Elaborate six techniques used to obtain laborers
Elaborate six techniques used by colonialists to obtain laborers during the colonial period
Colonial labor refers to the labor that was employed (used) by the colonialists in various colonial sectors for instance in mining, agriculture, industries and even in the whole process of building/ construction of infra structures like, roads, railways, and office work.
The colonialists made use of African laborer deliberately as it was difficult and expensive to get labor from Europe in thus colonialists had to think on how they could meet this challenge African laborers became a solution to this phenomena as colonialists exploited heavily their energy by paying them how wages.
Elaborate six techniques used to obtain laborers
The notable techniques used by colonialists to get laborers during colonial period were as follows;
They imposed different taxes to the Africans; this was because colonial government imposed poll, cattle and head taxes to Africans. The introduced taxes were to be paid in cash and it was difficult for the Africans to get cash needed to meet the introduced taxes Africans were eventually forced to sell their laborer power to the white settlers’ plantations and mines order get cash for paying tax.
Colonialists passed legislation (laws) that aimed to force Africans work for them. Good example in 1920’s the British colonial government passed Master servant land act popularly known as Kipande system in Kenya in which Africans in Kenya were forced to work in settlers’ farms for a certain agreed number of days (90 -180 days) per year and there was a special identification card (Kipande) which mark the a completion of assigned task.
Colonialists Introduced foreign goods especially luxurious items in terms of clothes, food staffs and ornaments. Africans being made a market for European manufactured goods from Europe made up from African raw materials it later motivated them to provide their labor power so that they can have access to possess these finished European goods.
Elaborate six techniques used to obtain laborers
Colonialists introduced land alienation and this was manifested with Master ordinance land act of 1915 especially in Kenya in which the British colonial government forced Africans to surrender all best land to the white settlers and who ever went against this law could be severely punished by being sentenced to prison, in course of time Africans remained landless. This act brought much consequence to Africans having been removed from their area, which were fertile, and being squeezed into unfertile (marginalized) area, they started living by depending on their labor power especially by working to the whites to earn a living. (for survive).
Colonialists created labor reserves centers (regionalism). This was because some area were made to act as a source of their labor for instance Kigoma, Ruvuma, Rukwa and Dodoma were made to produce labor where as Morogoro, Tanga and parts of Kilimanjaro were for plantations, similarly, in Uganda especially northern region was made to provide their labor. This enabled the colonialists to have access in getting needed laborers who would in turn work in their farms.
Elaborate six techniques used to obtain laborers
They destroyed the Africans economies such as industries and replaced with European imported goods. In so doing African self-sufficient economy like barter trade that in a sense enabled them to have equal exchange of goods among Africans particularly for their immediate consumption (demands) like food later European destroyed it and introduced system of money economies forced all transactions (buying of goods) to be done through cash bases this forced Africans work in colonial plantations as a solution of getting money.
Generally, African laborers were extremely undermined by the colonialists as seen on how African laborers were poorly fed, accommodated and lowly paid. Besides, the act of utilizing African laborers during colonial period can be counted as the root cause for the underdevelopment of African continent because Africans economies lacked needed laborers to work for them.
