Well done! And then came the pivot to Indirect Rule and with that the shoring up of that same recently defeated patrimonial authority as a useful tool for colonial governance. With that too necessarily went a ‘go-slow’ on the abolition of ‘the economy of human capture’ and a slow conversion to ‘legitimate commerce’ (palm oil/cocoa and later oil). For the British commerce was ‘legitimate’ as long as it was subordinated to the imperial economy. But not industry. Industrialization was forbidden and completely out of the question. Over time, Indirect Rule produced a wealthy indigenous rentier elite also committed to commerce but to industry not so much. So here we are.
Well done! And then came the pivot to Indirect Rule and with that the shoring up of that same recently defeated patrimonial authority as a useful tool for colonial governance. With that too necessarily went a ‘go-slow’ on the abolition of ‘the economy of human capture’ and a slow conversion to ‘legitimate commerce’ (palm oil/cocoa and later oil). For the British commerce was ‘legitimate’ as long as it was subordinated to the imperial economy. But not industry. Industrialization was forbidden and completely out of the question. Over time, Indirect Rule produced a wealthy indigenous rentier elite also committed to commerce but to industry not so much. So here we are.
Indeed, plus ca change! Almost as if the whole thing was a waste of everyone's time
This was amazing. There is so many stories like this left untold. Really grateful for this series.