The Chartered Companies in the 19th Century

Chartered   companies   were  European  trading  companies   granted. rights  (Permission)   to perform the administrative  role, pacify  African  territories  and carry out trade on behalf  of the metropolitan  governments.  They were  given charters  to carry out effective  occupation of  the  spheres  of  influence  after  the  Berlin   conference.   They  were  expected  to  define boundaries   of  the  spheres   of  influence   (Colonies)   and  exercise   exclusive   right  over taxation,  minerals   and  land.  They  were  also  to ensure  protection   of horne  markets  and protect the sources  of raw materials.  The most important  chartered  companies  were:
1.B.S.A.Co:   (British  South African Company)  led by Cecil Rhodes
2.G.E.A.Co:   (Germany  East African Company)  led by Carl Peters.
3.I.B.E.A.Co:  (Imperial  British East African  Company)  led by William  Macknon.
4.R.N.Co.   (Royal Niger Company)  led by George Goldie.
5.International  Association  Du Congo led by Leopold  II in Congo.
THE MAJOR CHARTERED COMPANIES IN AFRICA.
THE GERMAN EAST AFRICAN COMPANY (G.E.A.Co).
This  company  was  formed  in  1884 by Carl Peters.  He got the support  from  the German Chancellor   Bismack  who  granted  him  a right  to protect  his  company  and  in  1886,  the colony was granted  a royal  charter  (license).  It was intended  to set up administration   and play  an important   role  in the  partition   of  East  Africa  and  prevented   Tanganyika   from falling  into the hands  ofthe British colonialists  by concluding  an Anglo-German   treaty of
1886 and the Heligoland  treaty of 1890.
However,   in .1889 it was challenged  by  the  Abushiri  revolt  which  it failed  to suppress. This company  called  for more  imperial  troops  and after the suppression  of the revolt  the charter was taken over by the German  government  hence declaring  the German  protection of Tanganyika  in 1890.                    
THE  IMPERIAL    BRITISH   EAST  AFRICAN   CO'IPASY     (IBEACo).
This  company  was  developed   from  the  British  East  African   Company  10   1886.  After acquiring  a charter,  it changed  into imperial  British  East African  Company.  It acted  as a rival to the GEACo  in the struggle  to acquire  parts of East Africa but It'S need to control the Nile and its source made it struggle to take over Uganda  and Kenya  It also assisted  in the partition  of East Africa  between  the British  and the Germans  10  both treaties  of  1886 and  1890. Bntish  government  gave out only 250,000  pounds  to the IBEACo  to facilitate its administration  and trading  activities  in Kenya and Uganda.
Unfortunately,   this money  was not enough  considering  the social  and political  problems that  were  in Buganda  and  British  East  Africa  at  the  time  e.g.  it was  used  in silencing religious wars  In Uganda,  to carry out military  expeditions  in Kenya basically  against  the Nandi   and  in  Uganda   against   the  Banyoro   and  to  stop  slave   trade  and  extend   the company's  interest in the whole of Uganda.
On  behalf  of  the  IBEACo,   Lord  Lugard  established    the  company's    rule  in Uganda, weakened  the Sudanese  troops  in West Nile, established   company rule in Bunyoro  and he remained  responsible for Uganda until the end of religious  wars in 1892.
He  attempted   to suppress'  all  the  revolts  in British  East  Africa  at Ute great  costs  than available  revenue  which  made  the IBEACo  treasury  to run bankrupt  in 1892 and only to be  assisted   by  the  Church   Missionary    Society   group  up  to  1893.  Nevertheless    this company  was able to secure  treaties  for the British,  traded and prepared  a ground  for the partition   and  occupation   of  the  East  African  territories   for  Bntain.   It was  relieved   by Britain in 1894 when it sent Gerald  Portal who declared  Uganda  a British protectorate  on assessment   that  Bi ganda  kingdom   is  viable  and  would  act  as  a  spring  board  for  the expansion  of British imperialism  in the area.
THE ROYAL  NIGER   COMPANY   (R.N.Co).
This company  was founded by George  Goldie based in Nigeria,   West Africa  He began by joining  up  all British  firms  10  the Niger  Delta  states  such  as Liverpool,  Alexander   and Miller Brothers  Company,  Manchester  and Holland  Company  in London  and by  1884 he had  managed  to unite  all British  traders  and fought  a bitter  commercial  war against  the French and African traders.
In 1886 he was given a charter of administration  and his company was allowed to trade, to stop slave trade curve  out areas  of British colonisation,  exploit  the mineral resources  and" other  agncultural   opportunities   plus the protection  of natives  against  the European  rival pow e " and African violent  societies.
It  also  assisted  in  partitioning    of  West  Afnca   between   France,   Britain   and  German ternrones   e.g  it reached  the Anglo-French   declaration  of  1890 which  allowed  Britain  to take over tne Sokoto Caliphate  (Northern  Niger Muslim  state), France was given Senegal, Gambia  and Algeria in 1883 George Goldie  made an agreement  with Germany  where he
allowed German to take over Cameroon  and Togoland  control.
This company  made a lot of profits  in the shortest  time than any other Chartered  company in Africa.  But it is sad to note that this company's   officials  exploited  or embezzled  all the profits  out  of the company  treasury  that  in  1899 when  the British  government   officials came to audit the activities  of Royal Niger Company,  George Goldie  had to destroy  all the available  documents  to avoid being proved.
More to that the company  never protected  the people of West  Africa  and slave Trade  was still rampant  by  1899 when  the British  government  took over  the activities  of the Royal Niger Company.
THE  BRITISH   SOUTH  AFRICAN   COMPANY   (B.S.A.Co)
This  company  was  formed  by Cecil  Rhodes  as his private  company  to operate  in South Africa  and central  African region.  By this time he was the managing  director  of De-Beers mining  company  based  in Kimberly   and  he  had  learnt  more  of  mineral  deposits  in the
North   of  Transvaal   and  thereafter    decided   to  form  the  giant   British   South  African Company  to assist him in exploiting  the area. However  he had no accessibility  as this area was occupied  by the Boers his colonial  opponents.  This is why he dreamt  of constructing  a
road from  Cape  Town  to Cairo  on the famous  imperial  slogan  of painting  Africa  "Red" where  red meant  the colour  of the British  flag i.e. Cecil Rhodes  hoped  to use the British
South African Company  in extension  of the British colonial  rule in the whole of Africa.
The company  set up administration,   secured  areas of jurisdiction   (under  British  authority) signed  a number  of  treaties  with  African  chiefs,  used  British  South  African   Company forces  to silence  revolts  in central  Africa,  demarcated  colonial  boundaries   of British  and n                          other colonial  powers  in central Africa  and exploited  the natural  resources  in the area. The formation  of  the  British  South  African   Company  was  followed  by  an extension   of the
railway  system  from  south  Africa  to central  Africa  and crushed  a number  of resistance wars  in the  area  (the  1893-94  Shona  Ndebele  rebellion)  using  the  Company  forces  and funds.
The company  played  a great  role  in occupation   of the Shonaland  and  the Matebeleland.
However,   the  company's    investmerlt   and  its  defeat   in  the  Jameson   raids   in  1895  in
Transvaal,   the  Boer  Republic   led  to  the  withdrawal   of  the  charter  (licence)   of British
South African  Company  by the British  home  government  for it had humiliated  the British internationally  by losing wars in Africa under ,the hands of the Boers  led by Paul Kruger .
                                 ASSOCIATION    INTERNA  TIONALE   DU CONGO.
This  company  was  formed  by King  Leopold  Il of Belgium  for commercial  purposes.  He wanted  the Company  to raise the standard  of the natives,  protect  them,   exploit  the natural
resources  and stop slavery. His claimed  monopoly  over the entire rubber production,  and it paid workers  very  low prices,  used  armed  forces  of the  state  (Force  Publique)  to secure forced labour in Congo which was contrary  to its original aims.
This  coerced  people  to meet  government   quotas  (needs),  constructed   the  infrastructural facilities  and overtaxed  people.  It raised  a lot of profits  to Leopold  IT and his friends  most of  which   was  taken  back  home   to  Belgium.   It  encouraged    slave  trade  and  slavery,
alienated   many  people   from  their  land  through   Leopold's    policy   of  paying   railway
constructors  in terms ofk.ilometers  of land.
If opened  up River Congo  for navigation  and constructed  roads plus railways  to transport the needed  commodities.   It also set up the administration   of Congo although  it was quite weak   They settled  border  disputes  with British  Sudan and British  central  African  states. In all Its activities  It was contrary to its set objectives  which brought in many humanitanan agents that openly reacted  against their maladministration.