Comparison of British and French Colonial Administrations

Comparison of British and French Colonial Policies of Administration

1. The British people recognised and respected the traditional institutions of the Africans. On the other hand, the French people destroyed the institutions, appointed chiefs and dismissed them at will.
2. The French adopted direct rule while the British adopted indirect rule system.
3. The French policy of assimilation was primarily aimed at creating French citizens out of her colonies. The British, on the other hand, did not pursue such policies.
4. The British indirect rule was a system of administrative decentralisation. The French method seemed to justify a highly centralised political system.
5. There was mass education by missionaries and the government in British colonies. But, it was restricted in French colonies; only a few had access to education.
6. Britain allowed the formation of political associations in her colonies. France opposed and suppressed the formation of political parties.