Imperialism and Colonialism: South Africa | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Dutch Colony

• The first permanent European settlers in South Africa were from the Dutch East India Company, who established a colony at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.
• Colonialism in South Africa began in 1652, bringing with it the Slavery and Forced Labour Model.
• South Africa remained a Dutch colony until 1795. During this period, the Dutch, known as Afrikaners or Boers (meaning 'farmers'), seized land from native Africans and forced them to work as laborers, treating them almost like slaves.
• The Dutch also imported additional laborers from Asia, Mozambique, and Madagascar.

British Colony

• South Africa was under Dutch control until 1795 when the British captured the Cape during the French Revolutionary Wars.
• By the 1814 peace settlement, it was decided that the Cape would remain under British control.

Reasons for British Colonization of South Africa:

• After the Napoleonic Wars, Britain faced significant unemployment. To address this, the British government encouraged immigration to the Cape colony, leading to the arrival of the first 1820 settlers.
• The Cape colony was strategically important for protecting British interests in India, similar to later control over the Suez through Egypt.
• South Africa was appealing due to its existing infrastructure. The British found the established colony attractive and unlikely to return to Dutch control, unlike the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).
• Lord Somerset, the British governor in South Africa, promoted settlement in the frontier areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape, to create a buffer between the colony and the Xhosa tribes and to boost the English-speaking population.
• The discovery of gold and diamonds later became crucial for maintaining and expanding the British colony in South Africa.

Settlement and Agriculture:

• The settlers were given farms and provided with equipment and food in exchange for their deposits.
• Various factors led many settlers to abandon their farms for nearby towns:
• Many settlers were artisans with no interest in rural life and lacked agricultural skills.
• Life on the frontier was difficult, with challenges like droughts, poor crop conditions, and lack of transport.
• As a result, many settlers left the eastern border in search of better opportunities in towns like Port Elizabeth. Consequently, the eastern border did not become as densely populated as Lord Somerset had anticipated.
• Those settlers who remained as farmers made significant contributions to agriculture by planting crops such as maize, rye, and barley. They also began wool farming, which later became a highly profitable trade.
• Some settlers, who were traders by profession, also played a vital role in business and the economy, leading to the rapid growth of new towns like Port Elizabeth.

Expansion of the British Colony in South Africa

The British colony in Cape Colony became the core of the British Empire. From there, the British began to expand northward, eventually establishing a vast empire after a series of long and intense conflicts with Dutch settlers known as the Boers, as well as with some native tribes, particularly the Zulus. By 1879, following the Anglo-Zulu War, Britain solidified its control over most of South Africa.

Impact of British Policies on Dutch Settlers:

• The Dutch settlers grew increasingly uneasy under British rule, especially when the British government abolished slavery throughout the British Empire in 1838. Under Dutch settlement, there was a significant labor shortage, particularly on wheat and wine farms. The Dutch settlers relied heavily on slavery, as they were unwilling to pay the high wages demanded by European laborers. The abolition of slavery threatened the Boer farmers' livelihoods, prompting many to leave Cape Colony.These discontented farmers moved northward in a movement known as ‘the Great Trek,’ establishing their own independent republics in the Transvaal and Orange Free State (between 1835 and 1840). Some also settled in the area east of Cape Colony, known as Natal. However, the British were not willing to allow them to remain undisturbed.

First Boer War (1880–81):

• In 1877, the British annexed the South African Republic (or Transvaal), which had been independent from 1857 to 1877, under the leadership of Shepstone. The Boers protested against this annexation, leading to a revolt in December 1880 and the outbreak of the First Boer War.British Prime Minister Gladstone eventually signed a peace treaty on March 23, 1881, granting self-government to the Boers in the Transvaal.

The Role of Cecil Rhodes:

• The British continued to pursue the Boers, attempting to surround them with British territory. A key figure in this effort was Cecil Rhodes, an advocate of British imperialism in South Africa. Rhodes envisioned an empire stretching from the Cape to Cairo, where both Britons and Boers would coexist under the British flag.He played a crucial role in thwarting the Boer republics' efforts to expand their territory. Under his influence, a British protectorate was established over Bechuanaland, and the territory now known as Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) was acquired in his honor.

Second Boer War (1899-1902):

• Rhodes was also instrumental in the outbreak of the Second Boer War in 1899, which centered around control of the gold and diamond industries. The war was long and arduous, with the Boers from the two republics (the Orange Free State and Transvaal) displaying great skill and determination, inflicting several defeats on British forces.Despite their resilience, the Boers were eventually overpowered by the British. Peace was concluded in 1902, with the Transvaal and the Orange Free State being annexed to the British Crown. In 1910, these territories joined Cape Colony and Natal to form the Union of South Africa.

Reasons for Unification

Political Factor:

• At the end of the Anglo-Boer War in 1902, the four colonies were united under a common flag for the first time. This resolved the major obstacle that had previously hindered plans for unification.

Economic Factor:

• Trade tariffs had been a long-standing point of contention among the various political entities in Southern Africa. The Transvaal, being landlocked, resented its dependence on neighboring regions and the costs incurred through rail and harbor customs. Unification addressed these issues.

Discovery of Diamonds and Gold:

• The discovery of diamonds in Hopetown in 1867 and later in Kimberley in 1871 led to significant economic changes. By the late 19th century, the mines at Kimberley were producing 95% of the world’s diamonds. The revenue from these diamond diggings allowed the Cape Colony to achieve responsible government status in 1872, as it became less dependent on the British Treasury.
• The wealth generated from diamond mining accelerated population growth and enabled the Cape Colony to expand its boundaries northward. New towns emerged around diamond-digging areas, and companies like “De Beers Consolidated Mines” were established under the leadership of Cecil John Rhodes.
• Similarly, the discovery of gold in the eastern Transvaal led to the establishment of new towns to accommodate the influx of people. Mining magnates like Rhodes, who had interests in both diamond and gold mining, used their wealth to establish large mining companies.
• The success of diamond and gold mining relied heavily on abundant, cheap African labor, despite the dangerous and brutal working conditions in the mines. As miners had basic needs such as food, clothing, housing, medical care, and furniture, entire industries developed to meet these needs in the mining areas.

Grant of Self-Governance:

• In South Africa, the grant of self-government was delayed compared to other white colonies like Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, due to the complicated situation involving the hostile Boers. Self-government was finally granted to Cape Colony in 1872, and by 1907, the other South African provinces were also given self-governing status.

Formation of the Union of South Africa

• The Union of South Africa was established in 1910 as a dominion of the British Empire through the South Africa Act 1909. This act amalgamated the four previously separate British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State.
• In 1931, the Union became fully sovereign from the United Kingdom with the passage of the Statute of Westminster, which abolished the last powers of the British Government over the country. In 1961, the Union of South Africa adopted a new constitution, became a republic, and transformed into the present-day Republic of South Africa.