Katsina Emirate during the Colonial Period 1900-1939”, Ph.D thesis, University of London, 1984, is important to this work because it deals with agricultural production and also covers our area of study.

The major weakness of this study is the periodization which terminates at 1939 and it did not talk on the other export crops such as groundnut and hides and skins. The treatment given to Galadima district is also scanty.

The next relevant literature is by Abdullahi Idris Mahuta, titled, “Urbanization in Maska Region in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, with reference to Funtua”, M.A thesis department of History, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1990.This study by Abdullahi Mahuta is on urbanization in Maska region and not on agricultural production.

Another important literature is by Mamman Musa Adamu,“The Role of the Native Authority in the Agrarian and Pastoral Economy of Katsina Emirate 1903-1960” Ph.D, History Department, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, 2002. This study has provided valuable data on colonial agricultural production. However, the study focused on the Role of the Native Authority in the Colonial Agricultural Production but our study is focused on the impacts of colonial agricultural production on Galadima district.

Most related literatures the researcher came across, did not focus on Katsina province. These works include that by Umar Bappah, “The impact of British colonial Rule on Agriculture in Gwambe Division 1900-1945: A study in Agricultural Development. M.A Thesis, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 19?? Another work was by Abdulkadir Adamu. “The British colonial Agricultural Policies in Northern Nigeria (1902-1945): A case study of Soba District. M.A Thesis, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1992. These works provided some useful data to our study. However their major weaknesses include the periodization and the fact that their areas of study are not in Katsina emirate.

Theoretical Framework

In every meaningful research, there is need for the adoption of a theoretical framework of analysis to serve as a guide or in the form of ideology, context and focus as well as the direction of the research writing. The theory serves as work tool for analysis and interpretation from a point in view.

Thus, my study will adopt the Underdevelopment/Dependency Theory (UDT). This was a branch of the Marxist theory of dialectical materialism in which between the 1960s to 1970s attempted to explain the reasons behind the continued underdevelopment of African nations despite the independence achieved. The protagonists of this theory include Gunder Frank, Dos Santos, Amin Samir, Daniel Offiong, Claude Ake and Walter Rodney.⁹ Onimode: Imperialism and Underdevelopment in Nigeria. London, 1981.

The Underdevelopment Theory was an opposition to the modernization theory which groups societies into two enclaves, traditional and modern. The traditional represents backwardness characterized by values and norms which serve as roadblocks to development. Africa falls into this category. The modern society represents the industrialized countries of Europe and America characterized by values of achievement and rationality which promotes development. Its proponents include Lugard, Cecil Rhodes, Lewis Gann, Peter Duignan, Roland Oliver, J.D. Fage, Adu Boahen.

The Underdevelopment/Dependency theory sharply disagrees with the modernization theory. The argument is that imperialism created an international capitalist system and intergrated the backward countries into it. In that system there is unequal division of labour where the less developed countries produced raw materials and provided market, while the developed countries specialize in the production of manufactured goods. Significantly, this market is under the firm control of the developed countries in exercise of their financial and technological might. This unequal relationship led to what is described as a metropole-satellite relationship which led to overwhelming surplus transfer out of the less developed countries by the colonizing countries resulting to eventual backwardness, poverty and underdevelopment of the colonized countries and the development of the colonizers.¹⁰

The Underdevelopment/Dependency Theory is in a better position to explain my research problem in the period under study that is the colonial period to the period of independence. The research is addressed to the same question or problem the protagonists of the underdevelopment theory attempts to answer. This is the major strength of the theory and its weakness is that the theory might be regarded as Afro centric. But I subscribe to the UDT theoretical perspective because it proves to have better understanding of the problems of Africa and a more critical analysis of the root causes of the problems and it has suggested solutions to solving the problems. Problems of the Research

Like most studies, our research is not devoid of problems. The primary sources especially those in the National Archives and the government files are difficult to access due to restrictions for security reasons. The current regulation in the National Archives Kaduna is that a student on research must register every month at the rate of N 2,200:00 to make a library Identity Card and to photocopy any document, a page is charged at the rate of N30.00 per page. This charge is exorbitant it deny the poor researcher opportunity to use abundant resources. The difficulty is increased by the high level corruption of the government officials who are the custodians of these documents.

A major problem faced by the researcher in the National Archives is the absence of vital sources related to agricultural production of Galadima district and a complete loss of such documents in Malumfashi Local Government secretariat, or the old Native Authority structures like the prison, police and courts as a result of the 2011 post election violence in which all the offices concerned where relevant documents could be accessed were burnt down by rioting youths. Other important records were misplaced or destroyed by rain, termites and rust due to poor storage and mishandling by the workers. Also, a major problem of colonial sources is the fact that they are silent on important informations regarding the purpose of such measures as colonial fiscal policy, customs and tariffs. There is hardly any significant information on the relationships between the administrators, traders, peasants, artisans, pastoralists, colonial companies and labourers in the context of such policies¹¹.

Similarly, there is more constraint in spending money on transportation, printing and purchase of textbooks due to inflation and time factor bearing in mind that the course will expire in twelve months and the researcher is a civil servant. Another difficult situation the researcher faced was in the process of oral interview with the active participants of the colonial period whose age limits ranges from 90-100 years old. Most of those scheduled for interview, died before the interview was conducted. And such survivors are difficult to come by because some of them may not be physically and mentally fit to recall and explain properly their past experiences.

However, in chapter one that follows, the study has provided useful information on the geographical location of Galadima area on the eve of the British occupation, the land and climate, the population and settlement pattern as well as the administrative structure of Galadima area

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