Colonial Military and Colonial Legal Institutions

The Functions of each Colonial Military and Colonial Legal Institutions

Analyse critically the functions of each colonial military and colonial legal institutions

Major functions of the colonial military institutions

To defend of colonial boundaries:The colonial administration ordered their army to fight against their enemies. For instance in 1919, 6 th KAR battalion of the British in Tanganyika fought in World War I in Kalito (Ethiopia) and another part of it fought in Burma and Sudan.

Implemented land alienation for colonial settlers: To establish colonial plantation they enforced the land alienation policy throughout the colonies.

Suppression of African resistance: SomeAfricans reacted very strongly to colonial rulership so it was the duty of colonial military to suppress the opposition. This was used as the only way for colonialists to maintain their administration.

They had a task of maintaining peace and order through maintaining colonial laws and orders:They also prevented crimes in the colonies. Not only that but they also protected the colonial properties such as buildings, infrastructure etc.

Tax collection and information: They were responsible for collecting information and supervising the tax collected in the colony. The information collected was to be communicated to the colonial masters.

Supervision of public works was among the functions of the colonial military institutions:Public works included the construction of infrastructures such as railway, ports, prisons, hospitals, schools, churches etc. all these had to be supervised by the colonial military.

Implement colonial conquest: To effect colonial invasion and domination in Africa during the colonial penetration and occupation the colonial military had to penetrate to the interior for the purpose of establishing the colonisation process.

Characteristics of the colonial military

Provided low wages: Exploited African soldiers through low payment of salaries although they performed the tough work in the army, while the Whites were paidhighly. 

Poor working condition:African soldiers were subjected to poor social services. They lived in low standards and small houses with shared bathrooms and toilets while white soldiers and their officers lived in big well-ventilated, well furnished houses; other social services such as health and education were also offered on discriminatory bases.

Practiced racism:Africans was restricted from interacting with white soldiers apart from official meetings. For instance African entertained themselves in their social halls that were of low standards and had minimum facilities and White had their clubs where they interacted among themselves

Poor education: Most colonial forces were more or less illiterate because it was believed that an uneducated force was better for the colonialists.

Applied force not brains: Most colonial forces used strict command with less reasoning.

Colonial legal institutions

The colonial legal institutions were the colonial organisations that dealt with legal issues. It had the duty of advising colonial government, receiving people's claims, educating the society and guiding on the procedures to be followed, and providing legal aid. It included the legislative councils of elders, the prisons and the courts.

They adapted the colonial administrative system such as the councils of elders which were common in British colonies.

The legal systems during the colonial period in many African colonies were led by European judges and magistrates. It sued and sentenced those who were not affecting the oppressive colonial laws.

The nature of punishment administered in the colonial judicial system ranged from fines, caning, imprisonment and execution. The colonial judiciary system was governed by the help of

• The Criminal Investigation Department: This department performed the task of investigating all criminal reports.
• The motorised companies: Those performed the task of suppressing strikes formed by trade unionists. The motorised companies were established in 1947.
• The militia: This took charge of collecting taxes and arrested Africans who failed to pay tax or evaded paying taxes.

Duties of the legal institutions

The major duties of the legal institutions were vast. Some of them were to amend laws, acts and ordinances as they were amended time after time in order to suit the colonial situation. Legal institutions had to do so to ensure that Africans performed various colonial activities.

Among the laws and ordinances made was the crown land ordinance of 1915 in Kenya. This offered white settlers the right to own Kenyan highlands for a 99 years lease. Another instance was that of masters and servants ordinance of 1924 which was established in Tanganyika.

The handling of various claims of the people was done through councils of elders and the legislative council (LEGCO) the councils of elders dealt with African cases while the LEGCO handled both European and African claims.

PICTURES SHOWING COLONIAL ARMY

BASIC ASSIGNMENT/ACTIVITY TO DO

1. Explain the meaning of colonial military and colonial legal institutions.
2. What were the functions of colonial military and colonial legal institutions?
3. Explain the features of colonial military.
4. Describe the duties of the colonial legal institutions.