The difference between indirect rule and the assimilation policy

The assimilation policy was very expensive. For example, the French colonial government had to build schools, hospitals, railways, roads and churches to turn Africans into Frenchmen and women, since they regarded the colonies as integral parts or provinces of their home country. In contrast, the indirect rule system provided very few social services to facilitate the colonial pursuits. Unlike the French, the British used traditional political systems. Traditional chiefs were allowed to handle lower civil cases.

Indirect rule respected and preserved the position of traditional rulers and institutions. The way the French colonialists used the local traditional rulers undermined their traditional authority. The assimilation policy was aimed at creating French citizens, while indirect rule never gave that privilege to the African colonial subjects. In the French colonies, the assimilated Africans were given full legal and political rights as French citizens. All the French colonies were under one Governor General, who resided in Senegal and who was incharge of all the French provinces. In contrast, under the British indirect rule system, each colony was under a Governor, who was fully autonomous.