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How did Imperialism change Igbo culture?

Word count: 1122

How did Imperialism change Igbo culture?


During 19th century a big change happened in Africa, imperialism changed the life of

natives. For a long time literature was written about events that happened during the Imperial

Age were represented only from European point of view, until Chinua Achebe published

Things Fall Apart, a novel that depicts the interaction of Imperial culture with Igbo culture,

located in the southeastern part of contemporary Nigeria (Amadiume). Even though the book

is historical fiction, it truly shows characteristic of Igbo culture and the way British Imperial

powers changed religion and beliefs, structure and roles in family and laws and language in

Igbo.

Religion is the first and one of the biggest things that changed during the Imperial

time in Igbo society. When missionaries came their first aim was introducing Christianity to

Igbo people, and persuading them to convert to European religion. Igbo traditional religion,

which is still practiced in some areas, is very different than Christianity. Igbo people believed

in Ana or Ala, the earth goddess, and had a number of ceremonies for her as well as many

other gods, spirits, ancestors that they worshiped (Igbo - Religion and Expressive Culture).

Christianity made a lot of Igbos change their way of looking at their traditional religion. As

we can see in the novel Things fall apart, new religion offered normal life to people who

never had opportunity for it because of Traditional Igbo religion. Different from Christianity

and their God, Igbos were scared of gods and spirits that they believed in, and religion was

very strict in some cases. Things fall Apart shows the way Christianity gave home to twins

who were never accepted in Igbo society, but then were accepted by Europeans. When

missionaries got a number of people by supporting them, other slowly became to convert.

Christianity did not only bring different God, but all of the traditional and cultural

characteristics of Igbo changed. They had only four days in a week, but as Christianity

appeared concept of Sunday was introduced as day when people go to church. Polygamy that

was accepted and wanted was abruptly prohibited. The book shows this sudden change in
religion and culture by describing a few events,the convertor took off the mask of egwugwu

which was “one of the most horrible crimes” (Achebe). As a result of arrival of British

missionaries in 1841 and later, more than half of Igbo people are christians today. (Eze)

Structure and roles in family were not one of the core changes Europeans wanted to

make in Africa, but with all of Imperialism family took different shape and rules. In

traditional Igbo culture, family was an important part of society. (("Colonialism in "Things

Fall Apart"") Polygamy was encouraged. Men were the head of the family, they were

supposed to be strong, capable of yam farms, in contrast to Okonkwo's father Unoka in

Things Fall Apart, who because of the way he acted was not respected by Igbo society, and

was considered agbala. Men had right to molest their family as punishment (Starling), like

Okonkwo did with his wife Ekwefi. Wives were there to raise children and cook, they did not

have rights, while children needed to respect their father, no matter what. Work was split

between every member of the family, and since most of the families were making a living as

farmers, even children had to do physical work (Starling). After British came to Nigeria, Igbo

family structure and rules changed. Christianity was spreading so men were not able to have

more than one wife (Kenalemang), and the nuclear family became more frequent and still is

(Starling). Families remained patriotic but due to the colonial process the role of women

started changing. Western culture was not making drastical change with women’s rights, but

they did it on their own. As cause of big change for society, women wanted their change, and

they started fighting. Results were visible, like Madam Okwei who is the first known Igbo

woman who served for the colonial government in 1912. (Chuku) Change in family in Things

Fall Apart is Nwoye living home. Even though he did not have the best relationship with his

father before white people came, he never left, but after he got in contact with missionaries he

had courage to leave his home, not respect his father which was very against traditional Igbo
culture. With this Chinua Achebe wanted to show exactly this specific change in culture,

change in the structure and roles in family.

Government and language had also a big impact on change of Igbo culture. European

Imperial Powers wanted to westernize Africa and the plan was exactly that, spreading

mentioned religion, setting governments and introducing their education which included their

language as well. In 1844 during Berlin Conference European countries said that one of their

greatest motive was helping “primitive” African natives develop (Kenalemang). However,

what they did not know, even before colonization, Igbo culture had their own law and court

system. In their government there was absence of centralized government, there was no

supreme god like Oba and Ermis in the north of Nigeria. Society was segmented into

different levels that were included in judging different cases. These segments were The

Family Group , Village Council, Ozo Title holders, Age grade and The Ala, goddess of land

(Igbo Pre-Colonial Political). As described in book Things Fall Apart Igbos law system was

much different than European, they were ruled by different cultures. When Nigeria became

British colony in 1906 (Kenalemang), did not take into consideration Igbos laws, and they

settled their own government and laws, and forced Igbo people to follow them (Eze).

Example of how difficult was for Igbo people to follow the rules because they simply were

not used to them, when a man was hanged for following tradition of burning dead friends

belongings. With the government also English language arrived, and was spread very quickly

in Igbo society. Igbo language did not have terms that were able to describe changes and

news that Imperialism imported, because people simply rarely knew about life of other

cultures (Kenalemang), “the proverbs are palm oil with which words are eaten”

(Achebe).That is why the language did transfer very quickly in the society, it was needed.

Today English is official language in Nigeria, so people are concerned about Igbo Language

dying off, because a very little number of people speak it.


Chinua Achebe introduced us to traditional Igbo culture through amazing novel

Things Fall Apart. With life of Okonkwo and people of Umuofia, Achebe showed how with

British missionaries coming to Igboland, arrived big changes from culture of natives. They

experienced changes of bigger level like different government, language and religion, but

also changes in the smallest structure of society, family.

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.

Amadiume, Ifi. "Igbo." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 1996. Web.

02 June 2016.
"Colonialism in "Things Fall Apart"" NeIndiaResearch. NeIndiaResearch, 2012.

Web. 02 June 2016.

Chuku, Gloria. "Igbo Women and Political Participation in Nigeria, 1800s-2005." The

International Journal of African Historical Studies 42.1 (2009): 81-103. Web.

"The Effects of Colonialism in Things Fall Apart :: Papers." The Effects of

Colonialism in Things Fall Apart :: Papers. 123HelpMe.com, n.d. Web. 02 June

2016.

Eze, Sylvanus. "Westernisation of Igbo Culture - Crusade Watch." Crusade Watch

RSS. Crusade Watch, 26 Oct. 2007. Web. 02 June 2016.

"Igbo - Religion and Expressive Culture." Religion and Expressive Culture.

Advameg, Inc., 2016. Web. 02 June 2016.

"Igbo Pre-Colonial Political System in Nigeria." Oyedijioluwaseunbabatundes Blog.

N.p., 06 Apr. 2014. Web. 02 June 2016.

Kenalemang, Lame Maatla. "Things Fall Apart: An Analysis of Pre and Post-Colonial

Igbo Society." Representing the Race The Creation of the Civil Rights Lawyer (2013):

n. pag. Diva Portal. 11 Jan. 2013. Web. 2 June 2016.

Mahanta, Retd Pona, Dr, and Maut Dibark. "The Impact of Colonizer on the

Colonized: A Postcolonial Study of Nigerian Igbo Culture and History in Chinua

Achebe’s Things Fall Apart." Journal Of Humanities And Social Science 19.11

(2014): n. pag. Print.

Starling, Blair. "Igbo Tribal and Family Structure." Prezi. Prezi Inc., 20 May 2015.

Web. 02 June 2016.

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