Summary Of Colonization By Europeans

Colonization by Europeans is not a new story and is often told by the voice of the conqueror. Experiencing the direct effect it has on a certain group and how the influence of western culture can create complete turmoil in foreign lands from the victim 's perspective, exposes another side to this age old tale. The Igbo people of lower Niger experience direct contact with Europeans and their start of colonization: conversion to Christianity. This simple religious outreach deeply altered customary practices of many clans. The focus of villages shifted and attention was paid toward following Christianity or protecting themselves from it. The agricultural society led simple lives and the introduction of Europeans added complexity and conflict to …show more content…
Since the villages held both Christians and natives, the missionaries allotted themselves authority over all the people in the village. They created a court with a district commissioner who would handle disputes with messengers who were assigned to maintain the Christians interests. Not only are the new settlers assuming unauthorized leadership positions but they are also deciding cases that should be settled by the egwugwu gods and the other spirits the igbo people worship. The entrance of Europeans into their society, have left the igbo people in a situation they have no choice but to submit to. The loss of polytheistic spiritual leadership does not only exist within the converts, who have to blindly follow the government that comes along with their new religion, but within the natives who have their gods disrespected and belittled. When missionaries first came to Mbanta, they talked about how the people were living a life destined for hell because there is only one true God that they should be worshipping. In Umuofia, a sort of extremism was encouraged and some converts developed a sense of superiority and tested some of the igbo gods. The white court was bribed in a land dispute and Aneto killed the briber and that cause him to be hung by the white court (Chapter 20). The clan were not able to perform their traditional justice process.The Christians have their government on their side and the natives systems of rule is disregarded constantly. The white justice system does not sympathize with the disruption to the Igbo people’s customs and government, signalling that their colonization aims to spread not only their religion but leave the originals