IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL POLICY (JHSP )

E-ISSN 2545-5729
P-ISSN 2695 2416
VOL. 10 NO. 6 2024
DOI: 10.56201/jhsp.v10.no6.2024.pg54.76

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Impact of Colonialism and Western Education on Esan Art and Craft Industry, 1900-1960

Enato, Lucky Success Ehimeme, PhD Abenabe, Green Kevwe, Ekpotuatin Charles Ariye, PhD

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Abstract

Esans from the indigenous society have their distinct culture that is highly evidenced in their ways of life. Their systems as elements of their culture clearly depicts in their socio-economic, educational and indigenous industrial activities that made them self-independence in spite of their cordial relationships with their neighbours. The people had viable economic frameworks that made the society practically functional with arrays of societal peace and industrial harmony. On their arrival, the colonial government easily recognized the economic potential of Esan in areas of art and craft industry, which was why it did not hesitate, particularly for mostly exploitative reasons, to provide the infrastructure to achieve British economic interests. Colonialism came, and accompanied with its attendant Western education and values, engendered socio-industrial change and development, which had great advantage to the people and society. However, in spite of the affirmative contributions colonialism implanted in areas of art and craft industry, Esan people were still exploited and her local industries found itself under the firm control of the European officials whose presence was for their own economic and other benefits. Their activities in the period created industrial exploitation thereby leading to the distortion of the people’s once indigenous and economic institutions decades after independence. The research has made it clear that Esan was an economic force behind the development of Western Region in the colonial period. The paper attempts to give a historical narrative of the nature and state of the Esan economic activities people in the period and to address the fact that if Esan people were been allowed to relive their indigenous lifestyles, probably the present state of socio-cultural and economic destabilization and mental confusion would have been averted. The main sources for this study will be primary and secondary sour

keywords:

Impact, Western education, Colonialism, Education, Art and Craft, Industry

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