British Rule in Gumel: A Study on the Native Administration 1903-1939

The book examines the establishment and consolidation of British colonial rule in Gumel Emirate from 1903-1939. It focuses on the traditional administrative institutions that were adopted and or modified by the British and were called the Native Administration Institutions viz; the Offices of the Emir, the District and the Village Heads (collectively called Native Authorities, hereafter referred to as N.A Advisory and Judicial Council, N.A Courts, Police, Prison, Treasury and the NA Taxation policy. A closer look at the operation of these institutions under colonial rule is what makes this book unique and it explains how indirect was the indirect rule. The appointment of Muhammadu Nakota as the new Emir of Gumel by the British in 1915 was a blow to the traditional function of the council of kingmakers. The period 1916¿1939 was one of consolidating British rule in Gumel, a period in which the local officials conformed to the British policies as a condition for retaining their positions. Also, during this period the N.A¿s Institutions were fully developed and rationalized. They served as law enforcement agencies through which defiance to the British policies by the people was checked.