Assimilation policy in Africa

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Assimilation as a colonial administration concept refers to the absorption of African to
European culture and European acceptance of the African  as a partner in government, business and missionary enterprise. In Africa, it was mainly used by the French and the Portuguese.
The word assimilation comes from a French word "Assimiler" which means to cause to resemble. This policy aimed at turning the peoples of French colonies into French citizens by substituting their indigenous culture with the French culture, language, law, civilization and religion. In this way, colonial peoples would be enabled to enjoy the rights of French citizenship.
In short, it aimed at turning the Africans into French men in all the ways of life except the skin colour.
Why did The French adopt this Policy:
1.    The French regarded assimilation as the best way of undermining some of the backward tribal tendencies in French West Africa. e.g. it would assist in erasing out the Barbaric West African cultures.
2.    For a long time, the French had lived in the coastal areas of Senegal, which were the towns of  Goree,  St.  Louis,  Rufisque  and  Dakar.  In  these  areas,  the  inhabitants  had  been detribalised as a result of the long Contact with the French.
They had learnt the French ways and adopted the French cultures and civilisation. This made the French to believe that this policy was workable  in West Africa. In 1883, the French government granted citizenship rights to those born in these four communes.
3.    This policy also had economic  advantages to France. e.g. properly assimilated people would  produce  raw materials  for  French  industries  and  offer market  for  its finished products. Moreover the overseas territories would also be useful for capitalistic foreign investment  as well  as  a source  of  employment  to the French.  E.g. the top  colonial administrative posts were held by the French.
4.    The French revolutionary  ideals  of Liberty,  equality  and Fraternity  were regarded  as applicable to all men everywhere. This is why the French parliament passed a law granting to all those practical and Civil rights of the French citizens.
5.        They also believed that their civilisation was the best in the world and that it was good for their colonial subjects. This view of social Darwinism brought many Europeans on the African continent.
6.    The French  like the Portuguese  and the Belgians,  for a long time regarded  their colonies  as their  overseas   colonies   and, not  merely  colonies   for  imperial   exploitation.   The  French regarded    their   overseas   provinces    or  extensions    of  France.   Therefore   wanted   these provinces  to appear in all forms like those of metropolitan  France.
7.    The French  wanted  to create  a class  of African  Frenchmen  who would  help in developing their  colonies  socially  and  economically.   Such  a class  would  be employed  in Education, business  and administration   for the benefit  of Metropolitan  France.
8.    The  French  policy  of assimilation   also had political  advantages   for France.  A successful assimilation    policy  would  enable  France  get  permanent   overseas   colonies   for  political advantages  such as political  glory and prestige.
The practice of assimilation:
Assimilation  policy attained  a success  story in Senegal. By  1880, the 4 provinces  of
Senegal, Dakar,  St. Louis,  Goree  and Rufisque  had their own elected  councils  each under a major  as president.  They  were  all under  an elected  general  council  for the provinces.   By
1848  Senegal  had  attained   a right  to  elect  and  send  a  deputy   to  the  French   national
Assembly.
In 1883 the French  government  granted  rights of French  Citizenship  to the rights of French Citizenship  to the inhabitants  of the  four communes.  With  these  full rights  of citizenship, many  Africans  of the communes  received  French  education  and were employed  in French civil   service.   Therefore,    for  those   in  four  communes,    French   citizenship   was  almost automatic.
Outside  the  communes   the  inhabitants   were  French  subjects   (not  French  citizens)  these would  only  qualify  to become  French  citizens   if they  met  a number  of conditions.   For example,  they would  qualify  if they gave up their rights  under  the Native  law, had reached the age of eighteen,  monogamous,   were educated  in French  language,  been in the French employment   for 10 years, served  in French  army  for six years  and if one possessed  a good character.  These restrictions   defeated  the' whole  process  and limited  the chances  for one to become  a French citizen.
It was  not surprising therefore  that by  1937 only 80,500  people  in a total of  15 million  in
the French  West  Africa  had received  French  citizenship.  Even  then,  78,000  of these were from the four Senegalese  communes  of Dakar,  Goree,  St Louis  and Rufisque  leaving  only
2,500 for the rest of French West Africa.
The French  policy  of assimilation   could  only work  in a limited  area  especially  in coastal provinces  of Senegal  but when they tried to extend their influence  in the interior, it became impossible.  So by 1905, the policy had been abandoned  in favour  of association.
6.    The French  like the Portuguese  and the Belgians,  for a long time regarded  their colonies  as their  overseas   colonies   and, not  merely  colonies   for  imperial   exploitation.   The  French regarded    their   overseas   provinces    or  extensions    of  France.   Therefore   wanted   these provinces  to appear in all forms like those of metropolitan  France.
7.    The French  wanted  to create  a class  of African  Frenchmen  who would  help in developing their  colonies  socially  and  economically.   Such  a class  would  be employed  in Education, business  and administration   for the benefit  of Metropolitan  France.
8.    The  French  policy  of assimilation   also had political  advantages   for France.  A successful assimilation    policy  would  enable  France  get  permanent   overseas   colonies   for  political advantages  such as political  glory and prestige.
THE PRACTICE  OF ASSIMILATION:
Assimilation  policy attained  a success  story in Senegal. By  1880, the 4 provinces  of
Senegal, Dakar,  St. Louis,  Goree  and Rufisque  had their own elected  councils  each under a major  as president.  They  were  all under  an elected  general  council  for the provinces.   By
1848  Senegal  had  attained   a right  to  elect  and  send  a  deputy   to  the  French   national
Assembly.
In 1883 the French  government  granted  rights of French  Citizenship  to the rights of French Citizenship  to the inhabitants  of the  four communes.  With  these  full rights  of citizenship, many  Africans  of the communes  received  French  education  and were employed  in French civil   service.   Therefore,    for  those   in  four  communes,    French   citizenship   was  almost automatic.
Outside  the  communes   the  inhabitants   were  French  subjects   (not  French  citizens)  these would  only  qualify  to become  French  citizens   if they  met  a number  of conditions.   For example,  they would  qualify  if they gave up their rights  under  the Native  law, had reached the age of eighteen,  monogamous,   were educated  in French  language,  been in the French employment   for 10 years, served  in French  army  for six years  and if one possessed  a good character.  These restrictions   defeated  the' whole  process  and limited  the chances  for one to become  a French citizen.
It was  not surprising therefore  that by  1937 only 80,500  people  in a total of  15 million  in
the French  West  Africa  had received  French  citizenship.  Even  then,  78,000  of these were from the four Senegalese  communes  of Dakar,  Goree,  St Louis  and Rufisque  leaving  only
2,500 for the rest of French West Africa.
The French  policy  of assimilation   could  only work  in a limited  area  especially  in coastal provinces  of Senegal  but when they tried to extend their influence  in the interior, it became impossible.  So by 1905, the policy had been abandoned  in favour  of association.
REASONS   FOR  THE  FAILURE   OF ASSIMILATION     POLICY:
1.     The  assimilation   system  in the  interior  was  also  discriminatory    and  defeated  its aims.  It considered   some  Africans   as' French  citizens  while  others  as French  subjects,  a fact  that explained   their  varying  privileges   and  opportunities   from  the  French  government.   This discredited  the policy both  in France  and in West Africa.
2.    The French  feared economic  and political  competition   with  assimilated  Africans.  If many Africans  acquired  the citizen  status  they would  demand  for self-determination.   There  was also a possibility  of dominating   French  government  policy  through  their  representation   in the National  Assembly.
3.    The policy was very expensive  and considered  wasteful  of taxpayers  money  in France.  The French  policy  of indirect  rule where  it was applied  proved  cheap  and more  favourable  for colonial  exploitation.
4.    The policy also had an opposition  from within  West Africa.  The Muslim  communities  were hostile to the ideas of Catholicism   and monogamy.  The French  found out that deeply rooted African  cultures  and political  institutions   in some  states  could  not be easily  overthrown   in favour  of  assimilation.    Thus  the  question   of  unique   land  tenure  system,   marriage   and African  religion  different  from those of the French made  the exercise  impossible.
S.    The policy  was attacked  from all corners  of France.  The  scholars  in France  called  it unwise and unrealistic  since  it was  impossible  to convert  Africans   into Frenchmen.  The  Africans were people of distinct  race with their cultures  and traditions  which  needed  to be respected. The  humanitarians   also  pleaded   for Africans   by urging  the  government   to give  them  an opportunity  to develop  along  their own lines.
6.    The system  of Education  established   in the French  colonies  did not encourage  assimilation because  it was  in the  hands  of  missionaries   whose  main  aim  was  evangelisation.    These provided  education  that was Christian  oriented  which  made  the Senegalese  Moslems  hate  it for fear of being converted  into Christianity.
7.    The  policy  was  attacked   for  lacking" foresight.   It was  argued  that  it contained   seeds  of liquidation,    as  the  assimilated     would   deprive    France    of  the   colonial    subjects    for exploitation.        The  Merchants    argued   that  assimilation    defeated   the  purpose   of  French colonial  acquisition  since  it would  eventually  deprive  France  of sources  of labour  and lack of materials  as all French  citizens  were all exempted  of such colonial  demands.
8.        Due  to  limited  communication    owing  to the  underdeveloped     infrastructure,    in  terms  of roads,  railways,  telegraph   lines and the  like, considerable   decision  making  was left  to the Lieutenant  Governor  of each  of the  colonies.  There  was  also  a problem  of lack  of control on lower  African  chiefs  such  as location  and sub-location.   These  were  greatly  underpaid which made them develop  extrajudicial   despotic  conduct.
Owing  to the above  problems   encountered   in assimilation   policy  by  French  colonialists, they  chose to adopt another  system  of administration   known  as association  theory.  This  had relaxed  characteristics   towards  the  French  demands  on  Afr,icans.   It was  almost  similar   to
British administration   system  of indirect rule.