By 1904 Francs had acquired a large colonial empire second in size only to that of Britain.

In West Africa, the French Empire began in Senegal which was France's oldest colony on West Africa.

By 1895, the empire spread from Mauritania above Senegal to the Northern and Eastern -boundaries of Nigeria and consisted of the territories covered by modern Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Dahomey and Niger.

The word assimilation is the noun derived from the French verb assimilar (to cause to resemble). The French assumed that their civilization and culture was of higher standard and therefore set out to impose it on other nations they considered to be inferior to their own.

They believed that other people were capable of being assimilated into French culture.

Thus the people of Africa and Asia were to be transformed into Frenchmen, speaking, living, behaving and thinking like Frenchmen.

The territories were to be identical to the provinces in France, administratively, economically and politically.

The first area where it was applied was Senegal. French merchants and government officials were settled in large numbers in the Senegalese towns of St. Louis, Gorec, Rufisque and Dakar. Here the French educational and administrative systems applied local government institutions like those in France, such as Municipal councils and a General council were set up in 1872 and 1879. Elections were on universal male suffrage just as in France.

Trade and Finance were dominated by French firms.

The colony was represented by a locally elected deputy in the Chamber of Deputies on Paris.

Senegal was administered in almost the same way as France Province.

The Senegalese economy - groundnuts mainly - was related to be French economy.

It was possible to impose French administrative and political institutions, but it proved difficult to bring about effective cultures assimilation - African culture is basically different from that of France. They have different habits, customs, religious and social, organizations.

It was difficult to rub out one culture and introduce another one.

It would have been possible with regular education based on indoctrination of the minds of Africans.

The French themselves realized that assimilation would end colonialism and so changed their mind.

Africans were strongly attached to their own cultural values and opposed cultural imperialism.

ASSIMILATION OF SENEGAL.

African way of life was different from that of France.

The concept of family was that of an "extended" family.

Land was owned communally either by a family or clan.

When the French attempted to introduce their own system of land ownership between 1904 and 1945, it was strongly opposed.

This land system alienated the people of the towns (Lebu of Dakar) who would neither accept French claims for the land they inhabited from their ancestors nor the French opposition to collective African land ownership.

The French opposed African polygamy.

The Senegalese were Muslims and observed Koranic laws in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance, birth and death. The Senegalese Muslims were opposed to cultural assimilation because of their attachment to their own civilization.

Education was dominated by a Christian community (Catholic Missions.) Since Muslims could not attend catholic schools, only a tiny section of the population, the French as Mulato Catholics and some Senegalese were able to take up education.

The rest of the population rejected the education offered because they feared to be converted.

After 1903, secular education was introduced to replace the missions and a large number of Senegalese began to school.

These reforms accelerated the growth of African political consciousness.

1890 - 1914 were years of rapid economic development on French West Africa. The wealth of West Africans too also increased.

The Africans then claimed real equality with the French. The French in Senegal feared equality because it would put an end to the French domination on Senegal and West Africa. To prevent this and to safeguard their economic and political domination in

Senegal, the French began to agitate for rejection of Senegalese demands and abolition of the political and civil rights enjoyed by the Senegalese.

African Reaction the French Policy of Assimilation

Between 1790 and 1880, the inhabitants of the towns of St. Louis, Goree Rufisque and Dakar, the majority of whom were Africans were granted French citizenship, they had the same rights and privileges as Frenchmen and had to be treated as such.

1900 - 1916, the Senegalese demanded that they should control Senegalese politics.

They condemned the concept of racial and cultural inferiority preached by the policy of assimilation. They demanded equality before the law. Equality of opportunity and other rights, right to be treated as respectable human beings while remaining Muslims governed by the-Koran.

Blaise Diagne was the first African to be elected Deputy in the 1914 elections to the French parliament.

Blaise Diagne had important influence on Senegalese politics. Because of this intervention, Senegalese rights as French citizens were confirmed and extended to their descendants. This greatly modified the theory of assimilation.

Up to 1946, the attention of Africans on French West Africa was concentrated on obtaining French citizenship. The French on the other hand were trying to prevent it.

1946, a law was issued which made French citizenship because they wanted to be treated as persons with rights under the law.

Effects of Assimilation.

By 1920, the French had devised a new policy known as Association which was to some extent similar to the English colonial policy known as indirect rule.

Assimilation was a failure because it could not produce Frenchmen on black skins.

But it left a deep mark of French speaking in West Africa, though they became independent in 1960, they have to win economic independence. The relationship between France and her former colonies is still close.

Except for Guinea and Mali, they all belong to the French Zone.

France is almost the only market for their products.

They are economically dependent on France and their internal economies are controlled by the French-

Their education system was closely modeled on that of France.

Differences between French And British Policies In West Africa

They differed in their attitude towards their colonies.

The British regarded their colonies as strictly separate entity from England. The French regarded theirs as overseas provinces.

Thus British attitude resulted into indirect rule and French adopted policy of assimilation.

They differed in the systems of administration.

The French established a highly centralised and authorized federal system.

Unlike the French, the British established separate administration for their four colonies in West Africa.

While the British adapted the policy of ruling the people Indirectly through their traditional chiefs, laws and customs, the French chose to rule directly through French officials.

The British acknowledged and respected the position of traditional rulers in African society.

The French officials destroyed the position rulers and created artificial chiefs.

The British respected methods of selecting chiefs, the French acted in complete disregard, appointed chiefs and sent them to areas where they were foreigners.

Indirect Rule And Assimilation Compared.

In an attempt to compare the employment of the differing systems of administration, one has to analyze it partly in light of the attitude, the reasons, the system in practice and the end results.

In light of the British, indirect rule was the policy of administration which entailed the preservation of the existing political structures in the African colonies but under the direction and normal guidance of the colonial government.

Meanwhile among the French, assimilation-was the system that entailed turning the Africans into French men by substituting their indigenous cultures such as language, law civilisation, religion with French culture and enjoyment of the rights of French citizenship.

The employment of the two policies differed in light of the attitude for the British, regarded colonies as separate entities from their mother countries -while, the French regarded the colonies as overseas provinces or extensions of the French empire. This therefore explains the diversion of the policies employed

It is pre-supposed, that the British regarded this policy as the most viable partly because they were faced with an acute shortage of manpower, limited resources and that the policy would be more efficient. Meanwhile to the French, it is pre-supposed that they had enough manpower, enough resources in fulfilling, and the policy of assimilation. This explains the employment of the system.

In practice, while the French policy provided for the "representation of the colonies in the French National Assembly, the British never envisaged such an idea.

The French had a highly centralised system and an authoritarian Federal system by which colonies were being controlled by the governor general whose headquarters were at Dakar where he received orders from Paris. Meanwhile the British had established separate administrative systems where each colony was being run by a local governor who was responsible to foresee state affairs.

While the British acknowledged and respected the positions of traditional rulers in African societies, the French destroyed them by creating and imposing/on them artificial chiefs.

Similarly while the British respected the idea of selecting chiefs, the French appointed chiefs. In disregard of their rule as leaders in otherwords they were less than civil servants.

The two policies also portray that the British system was greatly determined by the existing circumstances for example in centralised institutions, indirect rule was a successful policy unlike in decentralised institutions. This was unlike in the French system where (that assimilation was-believed to succeed in any circumstances. It is partly as a result of this attitude that assimilation failed in favour of politique d'Association. i.e. where the French system of administration was uniform and standard that of the British varied according the existing political and local circumstance.

The French Lieutenant Generals had a shorter duration of service of about 2-3 years unlike the British where an administrator .would serve for the rest of his career in the same colony as was the case in Northern Nigeria.

The two policies also greatly differed in light of the role of the indigenous chiefs whereby the British depended on advisory relationship of the local chiefs or 'native authority' unlike the French who relied on white officials.

Despite the differences, the two policies had some elements of similarity for example both the French and British powers both believed in the superiority of their races and culture to those of the colonial people. In otherwords, to the colonialism was a European civilizing mission where both powers claimed it was their noble duty to introduce their cultures in Africa.

In both systems there was centralised administration especially through the secretary of state who worked in the Interests of the British while the French Minister of colonies worked in the interests of the French government.

Like the British colonies had legislative councils and chief councils, the French had advisory Resident District Officers etc.

Both systems undermined the position of traditional rulers in African societies and among their people. This although could have been at a lesser degree in indirect rule than in assimilation, tho existing political structure was left as a puppet of the colonial system. In this case therefore the differences between these two policies are largely based on the background, attitude and in practice as Sir John Harry rightly concluded about the French system,

"None of French men should go to the colonies of liberty; equality and fraternity for there is little liberty, less equality in the French colonies for the whites and blacks".

In otherwords the attitude that a colony had towards the other greatly determined the policy of administration.

Analysis of Assimilation (Direct Rule)

Assimilation was a French philosophy that aimed at turning the people's of the French colonies into French citizens. It has been referred to by some writers like Ali Mazrui as direct rule: but the term "assimilar" means "to cause to resemble". In other words it was the attempt by the French to change Africans into Frenchmen only that they would retain their black skins. This was by substituting their indigenous culture, languages, law, civilisation, religion, political structures with French values and the enjoyment of the right of French citizenship.

The policy traces its genesis/origin from the French revolutionary doctrines of liberty, fraternity and equality which the French believed were applicable to every man including those in the colonies. It is therefore from this basis that assimilation was employed.

The French were convinced that their culture and civilisation had attained a high level of excellence and therefore it was their noble duty to pass it on to their colonial subjects and in this way assimilation was seen as the best.

Closely related, the French also were used as a highly centralised system of governance which they hoped would improve the African colonies. It is therefore in this light that the French employed assimilation.

The French looked at assimilation as the most viable and effective system that would be employed to subdue colonial subjects.

The French regarded colonies not merely as areas of imperial exploitations, but overseas provinces or extensions of the French empire. Hence whatever was applicable in France had to be adopted in their colonies or communes.

Application of Assimilation in Senegal

Senegal is regarded as the only French colony in West Africa where assimilation was applicable in 19th Century, especially in the coastal urban centres of St. Louis, Dakar, Goree and Rufisque. It is in those four communes that the citizens were given the rights of citizenship which made them become Frenchmen but in black skins.

In addition, by 1848, Senegal was given the right to elect and send a deputy to the French National Assembly to represent the interests of the French colonies.

The four communes of Senegal became the basis of the local government by 1872.

Many Africans in the communes received French education that was largely based on the French educational curriculum and some would be given scholarships to pursue their university education in France and even some worked there.

In the four communes, the French culture was generally adopted such as the system of employment, the system of government,  religion was made purely catholic and the French language gained a superior position in the far communes for it became the national language, in which case therefore, a critical analysis of assimilation in practice in Senegal portrays considerable success ir the four mentioned communes.

Despite the success of this policy in the four communes of Senegal, this does not require exaggeration for it was partial for the mere fact that it was confined in a small area of West Africa.                       

The failure of this policy traces its origin from the fact that assimilation as a philosophy was unrealistic to the extent that it even met opposition from the French scholars themselves who argued that it was not worth to venture into turning the Africans into Frenchmen when the two are apparently differed in terms of culture, race, land tenure system, marriage institutions and generally traditions that had to be respected and preserved.

Furthermore the policy failed for it encountered African resistance particularly in the interior of West Africa where they met strongly organised political institutions and began to realise the differences in terms of traditional religion, marriage institutions, land tenure systems which were very impractical to alter.

In addition, very few people accepted this policy particularly because of its nature for it seemed oppressive to the Africans because it denied them their traditional culture.

Furthermore, the French merchants did not support the venture of assimilation of the Africans. And making them French men, for in their opinion, the cardinal purpose of; colonialism was exploitation of the Africans rather than making them French men with plenty of rights.

Leaving education in the hands of Catholics could not attract the masses in West Africa because of the dominance of Islam for many people rebelled against the French education.

Meanwhile at home, colonial leaders found this policy more costly especially when they compared it to the British systems of indirect rule: It was as a result of the above factors that the French opted to abandon assimilation as a policy of administration and opted for "association" in 1905, which entailed the co-existence between the Africans and the French men. It was in theory indirect rule (association), but in practice, .it was a little more a domination of the Africans by the French.

The adoption of association was a testimony of the failure of assimilation as a policy of administration. However, the traces of assimilation still remained in some parts of West Africa.   For the former French colonies although were Independent, still received considerable economic aid from France and still have defensive agreements allowing them to station French troops in their states, to date.

Cultural influence such as the French language which is still the Lingua-Franc in some of these areas, the education system is still run on the French curriculum and so is the system of government and general interactions as are prevalent as one writer rightly concludes;

‘'The ghost of assimilation lingered on and could still be seen flitting in and outside of the French colonial affairs".