Language And Power

The dissertation is to explore the way African native language operates in the colony as a symbolic power, its strategy, effects and characteristics. The dissertation tries to analyze the cultural hegemony of British colonial rule in Northern Nigeria and interpret the micro-power in the colonial context through analysis of the role of native language in identity, social class divide, colonial culture and social order. The language in this dissertation refers to Hausa language in Northern Nigeria as the native African language. Power refers to the colonial ruling power, which reflects a relationship, i.e. an unequal relationship between the powerful and the powerless in the power structure, in which the colonial rulers, as the power entity, imposed colonial rule over the ruled. The study is to examine the established theory and models regarding power relations through historical data and literature and to put forward a new perspective on language and power through Hausa language role in Northern Nigeria during the British Colonial Administration.The reason that Northern Nigeria is chosen as the subject of study is it has economic and political significance in the multi-ethnic and multi-language area, which makes the study more typical and demonstrative. British indirect rule in Northern Nigeria is reflected in taking Hausa as the ruling language in the language aspect. The study finds that the colonial rule is legalized and consolidated through development of soft power via language. The key to British successful indirect rule in Hausa-Fulani region is application and promotion of Hausa language. The study is to answer questions such as why Hausa language is chosen as the ruling language among multiple native languages, Arabic language dominant in the pre-colonial Sokoto Caliphate rule and the colonist’s language, the motives behind, approaches and strategies of using Hausa, its effects and impact on the colony in Northern Nigeria which has ethnic and language diversity.The study takes the interdisciplinary approach involving literature, history, social linguistics and political science. A large number of literature has been used in the process of the study such as Hausa literature published in Nigeria, history of language development, and dictionaries, especially the Hausa native language publications during the pre-colonial era and colonial rule; the author has access to language policy documents in Northern Nigeria by the colonial authority in the colonial archive section of the UK National Archives in London, communications between colonial authority and colonial officials in Nigeria; records of establishing Hausa course in School of Oriental and African Studies of University of London and King’s College; translated legal and policy documents by Hausa scholars in SOAS; blue book, annual report, colonial officials manuscripts and communications and part of Lord Fredrick Lugard’s manuscripts published by The Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House on colony of Northern Nigeria; Church Mission Society archives of Cadbury Research Library of University of Birmingham. The literature is in English, Hausa, Ajami and Chinese.The study of Hausa application in Northern Nigeria during the British Colonial Administration arrives at the following conclusions:Firstly, Hausa in Northern Nigeria is not transformed into the language struggle or ruling system, but itself is the means and purpose of struggle. From this perspective, Hausa as a symbolic power reflects a capacity or power that exists in British Northern Nigeria. The power is apparently expressed in African local translation that creates asymmetric power relations in the colony and the barriers of power, authority and knowledge.Secondly, the relationship between native language and the colonial ruling power is constructed through knowledge as the medium. Knowledge generated by the ruling power includes grammar books, dictionaries and textbooks in native language and constitutes the "formation of discourse", which defines the cognitive space in the colony, transforming the local knowledge into part of European colonial rulers. The knowledge illustrates that local intellectuals’ knowledge space has been intruded by the colonial rulers, which makes their knowledge and themselves tools of the colonial ruling. The transformation of knowledge and its dissemination approaches erodes the native social and cultural life. The ideological input by the colonial rulers gives rise to a major change in social and cultural life in the colony.Thirdly, the native language, as a symbolic power, is noncompulsory, free of subjectivity and dependant, which is different from traditional power that is compulsory, expansionary and aggressive. The native language, as a micro-power and soft power, is implemented with consent in the colony in an unconscious manner, which makes it a moralist of the colonial authority and covers inequality in the colonial power relations. It overthrows the seemingly obvious and stereotyped relationship between the ruler and the ruled, but is supported politically, economically and militarily by the colonial authority in Northern Nigeria.Finally, Hausa in Northern Nigeria during the British Colonial Administration has a significant impact on identity, class differentiation and the reconstruction of the social and cultural order, leaving a far-reaching colonial heritage to Northern Nigeria by the British colonists. Through enhancing the status of Hausa language and debasing Arabic and its derivative Ajmai, colonial rulers realized transition of languages and shook the foundation of Islamic religion and culture, forcing Hausa Muslims to passively redefine their values and political role in the colony. Native language creates the intellectuals represented by Mallam, Son’s Emirs for future colonial rulers, servants and common folks.The application of Hausa in Northern Nigeria during the British Colonial Administration consolidates Hausa as lingua franca and is further expanded through compulsory means. Hausa promotes the political integration in Northern Nigeria. However, as Hausa is institutionalized, it leads to serious political divide in Nigeria, a major hurdle for Nigerian national building.