ARO HEGEMONY AND BRITISH COLONIAL RULE

ABSTRACT

Examining complex interactions between colonial powers and Indigenous groups during the pre-colonial and British imperial periods in Nigeria makes the study of the British-Aro relations an intriguing one because it gave way for academic analyses on power relationships, domination, conflicts, or wars, economic and trade dominance, negotiating techniques, and the larger colonial project in Nigeria. The British aim was to expand their influence in the region at all costs. In spite of conflicts in the details concerning the methods of their operations, these agents generally cooperated towards the end of taking control of the economic, political, and spiritual forces of the eastern Niger Delta and its hinterland.1 The British were also in search of raw materials for their ongoing industrial revolution and the Hinterlands were their major targets as their palm oil and farm produce were highly sought after.