Revolution
a forcible over through of government or social order in a favour of a new
change. [1]Mineral
is a naturally occurring homogeneous inorganic solid substance having a
definite chemical composition and characteristics crystalline, structure, color
and hardness or an inorganic element such as calcium, iron, potassium, sodium,
or zinc that is essential to the nutrition of humans, animals, and plants
example are iron, coal, petroleum and diamond.
Mineral
revolution is a term used by historians to refer to the rapid industrialization
and economic changes which occur in South Africa from the 1870s onward. The
mineral revolution was largely driven by the need to create permanent workforce
to work in mining industry. The mineral revolution began with the discovery of
diamond at the town of Kimberley in 1980s onward during the early stage of
mining. Labor had been primarily provided by provided by young men from the
Africa states[2].
http://chela-kahama.blogspot.com
Mineral
revolutionary in South lead to many revolutions to take place as follows;-
Urbanization;
The need to create fixed labor force resulted in the colonial government and
the mining corporations introducing a variety of schemes to keep workers on
site for lengthy period of time .Member of parliament who successfully
campaigned for white employees to live in the town but black workers who had no
vote were forced to remain on the compounds.[3]
Development
of infrastructure; mass migration to the town, urban growth and the increasing urban
demand for rural produce prompted the development of South Africa transport and
communications infrastructure. Railway was greatly expanded to the link towns
to each other and to the country side, and ports such as Durban with increasing
immigration and commercial activity.
Radical
relations were transformed by the mineral revolution prior to 1870 radical
relation in South Africa had been relaxed. The advent of industrial mining changed
race relations. As South Africa population was predominantly black. The mining
corporations desire to create a fixed labour force resulted in the creation of
a larger pool of predominantly black workers. Increasing white immigration from
Europe resulted in skilled jobs being granted to white immigrant workers while
black workers were increasingly lift in unskilled jobs
Cultural
transformation, due to cultural contact many people come to South Africa for
mining activities that lead to the change of culture and introducing the new
culture of whites, number of whites had increased and this affect native’s
culture.
It
encouraged labour migration, these are the labour who migrate from one place to
another or area where were taken to the area where economic activities takes
place example people from Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe were attracted to
enter in south Africa and migration of labor lead to increase of population,
which accelerate availability of labour who could work and stimulate the growth
of south Africa economy
It
reconstructed the economy of south Africa due to the mineral revolution in
south Africa lead to the interaction to
the people from out side the country where by those people were lead to the
growth of trade or lead to commercialization of agriculture where by the crops
get the market which stimulate the economy of south Africa not only that but also agriculture and
pastoralist economy was transformed in to the industrialization and commercial
economy a thing which reconstruct the economy of south Africa so in one hand or
another lead to occurrence of revolutionary in south Africa.
Population
growth along the coast; mineral revolution influence many people to shift from
their original n place to the destination area that is south Africa which lead
to the population growth most of people come from neighboring countries like Zimbabwe,
Mozambique, also people come from Europe who were searching for area for
investment, raw materials, market and labour a thing which lead to the
colonization of south Africa under Britishrule due to that reason lead the
population pressure in south Africa which stimulate the development of trade
because of availability of market[4].
Lead
to the development of native people; mineral revolution play are great role in development of native people in south
Africa their engaged in construction of minerals which help them to get
important basic needs such as food, clothes and shelter on top of that development
of trade lead many people to engage in trade activities also the agriculture
revolution influence people to cultivate valuable cash crops which have
marketable the emergence of industrialization create the employment to those
native people so in on hand or another the life of native people in south
Africa were in good standard of living due to mineral revolution.
Lead
to the rise of British south Africa company; after the mineral revolution
British established the colonialism in south Africa which lead the
establishment of company such as British south Africa company where by the British
used the chance to establish colonialism In Africa example Tanganyika, Angola
and Mozambique which were under British rule so mineral revolution lead to
colonialism in Africa which lead to positive and negative impact like
exploitation of human and natural resources, development of infrastructure such
as railway road and ports, un equal exchange of commodities a thing which lead
the African countries to remain dependence or remain among the developing
countries up to date.
Lead
to African nationalization or Boers nationalism; mineral revolution stimulate Boers
to fight for their own independence
were by the Boer under the British
colonialism due to their strengthens of British they dominate and colonize the Boers
by using harsh treatment like forced labour to work in their plantation, long
working hours, forced them to pay taxes, poor working condition and other un
humanity behavior which lead to the Boers to rise up and fighting to get their
own independence as a solution against the European evils a thing which lead
south Africa to get independence in
1990s.
Mineral
revolutions lead to the occurrence of social stratification among the society; due to the gap of social development which create the
classes among the society between rich and poor people were by those who have
remain in top because were used their wealth to invest in different economic activities
like trade because they have enough capital to invest in trade and also they
have invested in agriculture activities because they have capital which can run
all activities like pay labour who work for their plantation but those who are
poor still remain poorest because they failed to get capital which can invest
in economic activities which can help then to live in good living standard of
life a thing which create classes between those who have and who have not.
Lead
to deforestation; larger stretches of
land had been cleared to allow mining process ,mining in south Africa required
large area that were cleared leading to the forest though out the area where minerals were extracted also the population
growth lead to the deforestation in sense that people clean forest for the aim of establishing settlement
because the area is not enough for whole population the agriculture revolution
lead to deforestation where by people clearing
large area for the aim of establishing
their plantation because they used as are commodities in trade where by
the raw material were used to feed their industry a part from that
deforestation also occurred due to clealence of forest for the aiming of
establishment of industry and company where by need large area for construction
of buildings[5].
The
rise of south African mineral revolution lead to industrial revolution whereby
different industry emerged example food processing, iron industry due to
the development of agriculture stimulate
the industrial revolution whereby there is availability of raw material which
used to feed their industry population increase accelerate the availability of
labor who work in industry and also lead
to the availability of market a thing
which lead to the industry revolution in south Africa .this was due to the
different reason such as availability of raw material , market and labor .
Lead
to rural urban disparity; mineral revolution create are great disparity between
rural and urban because in the rural area people were not engage in
economic activities such as trade and
many people were not employed because there is no huge industrial which can
help them to get employment on top of that the infrastructure of rural is quit
differ to those of town because in the town there was development of
infrastructure for the betterment of
running trade easily and in urban area there is availability of market good
infrastructure , availability of employment a thing which lead to the great disparity
between rural and urban. Also there is gap of social services between urban and
rural such as school, hospital, water services and so on where by in town there
is availability of this services compare to the rural areas[6].
Therefore,
South African can say that their development were caused by mineral revolution
which played are great rule to change the history of south Africa also lead to British to settle in the place a
thing which lead to the colonialism in south Africa.
REFERENCES
Farah,
M. A. et al (1997). World History.
New York: McGraw-Hill Company.
Mazrui,
A. A (1984). Nationalism and New State in
Africa. Nairobi: General Printer Ltd.
Stearns,
P. N. et al (2003). World Civilization. New York:
Addson-Wesley Education Publishers
Inc.
Stone,
L. (1966). World Polities. Cambridge
University Press.
TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION
·
Meaning of Mineral
·
Meaning of Revolution
·
Meaning of Mineral Revolution
MAIN
BODY
·
Impacts of mineral revolution in South
Africa
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
[2] Peter N. Stearns et al World Civilization (New
York: Addson-Wesley Education Publishers
Inc, 2003) p. 663
[3] Mournir A. Farah et al World History (New York: McGraw-Hill
Company, 1997) Pp 897-898
[4] ibid
[5] A. A. Mazrui Nationalism and
New State in Africa (Nairobi: General
Printer Ltd, 1984) p.45
[6] Lawrence Stone. World Polities
(Cambridge University Press, 1966). p. 159
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