Features/characteristics of indirect rule?

1. Colonial administrators ruled through local traditional leaders or chiefs, who were seen as intermediaries between the colonial government and the local population.

2. The existing traditional political and social structures were maintained and utilized by the colonial powers to govern the local population.

3. Limited direct intervention by colonial administrators in local affairs, with a focus on maintaining stability and order rather than implementing significant social or political reforms.

4. Local customs, laws, and traditions were often respected and incorporated into the colonial legal system.

5. Limited resources and personnel were allocated to the colonial administration, leading to a reliance on local institutions and leaders to carry out governance functions.

6. Indirect rule was often implemented in areas with established centralized political systems, such as kingdoms or chiefdoms.

7. The colonial powers aimed to minimize resistance and opposition from the local population by working through existing power structures and maintaining a degree of local autonomy.

8. Indirect rule was seen as a cost-effective and efficient way to administer colonial territories, as it required fewer resources and personnel compared to direct rule.