The following are impact of the indirect rule in Africa
Perpetuation of tribalism: The system was too flexible in such a way that the African customs and traditions were left inviolate, much more, the British made the African ethnical groups feel proud of their culture and consider it to be supreme than other cultures hence despise other tribes’ ways of life E.g. In Uganda, the Baganda were much Para mounted through their tribal rights in the Buganda agreement of 1900, this was followed by the Bunyoro, Toro and Ankole agreements.
The end of native’s sovereignty: The African state were no longer sovereign states due to the fact that, they were there to fulfill the orders from above (from the British). The African government acted as a path upon which the European desire to the natives go through.
Exploitation: The absence of African resistance made the white settlers perform their duties smoothly. The white settlers got enough cheap labor mobilized by the native authorities, the colonial government too didn’t incur much money in administering their colonies. The African local rulers acted as cheap administrators.
Social stratification: The system created the notable social, economic and political differences between the chiefs and their royal families, their subject, the normal peasants and so on. The ruling class was favored and respected by the British.
Transformation of peasant production: Through the indirect rule, the British used the African native rules to educate their fellow Africans about cash crops production. For example in Southern Uganda (Buganda). The British asked Katikiro Apollo Kagwa to spread cotton seeds and education in the area, this made Baganda transform their peasant production.
Uneven development in the same colony: The areas near the chiefs were highly favored by the colonial government. For example in Northern Nigeria where Sir Frederick Lugard initiated the system before other areas. Until today, the people Nigeria experience different economic, political and social differences. He established it in 1900 in the northern Nigeria and in 1912 it was spread to the southern part.
Strong (future) foundation of neo colonialism: today, most of the African political leaders are indirectly or directly used by the institutions of the developed countries to fulfill their economic, social and political motives; the African leaders do sign the bogus treaties with the developed countries and the multinational companies in favor of the foreign investors to Africa. It is a continuation of what happened during the indirect rule of the colonial times.
Note: Indirect rule was not only preferred by the British. The Germans too, used it to govern the areas of Rwanda and Burundi which were the parts of German East Africa.
The reasons which drove the Germans to apply the system in Rwanda and Burundi included, well centralized state of Rwanda and Burundi formed by the HINDA dynasty and the descendant of the Chwezi, the collaboration of the native rulers of those areas with the Germans.
