In the 18th century, Hybridity was controversial in the perspective of interracial contact coming from abroad colonies and population displacement in France, United States, and Britain. These early insights were deeply concerned with the professed ills of the white Europeans by the races they conquered and not rooted in comparative craniometry and Anatomy. Britain, one of the modern empires, developed hybrid practices that enhanced their cultural diversity in its realm.
The British rule in Kenya was not initially viewed as an empire building instead as an endeavor to help while not empire in desire, Imperialist Rhetoric stayed (Shadle, 158). On the contrary, most British men assumed that the era of an empire was over and it lost its relevance. British Kenya was one of the New Imperialism, which started on the brink of the 20th century (Shadle, 158).
When the British initially arrived in the Kenyan soil, they received their share of rejection. Kenya at the time had different kingdoms that were of different ethnic groups. These ethnic groups comprised of Luo, Kikuyus, Kamba and many others (Shadle, 158). However, some of the Chiefs collaborated with the British and were greatly rewarded. There was an enforcement of the same old patterns that British used in their empire era following their conquest (Shadle, 158). For instance, the British employed the divide and rule method to conquer the colony.
Consequently, the British rule led to the Mau Mau rebellion, which started in the 1950s to the 1960s. The uprising grew out of the resentment over the British colonial rule. The primary causes of the revolt included the use of identity cards, low wages, access to land and abolishment of female circumcision, which was a cultural practice in some of the communities (Shadle,158).
Kenya was in its dark days during this period. This incidence followed after some of the Kenyan soldiers had fought for Britain in the WW2. These ex-servicemen came back home with military skills and challenged the British colony. Nonetheless, they had insufficient weapons and resources to fight the British soldiers. The colonialists massively killed the Mau Mau fighters banking on these two factors. Moreover, most Kenyans were victims of torture and rape as part of the crusade agent the revolt (Shadle, 159).
In the last one year, the British government gave Kenyans a reason to smile. The government of Britain acknowledged the atrocities that the Mau Mau fighters went through during the colonial period. The families of the bereaved and Mau Mau fighters received compensations to this effect. However, the British government never issued an official apology. Nonetheless, the fact that the British government consented to compensate the Mau Mau families promoted diversity not only in their country but also in the whole world. Britain has many immigrants who are Kenyans, Nigerians, Uganda and different countries around the globe. The noticeable gesture received positive reviews all over the world (Shadle, 159).
In conclusion, the British Empire colonized Kenya, when it had many kingdoms that aligned to different ethnic groups. Consequently, the brutal British rule spurred a rebellion called the Mau Mau. In retaliation, the British massively killed, raped and tortured Kenyans. Less than a year ago, the British government compensated the Mau Mau families for their ill deeds. The hybrid practice went viral globally and enhanced cultural diversity in Britain.
Work cited
Shadle, Brett. “THE OBSERVER OBSERVED-Colonial Kenya Observed: British Rule, Mau Mau and the Wind of Change. By SH Fazan. Edited by John Lonsdale. London: IB Tauris, 2015. Pp. xliii+ 358.£ 35.00/$65.00, hardback (ISBN 978-1-78076-865-6).” The Journal of African History 58.1 (2017): 158-159.
