Back to: senior six s6 divinity paper three
FAILURES OF THE MISSIONARIES IN EAST AFRICA
- The missionaries failed to completely end slave trade and slavery in East Africa. This is because the trade continued secretly even after the missionaries abolished it.
- They also failed to spread Christianity in all parts East Africa because very many people remained pagans and continued believing in their small gods in spite the missionary preaching of Christianity.
- They further failed to completely fight Islam as they wanted i.e. many people still continued to convert Islam despite the missionary preaching against the religion.
- Missionaries failed to completely end the African barbaric practices such as circumcision of both males and females despite the missionary teaching against it.
- The linguistic study introduced by the missionaries only worked for a few people in east Africa i.e. not all the Africans learnt the foreign languages introduced by the missionaries.
- They failed to teach all East Africans how to read and write despite the formal education they introduced.
- Christian missionaries also failed to extend medical services to all parts of East Africa i.e. many Africans in the villages continued to die of tropical diseases for example malaria despite of the presence of missionary services.
- Qn. To what extent were the missionaries successful while in East Africa. (call for two sides i.e. achievements and failures)
EFFECTS OF MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES/CONTRIBUTIONS/SERVICE IN EAST AFRICA
Positive effects:
- Missionary preaching of the gospel led to large Conversion of people to Christianity.
- The introduction of formal education by the Missionaries made many people in East Africa to learn how to read and write.
- They built schools such as Gayaza high school, Kings College Buddoetc. Which contributed to Urbanization of East Africa and created jobs for the East Africans?
- They put up health centres like Rubaga and Mengo hospitals which saved the Africans from the deadly tropical diseases like Malaria and sleeping sickness.
- Missionaries provided employment to the coastal Africans who worked as Catechists and priests hence earning them some income which improved on their welfare.
- Missionary activities imparted practical skills into the improving on their knowledge.
- They stopped slave trade in East Africa which led to peace and harmony among the East Africans.
- The introduction of plantation agriculture in crops like cotton and coffee earned the East Africans a source of income and survival.
- Missionaries introduced Legitimate trade which created market for the African Agricultural produces hence improving on their standards of Living.
- They carried out Linguistic study and this made very many East Africans to learn foreign Languages especially English, French and German.
- Missionaries introduced modern methods of farming like ploughing, mulching etc. which led to increased crop yields
- They put up roads and the railway line in East Africa which improved on transport and communication in the region.
- Missionary exploration works in East Africa led to the discovery of a number of natural resources and physical features like mountains, lakes and rivers which led to the development of East African Tourism industry.
- Missionary activities led to civilization of East Africans and they stopped their barbaric activities like human sacrifices, eating of human flesh, walking naked etc.
- Missionary education also produced a class of Nationalists like Dr. Milton Obote and Julius Nyerere who worked hard to liberate their countries from colonialism.
- Missionaries established rehabilitation centres like at Rabai and at Bagamoyo and these took case of the ex-slaves and saved them from suffering.
Negative effects.
- Missionary activities of spreading Christianity led to the erosion of African culture and religion.
- Missionary preaching of Love your neighbors as you Love yourself-softened the hearts of the Africans leading to the colonization of East Africa.
- Missionary formal education greatly reduced the African informal practical skills hence affecting the development of the African craft industry.
- Missionary foreign languages especially English led to the rejection of African local languages to the extent that English is the official language of many countries in East Africa today.
- The missionaries further led to political instabilities in East Africa through conflicting with the traditionalists especially in Buganda where the religious wars broke out.
- Their activities further led to the death of many people during the religious wars hence leaving many people orphans.
- Stopping of slave trade led to poverty and suffering of the African chief who were benefiting a lot from the trade.
- The putting up of plantations by the missionaries sometimes led to forced labour among the Africans. The ex-slaves in the rehabilitation centres were also over worked by the Missionaries.
- Missionaries further led to the exploitation of East Africans natural resources like minerals which contributed to the low rate of development.
- Missionary activities like putting up of ex-slave camps, plantation farming etc. led to loss of African land
- which made some Africans Landless.
- Because of missionary activities, the Africans were divided along religious line. I.e. into Catholics and Protestants yet they were united under the African religion before the coming of Christianity.
- Missionary formal education was too theoretical and this made many East Africans job seekers rather than Job creators.