Modern Empires in North Africa - Essay Sample

Introduction

Before the European invasion, the modern empires of North Africa were primarily under the Ottoman Turks. The Ottoman Empire ruled the region until the European invasion in the 19th century. Under the Ottoman Empire, the various factions that made up the North African territory were under the institution of Islam. The Islamic religion did form part of the Ottoman Empire that traversed modern-day Egypt all through to the Moroccan Peninsula. The Ottoman Empire was ruled by the Sultan who delegated duties to subordinates in the day to day running of the vast North African empire. This paper discusses the institution of slavery in North Africa and the relevance of settler colonialism. It further highlights the connection between European imperialism and North Africa.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The new Empires of North Africa was initially divided into four classes. The classes included the men of the pen, men of the sword, men of negotiations and men of husbandry. With such social institutions in place, the Ottoman rulers were able to effectively govern their subjects and run the empire with an iron fist. The institutions of the Ottoman Empire in North Africa formed the basis for European conquest. Notably, the institution of slavery was one of the factors that led to the success of modern empires in North Africa. With the decline of ancient empires such as the Carthage Kingdom in modern-day Tunisia, slavery was orchestrated by the Ottoman Turks (Howard 88). Enslaving of Europeans from neighboring Greek, Portuguese and Spanish empires ensured sufficient workforce was present for the effective functioning of the Kingdom. Additionally, slavery, as a source of labor, was the primary reason for the invasion of neighboring African empires such as the Songhai and Mali empires. With the European conquest of Africa, significant powers such as the French, Spanish and Italian empires led to the decline of the Ottoman rule that had lasted for more than three centuries.

One dominant form of collaboration was between the French ruler Francis 1 and the Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Magnificent. The French-ottoman alliance set precedence for the later colonization and annexation of the North African states. Importantly, the collaboration by the European imperialists and the Ottoman Empire majorly focused on bolstering trade and security between the factions. With a treaty in the offing, the majority of white imperialists from France, Spain and Italy migrated to North Africa in search of better lives. Another example to explain the form of collaboration amongst the modern Empires and European powers was in regards to the women. Unlike other African kingdoms, the empires under the Ottoman Turks regarded women as the backbone of the nation. Similarly, it is significant to note that after the European conquest, there was the role of women did not change. Since powers such as the French empire had different ideologies towards the part of women in society, it was imperative to create a striking balance between them and their subjects (Smith 1). The form of collaboration on their part was allowing for the prevailing Sharia laws to take effect and not collide with the policies enshrined in the French law.

The settler colonialism was vital to the evolution of culture, social hierarchies and politics. With the settling of Europeans powers in North Africa, equality with regards to religion was realized. For example, Tunisia signed a Fundamental Pact that set about equal rights for Christians, Jews and the majority of Muslims. Before European settlement in North Africa, the Muslim majority had always participated in the conquest and conversion of non-Muslim kingdoms south of the Sahara. Another essential factor that very much vital to the evolution of social culture in North Africa was the enlisting of women into battlefields. In modern-day nations of North Africa, women have had the right to join the military and paramilitary wings. Those as mentioned above can be attributed to the enlisting of women in battlefields most notably the Algerian War. Before the European invasion of Ottoman North Africa, women were respected and viewed as the backbone and progress of the nation. However, with the superior European forces in the form of Italy, Spain and France, women were enlisted to assist in the Maghreb protection.

Further, the setter colonialism was vital to the way of life in North Africa since it changed the political structures that were present at the time. Before the European invasion, North Africa under the Ottoman Empire fell under a system of monarchy and dictatorship whereby the ruling Sultans made crucial decisions. With the European settlers in North Africa, the methods of sovereignty changed save for Morocco. By the time most nations in North Africa were gaining independence from their colonial masters, democracy had taken its toll. The settlement of the European populations in North Africa can be attributed as setting precedent to the monarchies and barbaric political systems under the Ottoman Sultans.

Several novel connections were created by European Imperialism about North Africa. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, it was evident that Europeans powers sought for more space for trade and settlement of its people. North Africa is the closest was primarily the prime destination for mass migration (The Age of Imperialism 145). The mass migration of Spanish, Portuguese and Italian settlers prompted the colonization of the entities mentioned above. It was the perception that Africans were inferior which prompted European imperialism. The Trans-Atlantic Slave trade between Africa, Europe and the Americas saw Africans being used as labor for the trade. As such, most European scholars were for the belief that the Africans were inferior and could not manage themselves. The opinion mentioned above was in response to the increasing Ottoman domination of significant regions in North Africa and the Sahel. As such, Europeans invaded North African territory with the mindset that Africans were inferior and as such the former automatically ascended to the top of social hierarchy.

Finally, another novel connection between North Africa and European imperialism is the location of the former. The North Africans territory formed the passage to the gateway of India and South East Asia. On a similar note, with the increasing tensions amongst European powers, the location of North Africa provided strategic naval bases for defense, as such; European imperialism reigned in North Africa. One case study to illustrate the same was the French invasion of Algeria in the year 1840. With the Ottoman rapid expansion, it was imperative for the French to occupy Algeria and form a territory out of it. The invasion by the French set precedent for the later attack by other European powers that ultimately led to the end of the Ottoman dominance in North Africa.

Works Cited

Howard, Douglas. A History of the Ottoman Empire. Cambridge University Press, 2017.

Smith, Julia Clancy. "North Africa and France: Imperialism, Colonialism, and Women, 1830-1962." 2017. http://oxfordre.com/africanhistory/abstract/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277734-e-97.

"The Age of Imperialism (1870-1914)." 2019. https://www.tamaqua.k12.pa.us/cms/lib07/PA01000119/Centricity/Domain/119/TheAgeofImperialism.pdf.