Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Indirect Rule Policy occupies an important place in the historiography of the Lake Chad Basin, shaping the region's political and social trajectory in ways still felt today.

The years 1900-1960 represent a formative period for understanding indirect rule policy in the Lake Chad Basin, one that continues to inform present-day scholarship.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite considerable historical scholarship, the precise role of indirect rule policy in the Lake Chad Basin during 1900-1960 remains a subject of ongoing debate, with existing accounts often relying on incomplete or contested source material. This study re-examines the available historical record to offer a clearer account.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To trace the role of indirect rule policy in the Lake Chad Basin during 1900-1960.
2. To examine the factors that shaped indirect rule policy during this period.
3. To assess the consequences of indirect rule policy for the Lake Chad Basin.
4. To situate these findings within the broader historiography of the period.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What role did indirect rule policy play in the Lake Chad Basin during 1900-1960?
2. What factors shaped indirect rule policy during this period?
3. What were the consequences of indirect rule policy for the Lake Chad Basin?
4. How do these findings relate to the broader historiography of the period?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to historians and students of history and international studies, contributing a focused account of indirect rule policy in the Lake Chad Basin to the existing historiography, and offering a reference point for future comparative or regional studies.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited chronologically to 1900-1960 and geographically to the Lake Chad Basin, reflecting a clearly defined scope; developments outside this period and region fall outside its remit.