Posted by Chester Morton / Tuesday, 6 September 2016 / No comments
The functions of chiefs in French Colonial West Africa
THE FUNCTIONS OF CHIEFS IN FRENCH WEST AFRICA
Introduction
The chiefs in French colonial administration were categorized
into three, the Chef de Province, Chef de Canton, and Chef de Village.
TYPES OF CHIEFS
Chef de Province
The Chefs de Province were used to replace the powerful
traditional chief that existed before the French colonialist stepped in.
Chefs de Canton
The Chef de Canton was another level of chiefs who were
placed in charge of each Canton into which the Cercles were divided.
Chefs de Village
There were village chiefs appointed to be in charge of the
various villages into which each Canton was divided.
FUNCTIONS OF THE CHIEFS
Collection of taxes
One of the major functions of the chiefs was the collection
taxes from the natives on behalf of the French colonialists. These taxes were
expected to be handed over to the French authorities.
Recruit natives for forced labour
It was the responsibility of the chiefs to recruit natives
for forced labour. The forced labour was employed by the French colonialists in
carrying out construction work in the territories. Every subject under French
rule was required to partake in the forced labour and they were recruited by
the chiefs.
Maintenance of public roads
After roads were constructed with forced labour, they need to
be maintained so that they can last as long as possible. The chiefs were in
charge of the maintenance of any public road in their area of jurisdiction.
Conduct of census
The Chiefs were tasked with the duty of conducting a census
in their chiefdom. As was usual of censuses in those days, one of the purposes
of the census was to determine the number of taxable people in each
jurisdiction of the chiefs.
Cultivation of crops
The French colonial authorities in West Africa insisted that
certain crops, such as maize, should be cultivated for them. It was also the duty of the chiefs to ensure that when the crops were harvested, the
surplus was kept in an excellent condition against periods of scarcity.
LIMITATIONS OF THE CHIEFS
Lack of local initiative
Every policy that was implemented by the chiefs in French
colonial Africa emanated from the headquarters in Paris, through the laid down
chain of command. The chiefs did not have the power to alter the policy suit
the real situations on the grounds. Therefore, the chiefs did not have the
leeway to display any initiatives of their own.
Sidelining of chief
It is noteworthy that the French appointed as chiefs, those
who were not in the line of succession to be chiefs. The people felt more
comfortable in dealing with the proper heir to the chieftaincy so in the end,
they sidelined the chief appointed by the French.
No power of legislation
The chiefs did not have any power to legislate. The main
source of legislation in French West Africa was the Minister of Colonies who
issued decrees. Every decree was therefore handed down through the laid down
chain of command till it got to the chiefs.
Absence of power of enforcement
The chiefs did have the power of enforcement. They were also
not to maintain any police force or prison service. It was feared that the locals
could use the local police in their rebellious activities.
Close supervision
The chiefs were closely monitored in whatever they did. This
was a limitation for the chiefs because they could not veer toward the left or
to the right. The carried out every instruction as was handed down to them.
Status of the chiefs
The chiefs were minded in their actions, knowing that they
should not have been the chiefs, it was by the powers of the French that they
were chiefs. Knowing that they were not traditionally heirs to the throne, was
a limitation of a sort.
SAMPLE QUESTION(S)
1. Highlight six functions of chiefs in French colonial West
Africa.
2. Explain six ways in which the powers of chiefs were
controlled in French West Africa
