Opinion: The British Empire: A legacy of violence?
When the British Empire entered Africa and turned it into their private-land grab, they were not only taking what was rightfully theirs by right of conquest but also stealing what was not. The British left behind a violent legacy that still shapes the world today.
Britain left Africa with the worst of the violent crimes. In fact, they left it with the “worst of the worst”:
The British are known for their love of punishment and torture. In fact, they have no equivalent today, other than the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
In the early 1900s, the British and French tried their best to destroy the Zulu Empire. The British used the Zulu to help them control the Congo River. The French used the Zulu to fight against the British. Both nations used the Zulu to become rich and powerful. Both nations used the Zulu to start wars and cause bloodshed and destruction.
What’s more, the British left behind a violent legacy by turning the Congo into their private-land grab. They used the land for their own benefit but also stole from the natives.
“We should not forget that in some parts of the world, a similar experience of British rule, at least in the form of the Zulu and the Congo River colonies, led to the deaths of at least 60,000 people, for which the British had no accountability,” says Professor Thomas Bender of the Australian National University.
The British left behind violence in the Congo. The land became their private-land grab. The people that would have been their masters were the Zulu.
The Zulu started using iron guns, bows and arrows to fight the British. Their only weapon was a bow and arrows. Their arrows had a poison in them that caused hallucinations that gave them a powerful advantage over the invaders.
The Zulu were winning, but the British would not stop. They would not let the Zulu survive.
The British arrived and began to destroy all of the Zulu cities, including killing any who tried to defend themselves.
The British then began to raid villages and homes. They were ruthless as they left the women and children as slaves for the Zulu.
The British took everything
