The Role played by Missionaries in The Colonisation of Africa.

In course of missionary  humanitarian  and civilisation  activities,  they played a great role as agents  of colonialism  in Africa.  They  were strong  instruments   towards  the establishment of  colonial  rule  in Africa  hence  the  assertion  that  "the  flag  followed  the  cross"  which means behind missionaries   came politicians/Colonisers   or "missionaries  came with a bible in one hand and a sword in the other".
As  they  fought   ignorance,    poverty   and  creation   of  the  infrastructure,    these  were  a conducive  atmosphere   in Africa  which  colonialists  operated  specifically  they played  the following roles  in the colonisation  of Africa.
They   appealed  for home government  protection'
In  the  name  of  "protection"    they  came  claiming  to  be protected   against   the  African hostility.  E g. in central  Africa  staged  by Lobengula  of Ndebele.  in Buganda  by Kabaka Mwanga  and religious  conflicts  of  1888 93 in Buganda   northern  Nigeria  threats  created by Islamic  chiefs etc. all of them made missionaries  feel insecure  in Africa. For the sake of their  safety  and the conunuanon   of  their  evangelical  entcrpnses,   the}  appealed  to their home   governments    for  protection    which   was  followed   by  colonisation    of  specific ter ritories where missionaries  operated.
2.      Missionary  role in treaty signing.
Mi. sionary  interpretation  role,  persecution   and propaganda  contributed   a lot towards  the colonisation  of Africa.  For example,  the role played by bishop Tucker  as an interpreter  in the  signing  of Buganda  agreement   of  1900, the regents  of the  Kabaka  who  signed  on behalf  of Buganda  government   was quite  important.  Its against  this  background  that Sir Harry  Johnstone,  a representative   of the British  tn the signing  of Buganda  agreement  of
1900 had this to say:
"I shall be bound to acknowledge  the assistance  offered  to me by the missionaries    especially    the   Church   Missionary    Society.    Without    their assistance  on  my Side. I don't  think  Buganda  would  accept  to sign the treaty which  practically  places  themselves,  their country  and their people entirely  in the hands of British"
The  case  of  missionary   Moffat   in  central  Africa  who  was  also  very  instrumental   in securing  treaties for British government  should not be left out.
3.       The provision  of vital of information:
Missionaries  gave to the colonialists   vital information  as regards  the peaceful  and hostile societies  to deal  with  resourceful   areas  in Africa,  knowledge  about  the navigable  rivers and lakes. climate  and diseases  of Africa  etc. all of which made  the colonialists  to decide with  which method of occupation  they should impose in every specific  area of Africa e.g. peaceful  method  was used to bring  Buganda  under colonial  rule while  military  attack was employed   in Bunyoro,  similarly  the  Mandika  empire  of Samoure  Toure  of West  Africa was  occupied   by  force  by  the  Frenchmen   while  the  Fante  and  Tukulor   empire  were occupied  by peaceful means. This was because of the prior information  about Africa.
4.       Softened  the hearts of the Africans.
Missionaries  by evangelizing  the Baganda  with  biblical rendering  words  like "don't  kill", "love  your neighbour  as you love your self" etc. with such words  Africans  lost sense and morale   of  resisting   against  the  colonialists   hence  heading   to  colonisation    of  various African  societies such as Baganda,  Shona, Fante, etc and in areas where  missionaries  were resisted,   given  a poor  reception  such  as Bunyoro,  Nandi,  Mandika  and Ndebele,  it was hard to extend colonialism  there. ie the method of military conquest  was applied.
Religious  divisionism:
African   resistance   against   colonialism    was  further  weakened   by  disunity   caused  by religious   factions.  e.g.  10  Buganda   in  1888-93,  there  were  religious   wars  between  the Muslims,  Protestants  (Wangereza)   which  led to a lot of instability  and by the coming  of
colonialists  into Buganda,  the Baganda  natives  could  not unite  against  them  because. of these religious divisions.
Collaboration  with Chartered  Companies:
In West  Africa   the  royal   Niger   company   worked   hand  in  hand  with   many  British originating  missionary  groups  like the Church Missionary  Society and London Missionary Society.    Once  remarked   by  Emperor  Theodore   IT  when  he was  trying  to defend  his independence  of Ethiopia  by denying  the entry  of missionaries   into his kingdom  he had this to say:
"I know  the tactics  of European  governments,  first they send missionaries,   the traders   to  support   the  missionaries     and  finally   the  Battalions    (Colonial soldiers) to support the consuls".
This  culminated   into  the  formation   of  a team  work  affair  that  worked   hand  in  hand
towards the colonisation  of the African continent  e.g in Buganda,  British government  sent missionaries  first Church Missionary  Society  (C.M.S)  followed  by the Chartered  company Imperial  British  East  African   Company   (I.B.E.A.Co)   who  later  were  accompanied   by Lugard and Sir Gerald  Portal  with garrisons  full of soldiers  mainly  of African  origin  and by 1894 a British protectorate  government  had to be declared  over Uganda.
Besides,   Chartered   companies    were  financially    assisted   by  other  groups   in  case  of financial  shortfall  e.g.  in 1892, the Imperial  British  East African  Company  fell bankrupt and  it was  funded   by  the  church  missionary    society   up  to  1893.  Therefore   various European  agents worked  hand  in hand with missionaries   in leading  to the colonisation  of specific African territories  by their mother countries.
Missionary  education  system:
This  also  produced   products   who  assisted   the  colonialists    in  taking   over  of  African territories  e.g. various  European  languages  were  taught  in these  missionary   schools  e.g. Englisb,  French,  Germany,  Dutch  and their  local African  languages.  This  study removed the  language   barrier   which  would  have  disturbed   the  establishment    of  colonial   rule. Africans  out  of  these  schools  were  used  as  secretaries,   office  messengers,   clerks  and interpreters hence accelerating  the speed for colonisation  of Africa .
Missionaries  further influenced  thecolonisatioof Africa by condemning  African barbaric
cultures  and  neglecting   African  names  for Baptism.   This  made  Africans  to believe  that European institutions,  cultures  etc. were better. For this matter, resisting  missionary  or any European  powers  was  considered   as being  unprogressive   and  this greatly  weakened  the African spirit of resistance  hence making  it easy for colonisation  of Africa.
Formation  of collaborating  class
Missionary    education    similarly  created   a  class   of  Africans   who  served   as  efficient
instruments  in the establishment  of colonial  rule e.g. in central Africa,  chief Lewanika  had attained   some   education-from  these  schools,   Semei   Kakungulu    in  East  Africa   who colonised Eastern  Uganda were all products of these missionary  schools.
therefore  European   colonisation   of Africa  could  have  been difficult  without  missionary assistance.  This view concurs with.the appreciation  statement coined by Sir Harry Johnson when talking  about  assistance  accorded  tohim   by the members  of the Church  Missionary Society and their converts  in the signing of Bug and   agreement.
Revision  questions
1.Assess the impact of missionary  work in central Africa.
2.Examine the factors that favoured missionary  work in Africa up to 1914.
3.Account  for the  varied response to Christianity  in Central Africa up to 1914.
4."The.flagfollowed    the cross".  Is this a fair description  of the role played  by missionaries towards, dIe colonisation  of East  Africa?
5.To whatextent   were the missionaries  responsible  for the colonisation  of West Africa?
6."The Christian missionaryactivities    had a profound  impact in West Africa".  Discuss
7.To what extent were the riiissionaries responsible  for crisis and revolutions  in East Africa?
8. Account for the emergency  of independent  churches  in Africa.