A colonial administrative mechanism in which an imperial power governs a territory through existing local rulers, chiefs or institutions retained in a subordinate role, rather than replacing them with an imported administrative apparatus. Associated above all with British colonial practice, most systematically articulated by Frederick Lugard in Nigeria in the early twentieth century, and contrasted with the more assimilationist direct rule practiced in French and other colonial administrations, though in practice most empires, including Britain's own, used a mixture of both depending on the territory.
Facts
Origin YearSourced to the subject's own accountFrederick Lugard introduced indirect rule as High Commissioner of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate around 1906, later codified in his 1922 "The Dual Mandate in British Tropical Africa." Founding ContextSourced to the subject's own accountFormalized by British colonial administrator Frederick Lugard in Northern Nigeria, governing through existing traditional rulers rather than direct British administration. 1 Connections
Associated With
Indirect rule was predominantly used by Britain to govern colonial Africa through existing local power structures.
Source TheHistoryVille: Indirect Rule in Nigeria
Practiced By
Alongside direct rule in crown colonies; the mixture varied by territory.
Source British Empire (Britannica)
Sources
1. TheHistoryVille: Indirect Rule in Nigeria
TheHistoryVilleLugard and Northern Nigeria section
Indirect Rule was a system of governance that was predominantly used by Britain to govern pre-existing power structures in colonial Africa. The French used Direct Rule.
What is an Indirect Rule section
Lugard introduced the indirect rule system around the year 1906 when he was the High Commissioner of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria.
View the Source British Empire (Britannica)
- entry: British Empire
- In Category: Political Mechanisms
- Practiced By: British Empire
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