by Barry Tuck
As a white South African, I am a descendant together with benefactor of the Europeans who colonized Africa, together with I tin emphatically tell that colonization was the worst affair to always conduct house to the people, cultures, societies, country together with economic scheme of Africa!
To start out with, I’d similar to verbalise close a normally peddled myth - that existence the 1 relating to the primitive together with cruel Africa that the colonizing Europeans “discovered”, civilized together with and then developed.
Of course, much of this normally accepted history has been written past times those same colonialists, but the truth is that large portions of Africa were non that far behind Europe at the fourth dimension that Europeans began arriving.
For instance, below is a drawing of Benin City inwards acquaint twenty-four hr menstruum Nigeria prior to its devastation past times the British inwards 1897.
In the 14th Century, Timbuktu was v times the size of London together with the richest metropolis inwards the world. The metropolis was the upper-case alphabetic lineament of the Mali Kingdom which was ruled past times Mansa Musa, the richest someone inwards basis history.
It is estimated that his personal fortune would equate to close $400 billion today.
At its peak, the Republic of Mali Kingdom was producing to a greater extent than than one-half the world’s render of golden together with tabular array salt together with was domicile to the Library of Timbuktu together with to 25,000 academy students.
National Geographic lately referred to Timbuktu equally “the Paris of the medieval world, on line organization human relationship of its intellectual culture.”
Let's too reckon the Tanzanian metropolis of Kilwa, which was described past times a visiting Arab scribe equally “one of the most beautiful together with well-constructed cities inwards the world”.
Kilwa dated dorsum to the ninth Century together with was at its peak inwards the 13th together with 14th Centuries. Its architecture included Gothic arches together with intricate stonework, together with it was a major trading hub that minted its ain coins.
In 1505, Kilwa (along amongst the metropolis of Mombasa) was destroyed past times the Portuguese.
Other major civilizations that existed prior to the colonial invasion, to advert a few, included the Kingdom of Loango, the Kingdom of Kongo, the Ghana Empire, the Kingdom of Zimbabwe together with the Asante Kingdom, the upper-case alphabetic lineament of which was Kumasi.
Kumasi was described equally follows:
“The townhouses of Kumasi had upstairs toilets inwards 1817. Promenades together with world squares, cosmopolitan lives, exquisite architecture together with everywhere spotless together with ordered, a wealth of architecture, history, prosperity together with extremely modern living.”
Doesn't actually expect thence primitive together with uncivilized, does it?
These are only a tiny sample, but the reality is that hundreds of relatively developed African cities together with civilizations were destroyed past times invading Europeans inwards an attempt to conquer the people together with exploit the rich resources that the continent is bestowed with.
As a result, most, if non all, of this rich cultural history was lost, destroyed together with forgotten, together with the narrative of “advanced Europe” bringing industrialization, civilization, merchandise together with other developments to primitive Africa became the accepted truth.
What colonialism did was cut down the African people to the utilisation of the conquered, aught to a greater extent than than minute shape citizens at best.
And that's without touching on slavery or the extremes of colonial oppression such equally the barbarism perpetrated past times the Belgians inwards the Congo Free State or the terrible offense of Apartheid that was perpetrated inwards South Africa during the expiry throes of colonialism…
The truth is that the intrusion of European colonialists did non atomic number 82 to the transmission of technology, ideas or noesis to the indigenous African population.
Rather, it destroyed all existing forms of civilization together with evolution that had been accomplished past times the indigenous people, together with and then farther hindered Africa’s evolution past times expatriating surplus from all production activities - minerals, precious metals, wood, ore, ivory, furs, gemstones, fuels, crops together with other raw materials.
The roles of Africans were reduced to basic labour jobs which never stimulated technological advances or improved agency of production.
Without colonialism together with its consequences, Africa would to a greater extent than probable receive got developed at a similar charge per unit of measurement to Europe together with other regions through trade, knowledge-sharing together with a movement towards industrialisation inwards line amongst the Industrial Revolution.
The despicable offshoots of colonialism - slavery, racism, eugenics together with genocide - may non receive got occurred (or at least, non to the score that they did together with that they withal be today).
More importantly, Africa’s riches would receive got been used to enrich the people together with prepare the infrastructure of this continent.
So no, on the whole colonization was non proficient for Africa.
On a personal level, equally a beneficiary of the privilege that has been bestowed upon me courtesy of whatever cosmic lottery saw me born amongst white skin, I am doing my best to correct the wrongs of the past times past trying to empower together with uplift those who receive got non been given the same opportunities that I have.
I don't know how much of a dent I'm making, but I'm trying.
***
Barry Tuck is a one-time photojournalist, having worked for many South African publications. Sumber http://www.dnbstories.com/
As a white South African, I am a descendant together with benefactor of the Europeans who colonized Africa, together with I tin emphatically tell that colonization was the worst affair to always conduct house to the people, cultures, societies, country together with economic scheme of Africa!
To start out with, I’d similar to verbalise close a normally peddled myth - that existence the 1 relating to the primitive together with cruel Africa that the colonizing Europeans “discovered”, civilized together with and then developed.
Of course, much of this normally accepted history has been written past times those same colonialists, but the truth is that large portions of Africa were non that far behind Europe at the fourth dimension that Europeans began arriving.
For instance, below is a drawing of Benin City inwards acquaint twenty-four hr menstruum Nigeria prior to its devastation past times the British inwards 1897.
 |
| Benin City - circa 1891 |
In the 14th Century, Timbuktu was v times the size of London together with the richest metropolis inwards the world. The metropolis was the upper-case alphabetic lineament of the Mali Kingdom which was ruled past times Mansa Musa, the richest someone inwards basis history.
It is estimated that his personal fortune would equate to close $400 billion today.
 |
| Mansa Musa |
At its peak, the Republic of Mali Kingdom was producing to a greater extent than than one-half the world’s render of golden together with tabular array salt together with was domicile to the Library of Timbuktu together with to 25,000 academy students.
National Geographic lately referred to Timbuktu equally “the Paris of the medieval world, on line organization human relationship of its intellectual culture.”
Let's too reckon the Tanzanian metropolis of Kilwa, which was described past times a visiting Arab scribe equally “one of the most beautiful together with well-constructed cities inwards the world”.
Kilwa dated dorsum to the ninth Century together with was at its peak inwards the 13th together with 14th Centuries. Its architecture included Gothic arches together with intricate stonework, together with it was a major trading hub that minted its ain coins.
In 1505, Kilwa (along amongst the metropolis of Mombasa) was destroyed past times the Portuguese.
 |
| The Sultan’s Palace inwards Kilwa |
 |
| Some of the surviving ruins of Kilwa today. The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
Other major civilizations that existed prior to the colonial invasion, to advert a few, included the Kingdom of Loango, the Kingdom of Kongo, the Ghana Empire, the Kingdom of Zimbabwe together with the Asante Kingdom, the upper-case alphabetic lineament of which was Kumasi.
Kumasi was described equally follows:
“The townhouses of Kumasi had upstairs toilets inwards 1817. Promenades together with world squares, cosmopolitan lives, exquisite architecture together with everywhere spotless together with ordered, a wealth of architecture, history, prosperity together with extremely modern living.”
 |
| The Manhyia Palace inwards Kumasi |
Doesn't actually expect thence primitive together with uncivilized, does it?
These are only a tiny sample, but the reality is that hundreds of relatively developed African cities together with civilizations were destroyed past times invading Europeans inwards an attempt to conquer the people together with exploit the rich resources that the continent is bestowed with.
As a result, most, if non all, of this rich cultural history was lost, destroyed together with forgotten, together with the narrative of “advanced Europe” bringing industrialization, civilization, merchandise together with other developments to primitive Africa became the accepted truth.
What colonialism did was cut down the African people to the utilisation of the conquered, aught to a greater extent than than minute shape citizens at best.
And that's without touching on slavery or the extremes of colonial oppression such equally the barbarism perpetrated past times the Belgians inwards the Congo Free State or the terrible offense of Apartheid that was perpetrated inwards South Africa during the expiry throes of colonialism…
The truth is that the intrusion of European colonialists did non atomic number 82 to the transmission of technology, ideas or noesis to the indigenous African population.
Rather, it destroyed all existing forms of civilization together with evolution that had been accomplished past times the indigenous people, together with and then farther hindered Africa’s evolution past times expatriating surplus from all production activities - minerals, precious metals, wood, ore, ivory, furs, gemstones, fuels, crops together with other raw materials.
The roles of Africans were reduced to basic labour jobs which never stimulated technological advances or improved agency of production.
Without colonialism together with its consequences, Africa would to a greater extent than probable receive got developed at a similar charge per unit of measurement to Europe together with other regions through trade, knowledge-sharing together with a movement towards industrialisation inwards line amongst the Industrial Revolution.
The despicable offshoots of colonialism - slavery, racism, eugenics together with genocide - may non receive got occurred (or at least, non to the score that they did together with that they withal be today).
More importantly, Africa’s riches would receive got been used to enrich the people together with prepare the infrastructure of this continent.
So no, on the whole colonization was non proficient for Africa.
On a personal level, equally a beneficiary of the privilege that has been bestowed upon me courtesy of whatever cosmic lottery saw me born amongst white skin, I am doing my best to correct the wrongs of the past times past trying to empower together with uplift those who receive got non been given the same opportunities that I have.
I don't know how much of a dent I'm making, but I'm trying.
***
Barry Tuck is a one-time photojournalist, having worked for many South African publications. Sumber http://www.dnbstories.com/